Monday Menu (Slow Cooked Curried Chicken Stew)

There are few things I enjoy devouring more than a warm stew or soup on a cold frigid day.  As you can gather from my recent postings I have spent quite a few consecutive days sequestered in my home. The snow and low temperatures have been relentless here in the mid-west not to mention the lovely flu bug that has finally swept its way out of our now sanitized home. So when it came to preparing a homemade meal for my family this weekend I had quite a few stipulations. I needed to cook meals that would settle well with those weak in the stomach and bring nourishment to replenish lost nutrients surrendered to the nasty sickness. The meal needed to also require ingredients which were readily available in my own pantry because venturing out during a snow emergency is virtually impossible. So while racking my brain to create a concoction to meet the needs of my family this weekend I created a new dish with which I am quite pleased.

This meal is very British in roots so my husband loved it immensely. He wants it to be added to our rotation of meals. I’ve never written a recipe of my own before so this may be rough and hard to follow, but I felt it was worth sharing.

Curried Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

1 Tb olive oil

2 pounds chicken breast, cubed

1 Tb garlic, minced

1 cup frozen green beans

1 cup frozen carrots

1/2 jar of favorite curry sauce or paste (I used Patak’s Original Korma Paste)

2 potatoes unpeeled and cubed

Recipe

1. In a large skillet heat oil. Add chicken and garlic. Cook until chicken is done.

2. Add frozen green beans and carrots to the skillet. Saute until vegetables are soft.

3. Pour chicken and vegetable mixture into a 4 quart Crock Pot or slow cooker.

4. Add potatoes and curry sauce.

5. Mix to coat all ingredients.

6. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

This recipe is simple and can be easily adjusted. I used a more mild sauce to achieve the soothing effects desired for someone conquering the flu, but a hotter sauce would be delicious as well. Curry is definitely more popular in England than it is in America. This dish was very nostalgic to my husband’s upbringing. If you find that your family likes curry I would recommend keeping a jar or two on hand at all times. I have found them at World Market and the North Market in Columbus, Ohio. I’m fairly certain many of the franchise grocery stores carry them in their international aisles as well. It’s a really easy staple to those nights where you just want to throw something together. I have literally made meals before where I have baked chicken in the sauce and served it over rice and it was delicious.

Enjoy!