Being in San Francisco means that it rarely gets cold in the 'so-cold-I-can't-feel-my-feet' kind of way. Nevertheless, some days you can't help but crave a warming stew full of hearty ingredients to kick-away the winter blues.
Making use of what I had at home, and a few impulse buys from the local grocer (hello silky wood-ear mushrooms), it wasn't long before I had a lovely hot pot of chicken stew bubbling away.
Fresh Produce
The recipe is easy with the hardest tasks being chopping and stirring. I find the chopping process strangely therapeutic, so I imagine I'll be making this warming recipe throughout the winter as I travel across the country to parts that are decidedly colder than SF.
Chicken & Sweet Potato Stew
Chop, cook, simmer and savour.
Chicken & Sweet Potato Stew Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 20 minutes. Active time: 10 minutes
Ingredients - 450 g/1 lb chicken, chopped into 1 cm cubes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 900 g/2 lb sweet potatoes, chopped into 1 cm cubes
- 450g/1 lb mushrooms (any kind), sliced
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup water
- 1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and torn by hand
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon parsley (dried or fresh)
Method: - Salt the chicken and set aside
- Heat 1 tbsp of the coconut oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, then add the chicken and stir until lightly browned (3-4 minutes). Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Add the remaining tbsp of coconut oil to the pot and add the sweet potatoes, mushrooms, onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally (4-5 minutes).
- Add the water and cook, stirring gently for 1 minute, then add the kale, chicken broth, parsley and browned chicken. Bring the stew up to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes or so until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a little fresh parsley.