Winter Chicken & Vegetable Stew (GF, DF)

 Last night I discovered a really delicious and easy dinner option, from Whole Life Nutrition, based in Washington, USA. Since they are based the the states I have noticed that a few of the ingredients they mention are things that I have trouble finding here in New Zealand, but there are usually good alternatives if you ask around. I changed the recipe a little based on what I like and what ingredients I had - for example, adding sweet potatoes instead of only white potatoes, and I didn't have celery, which would have been great in it too. You can also use beans instead of chicken for a vegetarian option (I like cannellini and butter beans) and I also used cornstarch to thicken it up and make it more like a stew than a soup. I have also just learned that most cornstarch is gluten-free - except sometimes you don't know what is added to things to it pays to check the ingredients to make sure.

Winter Chicken and Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 small carrots, chopped
1 sweet potato, diced
2 to 3 teaspoons dried thyme
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 cups vegetable stock
2-4 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 cup frozen peas and corn
3 cups of cooked chicken or 3 cups cooked beans
sea salt & black pepper

Directions:
1. Place the chicken in a pot of water (use approximately 6 cups) to boil which takes around 1 hour. Add two of the carrots (chopped) to make the broth.

2. Once the chicken has cooled down enough after cooking, take the meat off by hand. Depending on the size of the chicken, you will probably end up with a good amount of leftovers to use in another recipe. Also pour the broth into a heat-proof bowl and set aside for now.

3. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add diced onions and cook until they are soft, approx. 5 minutes.

4. Add carrots, potatoes, and after about a minute add garlic and any spices. Separately  combine the stock and cornstarch and mix well.

5. Add this mixture to the pan, cover and summer for 10-15 minutes.

6. Add peas and cooked chicken, cover and simmer approx. 5 minutes or until veggies are
cooked the way you would like.

7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe adapted from: Whole Life Nutrition: www.nourishingmeals.com