Spanish Chicken with Chickpeas and Sausage

I made this recipe tonight and it was a big hit. The recipe is adapted almost exactly from the October issue of "Fine Cooking" magazine. The only modifications I made were to substitute a milder sausage for the chorizo originally specified. I used Trader Joe's "Cilantro Sausage," which actually turned out to be quite spicy. If you have kids that don't like spicy sausage, any mild sausage would do, as long as it is fully cooked.

I served the dish over some brown rice, and since I was in a hurry, I used the precooked Trader Joe's variety that comes in the pouch and is cooked in the microwave in 60 seconds.

Lucas enjoyed a few pieces of the sausage even though it was spicy, which was very surprising because he is usually a total wimp with anything spicy. He also really enjoyed the chickpeas which he said made the sausage not so spicy. Jacob was sick with a 102 fever, but he still happily ate a little of the chicken, chickpeas and rice.

Spanish Chicken with Chickpeas and Sausage
(adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, October 2008)

Timing - took me about 25 minutes

ingredients
14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 tsp. sherry vinegar
Pinch saffron threads
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 lb. total)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. fully cooked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 large cloves garlic, smashed
15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. dried thyme

how to make
Purée the tomatoes and their juices, the vinegar, saffron, and 1/2 cup water in a blender or food processor. Season the chicken with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper, dredge the chicken in the flour, and shake off any excess.

Heat 1-1/2 Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the chicken and cook without touching until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the other sides brown, 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to the pan and then add the chorizo and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until they start to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato purée, chickpeas, and thyme and bring to a boil. Add the chicken, nestling it into the sauce. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the garlic cloves before serving, if you like.

Serves 4

Link to original recipe:
http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes/spanish-chicken-chickpeas-chorizo.aspx