Recipe of the Week: Moroccan Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes

This is a quick-to-whip-up stew that is filling as it is healthy! The acidity of the lemon juice really brightens up an otherwise heavy dish. If you are a vegetarian, tempeh or seitan (mind you the seitan is SO not gluten-free) could easily replace the chicken in this recipe. You could also replace the brown rice or quinoa with traditional couscous (plus it's 20x faster to prepare than the good ol' brown rice, but not gluten-free, either!)

P.S. Pay no attention to the Christmasy wrapping paper! I pinky swear I took down the decorations!

Moroccan Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips (or 8 oz. tempeh or seitan)
Salt and pepper
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 2-inch long piece of peeled ginger
1 cinnamon stick OR 1 t. ground cinnamon
1 can reduced sodium chicken or veggie broth
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
Pinch of saffron
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 cup of brown rice OR couscous OR quinoa
Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot heat the olive oil and add the salt and peppered chicken. Brown on both sides for 4-6 minutes and then transfer to a plate. Add the onion, ginger and cinnamon to the pot and stir until the onions are translucent. Return the chicken to the pot. Add the broth, sweet potatoes, and saffron. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sweet potatoes can be easily pierced with a knife.

While the stew is simmering, prepare your brown rice, quinoa, or couscous. If using brown rice you should start it well before you begin the stew...it takes a long time!

Remove the cinnamon stick and ginger piece from the pot and add the lemon juice and cilantro. Dump a big ladle of stew over the starch of your choice and don't burn your tongue, it'll be hot!