chicken and lentils

I made this slow cooker stew for a girl’s night with my BFF’s, Peggy and Anne, a month ago, when it wasn’t 93 degrees outside like it is right now! We enjoyed the fireplaces, each other’s company, the Jacuzzi, and the correct seasonal weather.

What the heck?!? Here it is mid-March and already in the ’90s in Arizona! I just heard my upstairs A/C turn on again! I hate it! I know that the mid-west and east are suffering through a blizzard and freezing their behinds off. And as ridiculous as that is, this heat is just as bad. It’s expected to be 96 degrees this Saturday! What happened to spring? Who do we send our complaints to? Rant over. For today anyhow.

I used chicken tenders, which meant that I needed to remove the tendon from each.

It’s easy to do. Use a fingernail to hold on to the end of the tendon. Then slide a paring knife to scrape it off. See, easy.

I thought the stew had just the right amount of heat. Anne found it too spicy for her taste. Even Peggy thought it was a little too hot. If you like spicy, keep the recipe as is.

For a milder stew, simply eliminate the jalapeños.

Slow Cooker Lime Chicken and Lentil Stew

• 2 cups dried lentils, rinsed
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 cups salsa verde (green chile salsa)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
• 2 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and diced
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon salt

Place all of the ingredients in a slow cooker, and stir to combine.

Cook on the HIGH setting for 4 to 6 hours, until the lentils are tender. Taste and season with more salt as needed.

Serve with a squeeze of lime.

Serves 8