| Home | Features | Cooking Dictionary | Cook-&-Book Reviews | Read the Articles |

Appetizer Recipes Bar & Brownie Recipes Beef & Veal Recipes Beverage & Drink Recipes Bread Recipes Breakfast Recipes Cake & Frosting Recipes Candy Recipes Chicken Recipes Cookie Recipes Dessert Recipes Ground Meat & Sausage Holiday Recipes International Recipes Lamb Recipes Pet Recipes Pie & Pie Crust Recipes Pork & Ham Recipes Salad & Dressing Recipes Sandwich Recipes Sauce & Condiment Recipes Seafood & Fish Recipes Sidedish Recipes Soup & Stew Recipes Special Diets Recipes Turkey Recipes Vegetarian Entree Recipes Wild Game Recipes

The warm flavors of cinnamon and cloves spice up this chicken stew. Golden raisins, apple and black beans make this dish unforgettable.

Spiced Chicken With Black Beans, Apple and Golden Raisins

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped (see note)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 teaspoon chicken base or boullion granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins

1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until browned on all sides. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. In the same pot, add onion, jalapeño and garlic. Sauté until tender.
3. Return chicken to pot along with tomatoes, chicken base, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add beans, apples and raisins. Stir well, cover and simmer for 10 more minutes, or until thoroughly heated.

Makes 6 servings.

Note: Working with jalapeños or other chiles: Capsaicin is the ingredient in chiles that causes the burning sensation associated with fresh peppers. It's a good idea to use rubber gloves when handling fresh chiles. (Disposable surgical gloves, available at most drugstores, work best for this.) If you choose not to use gloves, be extremely careful not to touch any part of your body, especially your eyes. After you've finished handling the chiles, wash your knife and cutting board with hot soapy water to ensure that there is no carry-over to other foods that may come in contact with the peppers.