A cherished dish from my dear friend, Jenny. I remember when she made this for us years ago. She gave me the recipe, which I lost. But no worries about that. I remembered the main ingredients…a little tweak here and there and I believe I’ve nailed it. I’ve made this dozens of times. If you love cumin, orange juice and sweet potatoes, this dish is for you. It has a warm and aromatic smokey flavor with a lovely balance of sweet from the honey and orange juice. These flavor combinations are a perfect marriage. It’s absolutely delicious and it holds over beautifully. The original recipe called for microwave cooking but early on I adapted it to the stove-top using my cast-iron pot. With this version, I adapted it again for the crockpot. This dish truly warms my soul. It’s full of protein and complex carbs, it’s low fat and high in fiber. So yummy and I always think of my friend when I make it. Thank you, Jenny! xoxo
Navajo Stew
I typically serve this with a fresh crisp salad or, as shown above, cheese quesadillas.
To note: the recipe calls for a thickening agent at the end of the cooking process. If you used an alternative to flour then this recipe would be gluten free!
Cheers!
Navajo Stew
Ingredients:
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch chunks
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of all fat, cut into chunks
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1 can corn
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (sometimes I use 2 cans of black beans if I want to stretch the recipe)
- 1 can Ranch Style Beans with liquid
- 4 cups no or low salt chicken stock
- 2 to 3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
- 2 to 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon cumin (more to taste if you like)
- 1 teaspoon each salt & pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon of a thickening agent such as a roux (equal parts of butter & flour gently cooked in a small sauce pan until dark blond in color). You may want to use more roux depending on your desired thickness.
Directions:
- Place the sweet potatoes, chicken, onion, corn and beans in the crockpot.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients and pour over the mixture in the crockpot. Stir to combine.
- Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
- Check for your desired thickness and turn your crockpot to high heat. Add a tablespoon of the roux (or your thickening agent). Once it comes up to a simmer, it should thicken up nicely. I like the consistency to be somewhere between a soup and a stew.
- Season to taste, you can add a bit more honey, salt & pepper to your preference.
