Chicken & Sweet Potato Stew

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.

Chicken & Sweet Potato Stew