Sticky Chicken & Chickpea Cassoulet

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenSticky Chicken & Chickpea Cassoulet

Skill Level	Easy

Preparation Time	15 minutes + 1 hour to overnight for marinade	Total Time	3 to 4 hours (Crock Pot) or 2 hours (Oven)
Servings	6	Cost Per Serving	$2.50

Chicken & Chickpea Cassoulet

6	Chicken Thighs, skinless and boneless
1	Large Onion, medium dice
1 1/2 cups (about 3)	Parsnips, medium dice
8 cloves	Garlic
2 cups	Chinese Broccoli or Rapini, roughly chopped
2 cups	Soaked or Canned Chickpeas
1 cup (250 ml)	Vegetable or Chicken Stock
1/2 cup	Cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
1 tbsp	Grape Seed or Light Olive Oil
To taste	Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Sticky Marinade

1	Red Chili, thinly sliced (optional)
1 tsp	Ground Szechuan Peppercorns (optional)
2 tbsp	Honey
1 tbsp	Light Soy Sauce
1	Lime, juiced
2	Green Onions, thinly sliced

If using the oven, preheat to 350 degrees F.
Put the chicken thighs in a freezer bag and add all the ingredients for the sticky marinade. Seal bag and press the chicken thighs around the inside of the bag to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least an hour (preferably overnight).
Place the olive oil in the bottom of the crock pot or oven safe pot and add the onion, garlic, parsnips, Chinese broccoli, chickpeas and stock. Place the chicken thighs on top. Season all the ingredients with a little salt and black pepper.
Place the lid on the crockpot, set on medium and cook for 3 to 4 hours, or set on low and cook for 6 to 8 hours. Or if using the oven, bake for about 1 ½ to 2 hours, just until the chicken shreds apart easily with a fork.

PDF link to nutrition facts table for Sticky Chicken & Chickpea Cassoulet

One cup of chickpeas provides half the fibre most people need in a day. Most of the fibre in chickpeas is in the form of insoluble fibre, which passes through your digestive system to the colon, where it is broken down into short chain fatty acids such as butyric acid. Butyric acid acts as fuel for the cells in your colon and keeps them healthy, which reduces the risk of diverticulitis and colon cancer.
One cup of chickpeas provides almost 3 times the molybdenum most people need in a day. Molybdenum is an element that may help the kidneys filter waste products in the blood and help the cells produce energy.
Chinese broccoli is an excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C and K. It is rich in a plant nutrient called lutein that protects the eyes and may help prevent cataracts and macular degeneration (loss of eyesight due to aging).