Broccoli Rabe Ragu with Polenta and Roast Chicken

We were sent home from Easter with lots of yummy leftovers.  Thanks Silvana!  We had one slice of lamb, lots of fennel and a HUGE pile of broccoli rabe.  Hmmmmm, how can I use all these ingredients in one dinner?  How about a ragu?  Dice up the meat, saute with diced onion and diced fennel.  Then chop up the broccoli rabe and throw it in with base, deglaze with wine and chicken stock.  Braise if for 30 minutes on low.... mmmmm, then pour it over some polenta?  Sounds good, right?  Think about your basic ragu - start with your meat, brown and remove, then brown your onion/celery/carrot - then add garlic, then add your liquid/broth/tomato - then throw your meat back in and simmer.  We're just modifying that basic method.  We're adding the broccoli as the star ingredient, not much meat, substituting broth for tomato - a quick modification to take advantage of what I have on hand.  Roast chicken breast on the side, or right on top?  Done!  Here's how it looks:

And here's how to make it!


Broccoli Rabe Ragu with Polenta and Roast Chicken
2 chicken breasts
bunch of  broccoli rabe, cooked in any fashion and then chopped
half a fennel, diced
half an onion, diced
1 clove chopped garlic
left over lamb, diced (or beef or bacon, or NOTHING)
splash of chicken stock
splash of wine
cup of polenta + 4 cups water
dash of pumpkin pie spice  

Broccoli Rabe Ragu + Polenta:
First, get your polenta going by boiling the water and then slowly whisk in the polenta.  Turn the heat down to low and simmer according to the package - or about 30 minutes.  Get your medium sauce pan over high heat - add a slug of olive oil and your meat.  Brown for a couple of minutes until golden and remove - it's only a small bit of lamb, and like I said can easily be omitted. Then add your veggies, onion and fennel for me - but you could use carrot/onion/celery in any combination.  Sizzle your veggies for a couple of minutes until they start to brown - then add in your garlic for one more minute.  Next add your broccoli rabe and let all the veggies co-mingle.  Then add your meat back in and douse the whole lot with a swig of wine and a hefty slug of chicken broth.  Simmer for 30 minutes - the ragu should be saucy - if it seems a little too thick, add in some water to loosen it up.  When you're ready to assemble - scope out the polenta into your serving bowl and then pour your ragu on top.

Roast Chicken:
Rub down your chicken with oil, salt, pepper and a dash of pumpkin pie spice.  WHAT?  Yes, hearty greens actually go really well with nutmeg - and the pumpkin pie mix is a slight variation on that, it's not as strong and goes nicely on the chicken and fantastically when you eat the dish all assembled.  Then roast on 400 for 8 minutes.  Make sure the chicken is done through - poke test time - and then serve right on top of the polenta!  ENJOY!