Oh Captain, My Captain

I feel as though this ship has been incessantly calling out to me for a few months now so I finally gave in. And I think we will readily admit that it was one of those them temptations we are glad we caved into.

This was also our first foray into the world of our fun new Cuisinart Electric Skillet. I'd seen a similar recipe in the freebie booklet that came along with our slow cooker, but had passed it by, though, not without a long second glance as I'm pretty hooked on any dish that involves chicken with tons of veggies.

Ever since our pantry was stocked with fresh new herbs (okay, I got only two or three new ones - I'm not one to splurge, even on amazing herbs), I've been looking for delicious recipes in which to use them. This is certainly one of them - it made for a beautiful plate, easily covered almost all of the healthy food groups, and had a great mixture of tastes (loved the hint of curry!); this recipe quickly found its way into the "must make again" folder!!

Chicken Country Captain
*curious about the name of this dish?

1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts *I pounded mine out for even thickness
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 TBSP unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 bell peppers, chopped (any mixture of yellow, green, and red - you know I used frozen)
1 TBSP curry powder
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes with their juices
1 c chicken stock, nonfat, low sodium
2/3 c golden raisins
4 green onions, trimmed and cut into 1/8-inch slices
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
2 TBSP slivered, toasted almonds

*I did make this in our electric skillet but you could just as easily make it on the stovetop - I did love the skillet, though, for not making the kitchen quite so hot!

Preheat electric skillet to 400 degrees. Combine flour with salt, pepper, and cayenne in a flat bowl; lightly coat chicken breasts, shaking off excess.

Pour olive oil into skillet and swirl to coat the bottom. Brown chicken breasts about 4 minutes per side or until golden. Remove and keep warm. Reduce heat to 200 degrees. Cook the garlic, onion, and peppers for 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add curry powder, thyme, and bay leaf; stir. Add tomatoes and chicken stock, bring to a boil. Add chicken breasts, loosely cover skillet and simmer for 12-15 minutes.

Remove cover; add raisins and green onions. Simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked. Remove and discard bay leaf. Garnish with chopped parsley and toasted almonds. Serve with brown rice.

Adapted from the Cuisinart Electric Skillet recipe booklet

Other excuses to use your dried herbs and spices or a garden full of fresh herbs:
The Tastiest Turkey Burgers Ever
Grilled Salmon, Basil Grilled Shrimp, and Roasted Red Potatoes
Italian Sausage Soup
Tilapia in Mustard Cream Sauce