(Serves 4)4 Chicken breasts
1 Medium chopped onion
3 Cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon of soft dark brown sugar
1 Teaspoon of chipotle paste
1 Box of chopped tomatoes
1 Small red onion, sliced into rings
Vegetable oil
Corn tortillas/rice to serve (I serve this with my Homemade Tortilla Nachos)
1. Heat the oil in a medium pan. Add the chopped onion and cook for five minutes until softened and starting to turn golden, adding the garlic for the final minute.
2. Stir in the sugar, chipotle paste and tomatoes. Add the chicken and simmer gently for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked (add water if the source gets too dry).
3. Remove the chicken and shred with two forks then stir back into the sauce. Serve with red onion and tortillas or rice.
203kcals per serving (without rice/tortilla - an average tortilla wrap is about 180 calories)
Potential Alterations and Substitutions
I've put this section first because I cook this by an almost completely different method and there are different problems associated with each set of instructions. My family is a bit chicken-paranoid so rather than attempting to broil it and hope it takes the time the recipe says, I cook the chicken with the rice at the beginning, before adding the liquid element of the stew. This cuts down on cooking time and ensures that the chicken is cooked through.
To ensure that the stew is still full of flavour I add the chipotle paste to the chicken and onions before pouring over the tomatoes.
I tend to skip the red onion garnish at the end to cut down on the number of ingredients I have to buy and the fiddling around I have to do. It doesn't add much to the recipe but feel free to include or exclude it as you feel inclined.
Rather than chicken breasts which tend to be pricey and can be quite dry if you fry them, I prefer to use chicken thigh fillets which are cheaper and more flavourful. If you make this substitution you need two thigh fillets per person.
The nature of the brown sugar really isn't important - light or dark makes very little difference.
I add salt to the stew before leaving it to simmer as seasoning really can add a lot and this recipe seems to omit it for some reason.
Potential Tantrums
Not too many problems occur with this one but shredding the chicken can be a pain. Rather than attempting it, I tend to cut the meat into strips before cooking . It produces the same effect but saves a lot of time and wasted effort.
The sauce is quite sugary so make sure you stir the stew regularly to prevent sticking and burning especially after turning it down to simmer.
It's important to stir continuously whilst cooking the garlic as it can be quick to burn, especially when added to a pan that has been on a high heat for a while.
This is a great low calorie dinner to make on a weeknight and it doubles as a good comfort food option on cold evenings! A quick note about chipotle paste - it's amazing stuff and available in Sainsburys easily enough but be careful with the amount you use - a teaspoon provides a good kick for a four person recipe so if you want a spicier stew, experiment a bit before you commit to using a greater amount. Let me know how it goes in the comments section!
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