Chicken, Corn & Black Bean Stew

This is an adapted Everyday Food recipe and, I must say, it's a very nice winter meal that comes together fairly quickly. (It's also the first recipe I cooked using my new toy -- a non-enameled Chefmate Dutch Oven. Only $25!)

The recipe calls for lima beans (yeeccch) and Worcestershire sauce (none in the house) which I swapped for black beans and delicious red wine (a lovely local wine: Eclipse by Heron Hill Winery -- scrumptious) respectively. You'll need to add more salt to the stew if using wine rather than Worcestershire, but that's a small price to pay for the mellow yet rich flavor red wine adds to the stew.

Lastly, the recipe called for a teaspoon of dried thyme but when I make this again, I'll either reduce that amount or leave out the thyme entirely. I think it gilds the lily.


Chicken, Corn, and Black Bean Stew

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (optional)
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (also called "chicken thigh cutlets")
6 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup dry red wine (or more...)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
1 can(15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

Heat oil in a Dutch oven (or other 5-quart pot) over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, thyme, 1 1/2 tsps salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste; add chicken, tomatoes, wine, and 1 1/2 cups water (feel free to add more wine and less water, though be sure to save enough of the wine for drinking with dinner). Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover, and cook until chicken is opaque throughout, about 15 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot; stir in corn and black beans, and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, shred chicken meat with two forks. Return chicken to pot, and stir to combine.

Serves 6.

Grade: A-