Chicken stew with zucchini and leeks

Name: Chicken stew with zucchini and leeks - Izabela E.
Ingredients: 4 chicken thighs (upper part) 3 tablespoons of oil 1 medium; sized zucchini 1 leek 1 red bell pepper 2 green peppers 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 5 cloves of garlic dill and parsley salt and pepper to taste

Meat - Chicken stew with zucchini and leeks by Izabela E. - Recipia

Chicken stew with zucchini and leek When I want a dish with meat and vegetables, but without a long list of ingredients, I make this chicken stew with zucchini and leek. The thighs are cooked together with bell pepper, zucchini, leek, and garlic, and in the end, the sauce thickens from the boiled vegetables and the water left in the pot. It can be served plain, as it is, or alongside polenta. Quick info Total time: not specified in the original recipe; the dish is ready when the meat is cooked, the water has reduced, and the sauce has reached the desired consistency. Preparation time: not specified. Cooking time: not specified; it depends on the size of the thighs and how quickly the meat boils. Servings: about 4 servings, one thigh for each person. Difficulty: easy. Recipe type: homemade dish with chicken and vegetables, suitable for lunch or dinner. Ingredients 4 chicken thighs, upper part 3 tablespoons of oil 1 medium-sized zucchini 1 leek 1 red bell pepper 2 green bell peppers 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 5 cloves of garlic Fresh dill, to taste Fresh parsley, to taste Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 1 cup of cold water Preparation method 1. Wash the chicken thighs and remove the skin. Let the meat drain while you prepare the vegetables. 2. Wash the zucchini. If it has small seeds, it can be used with the flesh and seeds. If the seeds are large, they can be removed, and the remaining part is cut into cubes. 3. Cut the red bell pepper and green bell peppers into strips. The leek is sliced into rounds, and the garlic is chopped. 4. Put the oil in a pot and add the chicken thighs. Then add the mustard seeds, the sliced bell pepper, and the cubed zucchini. 5. Pour in a cup of cold water. Add the garlic and leek, then let everything boil over high heat. 6. Keep the dish on the heat until the meat is cooked, the water reduces, and the vegetables form a thick sauce. Stir gently from time to time so that the vegetables do not stick and cook evenly. 7. When the sauce reaches the desired consistency, turn off the heat. Sprinkle fresh dill and parsley, then adjust the taste with salt and pepper if needed. 8. Serve the stew while it is warm. Polenta goes well with this dish, although it can also be served plain. An important aspect is not to finish cooking as soon as the meat is cooked if the sauce is still too liquid. Let the dish stay on the heat until the water reduces and the vegetables turn into a thicker sauce. The exact time varies depending on the pot, the heat intensity, and the pieces of meat used. Why I make the recipe often I make it when I want a complete meal cooked in one pot, without preparing a separate sauce. The zucchini and leek soften during boiling and give the dish consistency, while the bell peppers and garlic add flavor. It is also an easy recipe to adapt based on the vegetables I have on hand, without changing the cooking method. Tips and variations Tips The thighs are used without skin, as indicated in the basic recipe. Removing the skin makes the dish less fatty, and the sauce remains mainly based on vegetables, oil, and the juice from the pot. The zucchini can be used with the flesh and seeds if they are small. For a more ripe zucchini, large seeds can change the texture of the dish, which is why it is better to remove them. The heat should be kept high, according to the original cooking method, until the meat boils and the water reduces. Supervise the pot towards the end, as the sauce thickens as the liquid evaporates. Salt and pepper can be added to taste. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can let it simmer a little longer after the meat is cooked until it reaches the desired consistency. Substitutions If you don't have red bell pepper, it doesn't have to be replaced necessarily, but the recipe will have a slightly different taste. In the same idea, green bell peppers can be used together with red bell pepper, as it appears in the original recipe. Dill and parsley are used fresh, at the end. If you only have one of them, you can sprinkle only dill or only parsley, but the version with both preserves the taste of the recipe. Variations For a stew with more sauce, the amount of water can determine how liquid the dish remains, but the basic recipe uses only one cup of cold water. It is safer to stick to this amount and let the vegetables form the sauce through boiling and reduction. The zucchini can be cut into larger or smaller cubes. Smaller cubes soften faster and contribute more quickly to thickening the sauce, while larger ones hold their shape better. The meat used in the original recipe is the upper part of the chicken thighs. If you choose other pieces, the cooking time may differ, so always check that the chicken is well cooked before turning off the heat. Serving ideas The stew can be served plain, directly from the pot, with the vegetable sauce over the meat. Polenta is the mentioned side dish for this preparation and goes well with the thick sauce of zucchini, leek, and bell pepper. It can be served as a main course for lunch or dinner. Since it already contains meat and several vegetables cooked together, a complicated side dish is not necessary. Frequently asked questions 1. Can I use zucchini with seeds? Yes, if the zucchini has small seeds. In the basic recipe, the flesh with seeds is used. If the zucchini has large seeds, they can be removed before cutting. 2. How long should the stew boil? The recipe does not indicate a fixed time. The dish is left on high heat until the thighs are cooked, the water reduces, and the vegetables form a thick sauce. The duration depends on the size of the thighs and the intensity of the heat. 3. What do I do if the sauce is too liquid? Let the stew boil on high heat until the water evaporates and the sauce reaches the desired consistency. It is important to supervise it at this stage and stir gently. 4. Can it be served without polenta? Yes. Polenta is a serving suggestion, not a mandatory part of the recipe. The stew can be consumed plain, with the vegetable sauce. 5. When should dill and parsley be added? The greens are sprinkled after the heat has been turned off. This way, they remain fresher and retain their aroma better. Nutritional values The values below are estimates and are calculated for approximately 4 servings, using skinless chicken thighs, the 3 tablespoons of oil, and the quantities of vegetables from the recipe. The values may vary depending on the size of the thighs and the actual amount of vegetables. For one serving: Calories: approximately 350-400 kcal Protein: approximately 25-30 g Fat: approximately 23-28 g Carbohydrates: approximately 9-13 g Fiber: approximately 3-4 g Most of the protein comes from the chicken meat, while the fats mainly come from the oil and the meat used. Zucchini, leek, and bell peppers contribute fiber and carbohydrates, but the exact amount depends on the size of the vegetables. Storage and reheating If there is leftover stew, let it cool and store it in the refrigerator in a covered container. It is better to consume it within a short time while the sauce and vegetables retain their pleasant texture. For reheating, heat only the amount you need until it is well warm. The sauce may thicken after cooling, so upon reheating, the texture may be slightly different from when the dish was taken off the heat.

Chicken stew with zucchini and leeks

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