Chicken and Romano Beans

This recipe is a simple one, but a wonderful one.  Basically throw everything in the pan, and let it cook...  doesn't get any simpler than that!  This recipe for Chicken and Romano Beans is perfect for a slow carb diet, will leave you feeling full and satisfied after the meal, and doesn't take that long to prepare!
It takes approximately half an hour to prepare, so it's not too much of a stretch to make after a day at work.  I recommend getting all the ingredients out and chopped up ahead of time, so you can just toss things into the pan and not worrying about burning things as you go.  I promise you that everyone will thank you for such a great meal!  I suggest to cook two chicken breasts, cut into strips.  Between the two of us, we usually have a serving of beans left, and a few pieces of chicken... perfect for a ready-made lunch to go in the morning!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped/shredded carrots
• 3 medium stalks celery
• 2-3 medium tomatoes
• 1/2 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1 can romano beans
• cumin
• oregano
• 2 chicken breasts
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat a large frying pan on medium heat.  Add a splash of olive oil to coat the surface.
2. While the pan is warming, chop up the celery, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and carrots into small pieces.
3. Add the garlic and onions to the heated pan, and cook until they begin to brown, a couple of minutes.
4. Add the chopped celery, carrots, and tomatoes, and stir it up.
5. Open a can of romano beans, rinse in a strainer, and add the beans to the vegetable mixture.
6. Add 2-3 cups of water, and a cube of chicken stock.
7. Add a dash of salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin to taste.  (More oregano tastes great, the others in moderate amounts.)
8. Mix everything up, and cover to cook.
9. Meanwhile, heat a second frying pan and add some olive oil to it.
10. Cut the chicken into small strips, add salt and pepper, and add to the frying pan.
11. Cook a few minutes, then turn over to cook the other side.  (If you cover as you cook, you will keep some of the moisture in, which is good.)
12. Remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside.
13. For the vegetables/beans, after 10-15 minutes, remove the cover and boil off most of the water.
14. When the vegetables/beans thicken, remove directly to a plate.  Serve with the chicken on the side.

Recommendations and options:

As always,  I like to add a bit of hot sauce to my meal as I eat it.

If you want to deviate a bit from a strict slow carb diet, add a bit of shredded parmesan cheese to the vegetable/bean mixture while it's cooking for an incredible extra flavor!  You won't be sorry!