West African Chicken and Peanut Stew with Chiles, Ginger, and Green Onions

Just the name of this dish made me want to try it.  It is actually a South Beach Diet recipe.  But, it looked yummy to me.  I don't know what to expect, but it sounds yummy!  Probably to be served with rice - not that SB Diet people eat rice........

1-2 T olive or canola oil (the recipe called for 2 T, but I think you could use less)
1/4 cup finely diced red onion (could also use regular onion)
1 T finely minced fresh ginger root
2 tsp. finely minced jalapeno

salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt)
1 tsp. chile powder
1 cup chicken stock (chicken broth from a can is fine)
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (use natural peanut butter without added sugar for South Beach Diet)
2 T tomato paste
1 T cider vinegar
3 cups diced, cooked chicken (I used Costco Rotisserie)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
3-4 green onions (scallions) thinly sliced

Finely chop the red onion, ginger, and jalapeno, and roughly chop the chicken. Heat oil in a heavy pan, add finely diced onion, ginger, and jalapenos, season with salt, and saute about 2 minutes. Add the chile powder, stir into other ingredients, and saute about 1 minute more.

Add chicken stock, peanut butter, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar, stir, and bring to a slight boil. As soon as it starts to boil, lower heat to a very gentle simmer, add roughly chopped chicken, gently stir to combine, and let simmer 10-15 minutes. (Resist the urge to stir it very much, or the chicken will shred apart, which you don't want here.)

While mixture simmers, wash, dry, and slice green onions. After 10-15 minutes, gently stir again if the oil from the peanut butter has separated. Serve hot, with a generous handful of green onion slices on each serving.

Nancy's Take:  I normally don't cook with peanut butter - I swear!  This was a good dish.  Not a favorite, but good.  I'd make it again - but not too often.  It went well with rice and peas.  And, the kids liked it.... which is always a plus!!

Dave's Take:  This was pretty good.  I don’t think I would ask for it, but if Nancy planned it for dinner and told me we were having peanut chicken stew I’d not complain.  The consistency was good for a stew.  Not too thin or too thick… just right.  I think Nancy didn’t add a jalapeño pepper because I forgot to get that from the store.  I wonder how that would have changed the dish.  Next time (and I think there should be a next time) we need to make sure to add the jalapeño.