Moroccan chicken stew

Vinny’s summer vacation

Summer is in the air and Vinny and I are heading for the great outdoors. That means you won’t likely be hearing from us here again till September rolls around.

We leave you with a one-pot dinner idea that you can make for a crowd over the summer. It’s easy to put together, but it takes a few hours simmering on the stove top. You could even stew it over a camp fire. It’s full of healthy veggies, good protein, vitamins and minerals, not to mention mellow, citrusy great taste.

Rockin’ Moroccan Chicken Stew
Serves 15 as part of a potluck lunch

•    6 cups water
•    one large orange, peeled and cut in pieces
•    zest of the orange, set aside for later
•    1/4 cup dry chick peas
•    2 tablespoons candied ginger
•    2 tablespoons raisins

•    1 cup dry lentils
•    1/2 cup dry mung beans
•    2 tablespoons chicken soup powder
•    2 tablespoons cornstarch
•    2 teaspoons each ground cumin, curry powder, ground coriander and cinnamon
•    10 small chicken drumsticks
•    1 cup chopped onion
•    1 cup chopped carrots
•    2 sweet  potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and cubed

•    2 apples, cored and chopped
•    2 cloves garlic, minced
•    ½ tsp salt
•    ¼ tsp black pepper

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large heavy stew pot.
2. Add the chick peas, dried fruit and orange pieces, reduce heat to a slow boil and simmer for 40 minutes.
3. Mix together the cornstarch, soup powder, and spices and add them to the pot.
4. Add to the pot the lentils, drumsticks, onions, carrots, and sweet potatoes and return to the boil. Reduce heat to a slow boil and simmer, covered, for another 30-40 minutes, until the veggies are soft and the meat pulls away from the bone.
5. Stir in orange zest, garlic, and apples and simmer for another 10 minutes.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. If serving the next day, set aside in the fridge over night.
8. To serve, reheat in a 350F oven for 1 hour. Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes.

Options

My recipe here was easy to put together, economical, and served 15 at a potluck lunch. It was flavorful without being hotly spicy, and most of the folks went back for seconds, asking for the recipe.The orange is a lovely touch.

But feel free to be creative. That’s what a stew is meant to be… made from what you have on hand. I’ve seen recipes for Moroccan stew where folks have added kale, tomatoes, dried apricots, almonds, dates, peanut butter, lemon juice, honey, butter, and/or coriander.

If you want a soup rather than a stew, increase the water to 11 cups and leave the other ingredients as is. You will also want to remove the chicken from the bones and throw the bones away before ladling it into soup bowls.

Celebrate the year of the pulse by trying some new recipes featuring lentils and dried beans… like this one.

Enjoy your summer, one and all! Love from Vinny Grette xo

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