Here is a warm, thick, nourishing stew perfect for a long rainy day like today, and most of this week has been.......Appearing to have been simmered for hours but, with the addition of lightly-sautéed chicken breast chunks, is much quicker in a time-crunch than the traditional boiling & deboning of a whole chicken like I would normally do. And paired with yummy salted garlic Indian chapatis, fried on the grillpan or griddle, it's the perfect simple, healing comfort food for a cool rainy evening.....
I quite simply, sautéed cut up carrots & celery in just a bit of olive oil, seasoned with garlic, onion powder, salt & pepper etc., whatever you would like, in the bottom of a soup pot, for a few minutes, while simultaneously sautéing generous chunks of cut-up chicken breast in garlic (fresh or powder) & salt, pepper, butter or olive oil in another frying pan/skillet. Turn off chicken when just done & lightly golden, & save to put in the stew at the end.
After garlic, onion, carrots, & celery are mildly softened, throw some rice in (I used a good 2-3 cups uncooked jasmine rice, it turned very thick & creamy like a risotto), sauté a minute or two, & then fill the pot with water. Cook on a low-medium boil until everything is tender & the rice is cooked & done. I boiled it a bit extra (taking extra care the starchiness of the rice does not make it burn on the bottom) to make the rice extra creamy. Throw in the chicken breast chunks when it is finishing up. I added a generous amount of dried parsley to finish it also, but if I had fresh I would have used it instead! Season with any extra salt, pepper etc. you would like, & serve hot with the freshly-made chapatti.
I'm sure this simple stew with rice would be delicious to try with cut-up (think leftover?) steak or fish also! Try any sautéed vegetable in season. Asparagus would be just beautiful with the risotto-style creaminess of the rice. Currying the entire stew would be another wonderful, warming option! So would a generous pinch of red pepper flakes or ground cayenne. Use whatever you have on hand.
Chapati
Chapatis are sooooooo simple to make! :) Very good on a budget too! All you need is a little flour, water, & salt (or try a little natural raw sugar if you want to make a sweet one...yummy!!), & a bit of oil. If you have garlic or other spices you want to try (think rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc....), feel free to add them either in the dough or on the chapati as you are cooking them. Experiment with both fresh & dried herbs~ this flatbread is easy & versatile. Use another oil, such as coconut or sunflower in place of the olive oil, & it is Lenten/fastworthy to boot!
*Makes 10 servings
1 Teaspoon salt
3/4 Cup warm water, or as needed
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the olive oil and enough water to make a soft dough that is elastic but not sticky. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth. Divide into 10 parts, or less if you want bigger breads. Roll each piece into a ball. Let rest for a few minutes.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat until hot, and oil or butter lightly. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin (they have little pita/chapatti rolling pins too which are great!) to roll out the balls of dough until thin like a tortilla, or a pita, depending on what you want. Its a pretty flexible foolproof dough/recipe. When the pan starts smoking, put a chapati on it. Cook until the underside has brown spots, (about 30 seconds to a minute or so for small ones, more for larger thicker ones), then flip and cook on the other side. Continue with remaining dough. Be careful not to burn. sprinkle with herbs, salt, sugar, or whatever comes to mind. These are best served hot & fresh, but we eat leftovers cold or reheated too. The leftovers get gummy overnight, but still are very tasty .
Enjoy your quick, healthy, nourishing, home-cooked supper. Have a beautiful evening!!
Love, Christine Elizabeth
