Chicken Stew

This is perfect for a quick, week-night dinner. Although this is not a fancy dish, to be sure, it is however, very tasty. Additionally, if you have little ones, they will love it too.

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size cubes
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup whole, canned tomatoes
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup rice (see notes below)
handful of chopped fresh basil or 1/2 tsp. dried
kosher salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350º
First, brown the chicken, onion and pepper in butter and oil, in a heavy dutch oven. Then, add the remaining ingredients, breaking up the tomatoes, stir well, to combine and bring the mixture to a light boil. Next, transfer the pot to the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Finally, serve this stew with a simple salad and some crusty bread or toasted pita bread. A sprinkle of parmesan cheese is a nice addition as well.

NOTES
I usually use basmati rice for this, however a brown rice or any long grain rice, also works well. The brown rice stands up nicely to a longer cooking time and obviously adds additional fiber and nutrition. Choose what you prefer or simply what you have on hand.