Coq au Vin Stew with Whole-Wheat Egg Noodles

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 1 tbsp. garlic, minced and chopped
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups brown button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
• 1  tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. parsley, chopped
• 1/2 lb. whole-wheat egg noodles, cooked
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat a large Dutch oven or deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and chicken; lightly brown chicken on all sides. Remove from pan and reserve. Deglaze pan with water; add onion, celery and carrots. Cook until onions are slightly browned. Add garlic; cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Periodically deglaze the pan with 1-2 tablespoons of water if the bottom starts to get too brown. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes; then add tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, red wine, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Return chicken and any residual juices to the pan. Gently simmer until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Heat a separate sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and mushrooms. Saute  until they are golden brown and have released their juices. Add the mushrooms to the chicken. Add the cocoa powder. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley.
3. Serve with cooked whole-wheat noodles.

WW POINTS VALUE: 12 pts.

 

Note; This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. Coq Au Vin is a classic French poultry dish that is slowly braised in red wine. I know it looks overwhelming but the end result is heavenly delicious. I also know this dish has a lot of points but there's also a lot of vegetables in this stew and the original recipe calls for chicken legs. I highly recommend using boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they're meatier and have more protein. If you don't have regular onions, I highly recommend using pearl onions because they are perfect in French stews. The cocoa powder gives the stew a heartier flavor with the red wine and broth. This dish is just as tasty and delicious without the noodles. I highly recommend serving this dish in the winter because it will warm your soul.