There is little better than a hearty, steaming bowl of soup or stew on a cold, blustery, winter’s day.
Keeping in line with my quest to find great looking recipes online and adjust them to suit a healthier lifestyle, I located this wonderful recipe for a fragrant and especially warming chicken stew on ricardocuisine.com.
Many of my modifications were made to reduce the amount of carbohydrates in the dish, which can feed infection in the body. You can find my healthier adjustments and other changes in bold. The cook time of the substituted vegetables has been also been adjusted.
Enjoy!
Chicken Columbo
From: ricardocuisine.com
Total cook time:
INGREDIENTS
Spice Mixture
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp aniseeds
Colombo
- 1 chicken, about 4 lb (1.8 kg), skin removed and cut into 8 pieces (organic, free- range) or
- 8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs – same
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil – organic, extra virgin olive oil preferred
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1 tsp chopped chili pepper (or to taste) – both this & the red pepper flakes can be omitted if you are sensitive to hot spices
- 2 tbsp ground Colombo powder (see note below)
- The author suggests adding 3 Yukon Gold potatoes cut into quarters, but I would substitute 2 stalks of celery & a good handful of green beans (both cut into 1 inch pieces)
- He also suggests 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed , but I would use one medium carrot instead (cut into 1 inch pieces).
- 1 zucchini, cubed
- 2 green onions, chopped
- The author suggests using 1 can (14 oz/398 ml) coconut milk , but to keep the carbs down, you can use ½ cup coconut milk & ½ cup of water (or simply use just water or chicken broth).
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper
PREPARATION
Spice Mixture
- With a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the seeds.
Colombo
- Coat the chicken in the spice mixture. In a Dutch oven or large pot, brown the chicken in the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside on a plate.
- In the same pot, soften the onion and garlic with the pepper and Colombo powder. Add oil, if needed. Return the chicken to the pot and add the coconut milk , water and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the veggies, cover & continue to cook for another 15 minutes. Remove the lid, and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes longer or until the meat pulls away from the bone and the veggies are soft. Adjust the seasoning.
- The author suggests serving this with steamed rice, but I would omit this and serve the dish along side a big garden salad with a lime vinaigrette.
NOTE
- To make your own Colombo powder, combine: 4 tsp of curry powder, 1 tsp of ground mustard, 1 tsp of dried oregano, ½ tsp of ground aniseeds (or fennel seeds), and ½ tsp of allspice.
Clinically diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 28, Pam chose an alternative approach to recovery. Now decades later and still symptom free, she coaches others on how to treat the root cause of chronic disease, using a holistic approach. She can teach you how, too.
Pam is the author of Become a Wellness Champion and founder of Live Disease Free. She is a wellness expert, coach and speaker.
The Live Disease Free Academy has helped hundreds of Wellness Champions in over 15 countries take charge of their health and experience profound improvements in their life.
