There’s nothing like a heart-warming chicken stew on a cold or wet day, to make you feel content and nourished.

This easy-to-make, deliciously, healthy chicken stew recipe with shiitake mushrooms & curly kale is rammed with nutrition.  

Chicken is high in protein. High protein meals, like this chicken stew help to promote fat loss while decreasing muscle loss. Protein is also an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage and skin. So it's really important to get enough protein in your diet.

Shiitake mushrooms have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for their antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Actually, the shiitake mushroom contains a wealth of health benefits - too many to go into now.

But given the time of year, it's worth mentioning that while sunshine is better, these mushrooms can also provide a decent source of vitamin D.

Curly kale is a cruciferous vegetable that's loaded with fibre and powerful antioxidants. Think vitamins A, C, B (folate) and K.

As well as anti-inflammatory ginger and immune-boosting garlic, I've also thrown in some pungent turmeric and clove. Clove has a distinct, undeniable sweet and warm flavour, making it perfect for winter meals.

This entire chicken stew recipe is dairy-free - give it a try with the coconut milk (instead of cream that's typically used in creamy stews) and I know you'll love it.

Healthy Chicken Stew Recipe

Serves: 4  Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 90 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 chicken thighs & 4 chicken drumsticks (organic, free range)
• 150g curly kale
• 125g shiitake mushrooms
• 1 large onion (peeled & sliced)
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons chopped ginger root (skin removed)
• 1 x 400g tin of coconut milk
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon turmeric spice
• 1/2 teaspoon clove spice
• Salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
2. Warm the base of your pan or cast iron ceramic dish (aka a Dutch oven) on the hob, then melt the coconut oil.
3. Saute the onion, garlic and ginger in the coconut oil until slightly soft.
4. Put the clean chicken thighs and drumsticks into the pan to seal the juices in. Brown lightly on either side for a few minutes.
5. Add the turmeric and clove plus seasoning and stir to distribute evenly.
6. Pour the coconut milk into the pan and stir in the shiitake mushrooms.
7. Place the stew in the oven if using a cast iron dish, or transfer the meal from your hob pan to a suitable dish, before putting it in the oven.
8. Add the curly kale to the stew after it has been in the oven for 60 minutes.
9. Cook the stew for a further 10 minutes, or until the chicken is coming away from the bones and looking cooked.
10. Serve with a selection of steamed vegetables and / or wild rice.

Vegetarian option

Use 2 packets of firm or extra firm tofu in place of the chicken.

Top Tips

Leftovers from this chicken stew can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 2 days. Or placed in the freezer to be used for another meal(s) at a later date. Just make sure you reheat thoroughly before serving.

Ceramic Cookware is my preferred choice for cooking as it's free of toxic chemicals and cooks food evenly compared to other pans. Also, its non-stick properties are higher in quality so you're less likely to be scraping excess food off the pan during the cleaning process.

More healthy recipe ideas can be found here

 

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