West African Chicken Stew

By Tstone76

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot
• 2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Hot cooked brown rice, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, cook chicken over medium heat in 2 teaspoons oil for 4-6 minutes or until no longer pink; remove and keep warm. In the same pan, saute onion in remaining oil until tender. Add garlic and ginger; cook 1 minute longer.
Stir in the peas, tomatoes, sweet potato, broth, peanut butter, 1-1/4 teaspoons thyme and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potato is tender. Add chicken; heat through. Serve with rice if desired. Sprinkle with remaining thyme. Yield: 8 servings (2-1/2 quarts).