Foodie Friday – Spicy and Sweet Coconut Chicken Stew

This non-traditional chicken stew has a delightfully complex flavor with the sweetness of plantains, spiciness of garam masala and heat of chilies. A sensory treat!  Feel free to adjust the heat to suit your preference.  Kathy adapted this Spicy and Sweet Coconut Chicken Stew from Sonia Lacasse’s book Paleo Home Cooking. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP organic coconut oil, divided
• 1 ripe plantain
• 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 large organic onion
• 2 lbs organic boneless and skinless chicken breast
• 4 organic bell peppers – different colors are attractive
• 1 TBSP garam masala
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 cup full fat coconut milk

Make It:

1. Heat a large skillet up to medium-high and add 1 TBSP coconut oil. Once melted, add the sliced plantain and fry a couple of minutes until golden on both sides. Then put the plantains aside in a bowl.
     
2. Melt the remaining coconut oil in the skillet and add the sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper. Saute until golden brown on both sides. Then add the sliced onion and continue to saute until the onions start to caramelize. This will give you a lovely rich taste. While this is frying, cut the chicken into strips. Tip from Kathy: Use an electric knife and it only takes 2 minutes! Way better. Add the mushrooms and the onions to the bowl with the plantains when they are ready.
       
3. Add the chicken to the skillet and saute on medium heat 8-10 minutes. You don’t need to cook the pieces through, just make sure they are opaque on all sides, stirring frequently.
   
4. As the chicken is cooking, slice the bell peppers into strips. When the chicken is cooked, add the garam masala and crushed red pepper to the chicken and stir to coat, then toss in the bell peppers and saute for another 2 minutes.
   
5. Gently stir in the coconut milk, plantains, mushrooms and onions and heat through.
   

Serve on Roasted Cauliflower Rice and enjoy!