I seem to be all about creating new recipes recently, and playing with various things that can still be qualified as healthy. This week it’s a stew that was inspired by one of my favourite dishes growing up, and which has become a definite keeper for us.
These quantities are more than enough for our family of two grown-ups and two small children; of course, it all depends on how many chicken thighs you want to allow per person, and quantities are entirely variable.
INGREDIENTS
6 chicken thighs (boneless & skinless, but not necessarily)
100 g cooking chorizo, chopped into 1 cm thick slices
1 tin of chickpeas (240 g drained weight)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
300 ml chicken stock (I use a Knorr Chicken Stock pot and add 300 ml boiling water)
2 small onions, chopped
1 celery stick
1 large red pepper (I like to use Romano peppers, and you can happily use two if you like)
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sweet paprika
(Optional: 1/2-1 tsp hot paprika, if you like your stew to pack a bit more of a punch)
Salt, to taste (not too much, because the chorizo and the stock already have salt)
METHOD
1. Fry the chicken thighs on each side until the meat is seared (and the skin, if it’s there, is golden). Remove and set aside for now.
2. Fry the onions in the same pan until they are translucent, then add celery and garlic, and fry for a few more minutes. Add the peppers and fry for a couple more minutes, then add the chorizo and keep frying a little bit longer. Add the paprika and give it all another minute or so.
3. Return the chicken thighs to the pan, then add the chopped tomatoes and the stock (ensure the liquid covers the meat, but not too much, as you don’t want a soupy consistency in the end). Add the chickpeas as well at this stage.
4. Transfer the stew to a casserole dish (our slow cooker casserole is thankfully one that can go both directly on the stove and in the oven) and cook either in a low oven (approx 100 C) or in a slow cooker for approx 3 hours, until the chicken is nicely cooked through.
Serve with mashed potatoes or, if you are health-conscious like us and are trying to avoid white carbohydrates, with quinoa (allow approx 60-65 g dry weight per grown up).
woodsofwhite 