Butter Beans, or Lima Beans as they are also known, are a great food to eat at any time during the year, but especially in winter. It is thought that these beans originated in Guatemala and they were a major food source for the Indian Americans. Butter beans are like other beans. They are a brilliant source of protein, fibre, iron, zinc, magnesium and B vitamins.
These beautiful beans’ nutrients are also found in poultry, meat and fish. This is another reason that beans are considered a protein food. Eating 1/2-cup of beans is 10 per cent of the daily intake for iron and zinc. Zinc is a mineral that is necessary for healing cuts, but it also helps to keep you from getting ill. As winter is here and the bugs are flying around, it’s a great time to add beans to the dinner.
Butter beans are full of healthy nutrients which also add extra texture to this chicken stew. My little family really enjoyed this dinner. It has a very sweet flavour with lots of different tastes to it. The butter beans, chicken butternut squash and mixed herbs give this dinner a sugary taste. When foods are slightly sweet, my husband and son tend to eat it with no complaints. It’s a great meal for the family members with a sweet tooth and well worth a try. Below is a video and recipe for you.
What is your favourite stew? Please let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to like, comment and follow this blog.
Serves 4
Equipment needed
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Vegetable peeler
- Slow cooker or saucepan
- Jug
- Plastic brush
- Teaspoon
Ingredients
- Cooked chicken x 500g
- Leek x 1 large
- Butternut squash x 200g
- Carrots x 2 medium
- Courgette x 1
- Yellow pepper x 1
- Chicken stock x 300 mls
- Butter beans x 1 400g tin
- Dried mixed herbs x 1
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil for frying pan only
- Spinach or green beans
Method in the slow cooker
- Start by peeling the butternut squash, carrot and courgette then chop these along with the yellow pepper and leek.
- Put them in the slow cooker with the chicken stock and add the dried mixed herbs and salt and pepper.
- Drain the butter beans, wash them under a tap and put these into the slow cooker.
- Leave on a low heat for six to eight hours or on a high heat for four hours.
- An hour before the end of the cooking time cut the chicken breasts into chunks.
- Put a frying pan on a high heat about 45 minutes before the stew has finished in the slow cooker.
- Once the pan is hot add in the chicken and fry for around 5 – 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Add the chicken and leave it in the slow cooker for 30 minutes.
- Then add the spinach or green beans 10 – 15 minutes before the end.
- Finally make the quinoa as per the packet instructions and serve with the stew.
Method on the hob
- Start by peeling the butternut squash, carrot, courgette and then chop these along with the yellow pepper and leek.
- Cut the chicken into chunks.
- Heat the saucepan on a medium temperature and add the olive oil.
- Put enough olive oil in to cover the base of the pan and then spread with the plastic brush.
- Fry the leek until it becomes translucent.
- It should take around 5 minutes for this to happen.
- Then add in the chicken and fry until the chicken is golden brown.
- Again this should take around 5 – 10 minutes.
- Add in the vegetables and fry for a further 2 minutes.
- Drain and wash the butter beans.
- Next add the chicken stock, butter beans and mixed herbs, bring to the boil and leave to simmer for around 30 – 40 minutes.
- Finally cook the quinoa as per the packet instructions and serve then enjoy.
Butter Beans and Chicken Stew is a great meal for the weekend and it also makes a good mid week meal too. If you don’t have a slow cooker you could make this meal on the hob at the weekend and freeze for a meal during the week. All the ingredients in this dish are freezable so you can also make extra and freeze. However you decide to eat this dish, as always, please enjoy. Thank you xxx
Googies Kitchen Life 