Chicken Stew

Who doesn't love a big bowl of healthy stew? You will not be saying "Where's the Beef?!".  This satisfying one pot wonder is great to prep the night before and have ready to be put on the stove to cook the next day for dinner.  Impressive dinner in a on a Friday night-with minimal effort? Here you go!

Serves: 8 (plus left overs)  Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 20 min (pressure cooker), 40 minutes traditional 

Ingredients:

• 2 c mushrooms-chopped
• 2 c sweet potatoes (about 2 medium)
• 2 c chopped carrots (don't peel-more nutrients this way)
• 2 c chopped eggplant (about 1 medium)
• 1 c celery
• 3 c tomatoes (about 2 large)
• 3 c cabbage* (optional-we used it)
• 2 c chopped onions
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/3# chicken thighs cut into strips
• 1 c white wine
• 2 c water/broth (we used water)
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground sage (or 2 tbsp fresh)
• 2 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tbsp fresh)

*if thicker sauce is desired you'll need 1/4 c of corn starch (see instructions)

Instructions:

1. Chop all ingredients and place into a large pot (we used a pressure cooker-but a traditional stove pot is fine).  You can stop at this step and put everything in the fridge for the next day if you want.
   
2. Bring to a boil, and then down to a simmer until chicken is cooked, about 40 minutes.  If using a pressure cooker, you may need to add an addtional cup of water.  Bring to a boil (until pressure pops) and then reduce heat for 20 minutes.  Turn off and allow pressure to drop.
3. If you'd like to thicken the sauce, remove 1 1/2 c of the liquid into a heatproof measuring cup.  Stir in 1/4 cup of cornstarch.
4. Pour cornstarch liquid back into the pot and bring back up to a boil for about 2-4 minutes until thickened.
   
   
   
5. Serve with fresh muffins or bread.  We served these cranberry oat muffins.
   
   

Nutritional Benefits:

• High in Fiber
• High in Protein: awesome for repairing and rebuilding damaged tissues
• Low in Fat
• High in Vitamin A (carrots and sweet potatoes): great for bone, teeth, and eye health
• Anti-inflammatory 
• Full of Anti-oxidants (entire dish contains 1465% of daily needs)
• High in Potassium (entire dish contain 3913 mg)
• Good source of Vitamin C (entire dish contains 326% of daily needs)
• No added fat or sugar

Nutritional Information in Entire Dish:

Calories: 2104 (if 8 servings 263/serving)

Fat: 61g (if 8 servings 7.6g/serving)

Carbs:170 g (if 8 servings 21g/serving)

Fiber: 41g (if 8 servings 5g/serving)

Protein:199g (if 8 servings 25g/serving)