Spicy and Creamy Chicken and Peanut Butter African Stew

My blog has been on hiatus for a little while due to other projects I've been working on, to help out the victims of the recent earthquake in Haïti. I've also been exploring new quick and easy recipes from a book called Glorious One-Pot Meals by Elizabeth Yarnell. It's a great book in which I found this really tasty and exotic African recipe using peanut butter as the main base for the sauce of the stew and coconut milk for the sweet heavenly fragrance.

The first time I tried it out, I had put in too much water or liquid, so I cut down on the liquids so that the rice cooked al dente. You can play around with the amounts, as long as you stick with the main ingredients.

I'm really not happy with the way this picture turned out (just can't wait til the days are longer to have more natural lighting, as we're approaching Spring, since I seem to find time to cook mostly late afternoons), but believe me, this dish is incredibly savoury.

Preparation: 20 minutes, Baking time: 40-45 minutes

Recipe "au pif":

1 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp butter-flavored margarine or butter

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 cup white rice (long grained or even fast-cooking brown rice will do)

1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1 lb chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs, cut in about 3 inch chunks

1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced

1/2 cup coconut milk

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely sliced

1/2 tsp coarse sea salt, to taste

3 tbsp creamy peanut buter of your choice

3 tomatoes, diced

1/2 sweet potato, cut into small cubes (russett potatoes will also do)

2 cups fresh baby spinach, rinsed

Preheat oven 450F

Grease Dutch-oven with canola oil or butter-flavored margarine.

Scatter the onion in the pot.

Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. Tipe the rice into the pot, add the liquid, and stir to make an even layer.

Place the chicken on the rice. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse sea salt. Add the bell pepper.

In a measuring cup, whisk the coconut milk, garlic, sliced jalapeno peppers, sea salt and peanut butter until the peanut butter dissolves. Pour over the chicken.

Layer in the tomatoes, potatoes and spinach.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven.

Serve immediately.

Share and enjoy!