Chicken and Chickpea Stew &
Jamaican Black Bean Stew

__________________________________________________

            FOOD FUNNY
__________________________________________________

Here's an oldie but goodie from Rosemary Zwick:

One day a truckload of manure went by this farm where a young boy lived.
The boy stopped the truck and asked the driver, "What are you going to
use this manure for?"

The man said, "For my strawberries."

The boy replied, "Well, at my place we put sugar and cream on our
strawberries."

__________________________________________________

            TODAY'S RECIPES
__________________________________________________

I know I've said this before, but I love chickpeas or garbanzos,
regardless of what you call them. If you want to stretch this
recipe a little, just add another can of them.

Chicken and Chickpea Stew

4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 15-oz (425 can) chickpeas, drained
2-3 cups (500-750 ml) chicken stock
2 onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) blanched almonds
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp (2 ml) saffron threads (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a simmer over
high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the chicken
is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

**************************************************************

You didn't think I would forget about our vegetarian friends this
week, did you? If you're a confirmed carnivore, this also makes
an excellent vegetable side dish.

Jamaican Black Bean Stew

1 lb (450 g) dried black beans, soaked overnight
1 bay (laurel) leaf
2 Tbs (30 ml) olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbs (15 ml) molasses
1 Tbs (15 ml) brown sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) mustard powder
1 tsp (5 ml) dried thyme
1 tsp (5 ml) red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 cups (500 ml) vegetable stock or water
1 red bell pepper (capsicum), cored, seeded, and chopped
1 green bell pepper (capsicum), cored, seeded, and chopped
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the beans and bay leaf in a pot, add enough water to cover, and
bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until
the beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain the beans and discard
the bay leaf. Heat the oil in a large pot over moderate heat and saute
the onion and garlic until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add
the molasses, brown sugar, mustard powder, thyme, and pepper flakes and
cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and the remaining ingredients, bring to
a boil, and simmer covered until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 30
minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Wed Feb 7 08:11:55 2007