Delightful chicken stew with butternut squash

With a playful mix of rich flavours that includes butternut squash, kidney beans and a touch of white wine, your taste buds (and family) are sure to be delighted by this delicious chicken stew that's second to none. And to top it off, it's also nutritious!

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Serves: 6

• 15 ml (1 tbsp.) olive oil
• 1.5 kg (3 lb.) chicken pieces
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp.) salt
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp.) black pepper
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and each one halved
• 250 ml (1 c.) white wine
• 30 ml (2 tbsp.) tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp.) dried thyme
• 400 g (14 oz.) can white kidney or other white beans, drained and rinsed
• 750 g (1 1/2 lb.) butternut squash, seeded, peeled and cut into 5 cm (2 in.) pieces

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Heat the oil in a large heat-proof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Season chicken with half the salt and all of the pepper. Brown chicken in batches for about six minutes each, then transfer to a plate.
2. Lower heat to medium. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until slightly softened, or about three minutes. Add wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the dish. Stir in tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme and remaining salt. Add chicken. Bring to a boil. Cover.
3. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Stir in the beans and squash. Cover. Bake until chicken and squash are tender, or for about 20 to 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves and serve.

To reduce the fat
To cut the amount of saturated fat in half, remove the skin from the chicken pieces after cooking and discard them.

• To remove more fat from the stew, refrigerate it overnight and scoop off the solidified fat the next day. Reheat the stew and serve.

For a splash of delicious colour, you can add a large carrot (sliced) to the recipe when you stir in the squash and beans in step three above.

• Carrots are rich in vitamins K and B6 and are available in a range of colours – from white to red to purple – contrary to popular belief that they are only orange.

Nutritional information
Each serving contains the following: 381 calories; 29 g protein; 21 g fat (including 5 g saturated fat); 19 g carbohydrates (5 g fibre), 75 mg cholesterol and 330 mg sodium.

Though stew is a winter favourite, this recipe is tasty enough to eat all year round. Why not give it a try and enjoy the heartiness and flavour that are the hallmarks of this savoury dish.