Chicken Cassoulet using aromatic herbs Rosemary and Thyme, boosting brain power while you cook!

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This is a great version of chicken cassoulet. It is simple to make and tastes amazing! It is a perfect weeknight meal. You can substitute the fresh herbs for dried, but I highly recommend using fresh! It adds such a great flavor and the aroma it creates when cooking is fantastic. A recent study just found that breathing in the aroma of fresh rosemary can boost brain power. We can all use that these days!

2 tablespoons olive oil*
8 bone-in chicken thighs (2 to 21/2 pounds)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion
1 tablespoons fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves
Two 15 1/2-ounce cans white beans
1/2 pound kielbasa or bratwurst
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 cup panko bread crumbs (or gluten free bread crumbs)

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil* in a large skillet with an ovenproof handle over high heat; reduce heat to medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and add it to the skillet, skin side down; cook until browned. Turn the chicken and cook the remaining side until browned.

Finely chop the onion, rosemary and thyme. Combine the rosemary and thyme in a small bowl. Press the garlic into the bowl. Rinse and drain the beans; mash 1 cup beans in a small bowl with a fork. Cut the kielbasa in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces.

Remove the chicken to a plate, draining all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low; add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the herb and garlic mixture and cook for 2 minutes. Add the red wine and simmer over low heat until it has reduced by half. Return the chicken to the skillet along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Add the kielbasa, chicken stock, both the mashed and the whole beans, and the mustard; bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the chicken has just cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, preheat the broiler.

Toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil*. Remove the lid from the skillet; season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top. Put the skillet under the broiler, about 4 inches from the heat source, and broil for 45 to 60 seconds, or until the crumbs are golden.

*Biolea Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil is an artisan oil produced on one of the few family-owned estates in Greece. This oil is stone-milled and cold pressed. This traditional method of production preserves more of the anti-oxidants and vitamins in the oil. The family has made a strong commitment to the environment, one example being that they do not irrigate.