chicken and spinach stew

How to make chicken and spinach stew recipe

Serves 4

Total cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients:
625 g (1¼ lb) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato purée
2 x 400 g (13 oz) cans cherry tomatoes
50 g (2 oz) raisins
250 g (8 oz) ready-cooked Puy lentils
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
150 g (5 oz) baby spinach
salt and pepper
handful of chopped parsley, to garnish
steamed couscous or rice, to serve

Method:
Mix the chicken with the ground spices until well coated. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole dish, then add the chicken and cook for 2–3 minutes, until lightly browned.

Stir in the tomato purée, tomatoes, raisins, lentils and lemon rind, season and simmer gently for about 12 minutes, until thickened slightly and the chicken is cooked.

Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Ladle the stew into bowls, then scatter with parsley and serve with steamed couscous or rice.

For chicken & rice soup with lemon, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan and cook 4 sliced spring onions and 2 chopped garlic cloves over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes, to soften. Add 200 g (7 oz) thinly sliced, skinless chicken breast and cook for 3–4 minutes, until lightly browned all over. Add 150 g (5 oz) washed long-grain rice and stir to coat in the oil.

Pour 1.2 litres (2 pints) of good-quality, hot chicken or vegetable stock into the pan, season to taste, add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, then simmer for about 15 minutes, until the rice is tender.

Stir 150 g (5 oz) mixture of chopped watercress and spinach leaves into the soup and stir for 1–2 minutes, until the leaves have wilted. Ladle into bowls and serve with lemon wedges. Total cooking time 30 minutes.

chicken and spinach stew