Chicken Stew! Chicken and chayote stew. I found this tasty recipe tucked away in my photo files a few days ago. There are many, many delicious recipes tucked away in my files that I yet to share with you. But, I will! Do you automatically think of carrots and potatoes when you think of a stew? I do, but I also know there are many variations that we can try. Personally, I enjoy squash like chayote(pear squash), Mexican squash(calabacitas) and zucchini. There’s also pumpkin, butternut squash, spaghetti squash and so much more!
Keep It Simple, Traditional, But You Don’t have To!
Of course, my first thoughts are to serve this chicken stew with a side of rice and beans. It’s delicious! As I saw it simmering away in the pot, I thought it would be delicious with some pasta, like fettuccini mixed in. Mix in some Mexican crema and grated cotija, yes! New recipe all together! Are you familiar with chayote squash? My dear friend, Suwanee, who is from Thailand, actually introduced me to chayotes quite a few years ago. She enjoyed them fresh in salads.
Have You Ever Tried Grilled Chayotes?
The more I learned about chayotes, the more I incorporated them into many of my recipes. Grilled with lemon pepper seasoning is my favorite way to prepare chayotes. Mom never used them in any of her recipes, so I was not familiar with them. You will mostly see chayotes in caldo(soup) recipes, but the possibilities are endless. This particular squash holds up well when cooked and doesn’t get mushy. Chayotes and Mexican squash have a high water content and are low in carbs, so they are a good substitution for potatoes.
Not Into Chicken That Much?
This recipe is delicious with pork shoulder, chuck roast or leave it vegetarian and mix in some cubes of queso panela(or queso fresco) towards the end of the cooking time. Leave out the meat and cheese, that works too. Serve in shallow bowls and top with your favorite grilled fish. That would be delicious for lent season coming up! You are the boss in your own kitchen! Get creative and have fun!
Boiled Or Roasted?
What is your favorite cooking method when it comes to preparing salsa verde? The first cooked salsa I learned to prepare as a teenager was tomatillo chile de arbol salsa. Mom would literally add all of the ingredients to a pot, cover with water and boil the ingredients. That is still one of my favorite salsa recipes. Of course I enjoy dry roasting and even grilling my ingredients. It adds another whole level of flavors! I confess that I am not a big fan of broiling tomatillos. It’s popular, easy and fast, but when I see a baking sheet filled with exploding tomatillos and all the seeds and water everywhere, I feel cheated, lol! YOU ARE THE BOSS IN YOUR KITCHEN! Remember that!
Let’s Get To The Recipe!!
Please tell me in the comments section below how you incorparate chayotes into your recipes. Have you ever prepared a chayote appetizer??
Chicken And Chayote Stew
Ingredients
- For Salsa
- 8 large tomatillos
- 2-4 serrano peppers
- 1/3 section white onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- Water
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- Big handful of cilantro washed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- You Will Also Need
- 2 large poblano peppers
- avocado or olive oil
- 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 c onion diced
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 tsps oregano crushed
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 chayote squash diced
- 2 cups Mexican squash or zucchini, diced
Instructions
- Place washed poblanos on a baking sheet. Brush with oil. Place under preheated broiler set on high for 15-18 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking time. Place poblanos in a plastic bag to steam and cool for 10 minutes. When ready, remove stems and seeds. Peel away blistered skins, then slice into strips. Set aside. Multi tasking id the key to getting this and many recipes done in a timely manner.
- Add the tomatillos, serrano peppers, 1/3 section of onion and 3 cloves of garlic to a sauce pan. Cover with water. At medium heat, bring ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat and continue cooking for 8-9 minutes.
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer salsa ingredients to the blender jar. Add the bouillon, salt to taste, pinch of pepper and cilantro. Pour in 1 3/4 cups of the reserved cooking water. Blend on high until very smooth. Set aside.
- In a large heavy pot at medium heat, preheat 2 tablespoons of avocado or olive oil. After a few minutes, add the sliced chicken. Season with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir well. Continue cooking, stirring as needed for 6-7 minutes.
- To the chicken, add the onions and garlic. Stir well and saute for 3 minutes. Mix in the crushed oregano and cumin. Mix in the chayote and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the salsa from the blender into the pot. Stir well to combine. Reduce heat to below medium and continue cooking until chayotes are fork tender. Taste for salt.
- Once chayotes are tender, add the Mexican squash(or zucchini) and poblano strips. Stir well to combine. Continue cooking for 20 minutes. Serve over rice with beans. Or toss in some cooked pasta with finely grated cotija cheese and crema! Two options!
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