Lemony Chicken Stew

This stew brings back memories of being in Spain at the height of summer for a race on the international circuit. I ate the most delicious, lemony chicken stew at lunchtime before I headed to the track. The stew was bright, zingy and full of flavour, and I tried to recreate it in my own kitchen as soon as I was back in Ireland. This is a great stew to make if you feel a head cold coming on – the garlic will work wonders!

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 50 min

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp paprika
• 4 skinless chicken breast fillets, cubed
• 2 peppers, deseeded and diced
• 10 dried apricots, halved
• 10 stoned green olives, halved
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• ½ courgette, chopped
• 300ml chicken stock
• salt and pepper
• a handful of mint leaves, chopped
• brown rice, to serve

Method:

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large casserole over a medium heat.
2. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the cinnamon, cumin seeds and paprika and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Stir frequently and add a splash of water if the pan gets dry.
6. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Stir in the peppers, apricots, olives, lemon, courgette and stock.
8. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
9. When you are ready to serve, season to taste.
10. Ladle the stew into warmed serving bowls and sprinkle over the mint.
11. Serve with brown rice.