Chicken Rapini & Peppers with Polenta

If you have never tasted Rapini (or Broccoli Rabe as it is often called) you’re in for a treat! It’s an intense green that is a delicious accompaniment to all kinds of dishes; and can be cooked in a variety of ways. I love how the color stands out when cooking with chicken or light foods. Today I used colorful peppers as well as the rapini, the flavors mixed well together and created a very cohesive dish.
You will need to clean the rapini, simply rinse in cold water, shake, and cut off the stalks.

You will need;
1 bunch of Rapini (Broccoli Rabe) chopped
2 peppers of your choosing, sliced
2 teaspoons of oil
½ lb chicken cut into bite size pieces
1 red onion thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ cup chicken broth
Instant polenta (cook according to the directions)
Grated Parmesan cheese
1 small log of herb infused goat cheese

In a large pot bring salted water to a boil. Add the rapini and reduce heat; allow to simmer for five minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. We will be cooking the rapini a bit more so we don’t want it to continue to cook while waiting.
In a non stick pan add the oil, over medium high heat.
Cut the chicken and season with salt and pepper; I also added a bit of chili powder for a little kick.
Add the chicken to the pan and brown on all sides;

remove to a dish and add the onion and peppers to the pan; sauté until the onions are starting to caramelize.

Add the broth, rapini, chicken and goat cheese. Simmer until the chicken has finished cooking and the sauce thickens.

If you ever find your sauce is not thickening, make a slurry! A few teaspoons of corn starch and cold water will do the thick.
Cook the polenta according to the instructions, add a bit of parm cheese.
With a large spoon, plate the polenta and make a depression in the middle with the spoon. Spoon the chicken mixture into the polenta and sprinkle with a bit of cheese.

I mixed it all together and loved the flavors. My Husband thought the polenta needed a bit more flavor. So with that being said, if I were to make it again I would add some spice to the polenta and I think that would really cover the bases on this one.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe and that maybe it will inspire you to create a similar dish!