Week 190: Ethiopian-Spiced Chicken Stew

Happy Thursday!

On the menu for TUESDAY, MARCH 29th is a brand new soup, ETHIOPIAN-SPICED CHICKEN STEW and ROASTED RED PEPPER BREAD. In my take on a classic Ethiopian dish, the lentils break down and meld with the chicken stock to create a tasty stew that's perfect for mopping up with my roasted red pepper bread.

What I love most about this stew is that while it is thick and filling, it has relatively few ingredients and almost all of them are good for you. I think this stew will quickly become a favorite in your house!

The stew begins with sautéing onions, garlic and fresh ginger in a little bit of butter. Once softened, the Berbere spice blend is added. Berbere, a staple in Ethiopian cooking, is an aromatic blend that includes garlic, fenugreek, allspice, red pepper, ginger, chiles, coriander, cinnamon and black pepper. It adds layers of flavor without much heat.

Next, a little bit of red wine is added along with diced tomatoes, red lentils and chicken thighs. The stew simmers until the chicken is falling-apart tender and the red lentils have started to break down and thicken the stew. The stew is garnished with fresh parsley.

The bread companion this week is my Roasted Red Pepper Bread. This bread is beautifully braided and blends together the sweetness of roasted red peppers with a little spiciness from a healthy dose of black pepper. It tastes great with this stew and is also delicious as breakfast toasted with a fried egg on top the next morning.

On the menu for dessert this week are CARROT CAKE COOKIE SANDWICHES! Over the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with cookie sandwiches and I’m excited to offer one this week. Imagine carrot cake - but in cookie form. The cookies have a browned butter base, carrot cake ingredients, and coconut. They are piped with cream cheese buttercream, which is simply divine! ~ Jenny from Jenny Sue Delights