Healthy Lebanese Chicken and Beans Stew- Fasoulia b' djej
- Minutes to Prepare:
- Minutes to Cook:
- Number of Servings: 4
Ingredients
Oil or butter Spray to cook the chicken.½ Chicken Breast , No skin No Bones cut into small cubes( See variations that can be used at the end of the recipe)1 Tbsp Olive oil8 Garlic Minced 1 stalk Celery, Minced 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (about 1/2 cup)4 Tbsp Tomato paste 1 cup tomato sauce8 cups of water or chicken stock1 Tbsp Salt ½ Tsp Curry3 15 oz cans of cooked Beans (or about 4 cups drained) ( I used in this recipe Peruvian beans- See variations that can be used at the end of the recipe)¼ cup Freshly squeezed Lemon juiceChopped Parsley for garnishing.
Makes 4 servings each serving about 1.5 cup of stew.
Serve with 1 cup of brown cooked rice.
Prepare all ingredients for cooking:
Cut chicken breast into small cubes.
Open Bean cans, rinse well many times to get rid of preservatives, drain, measure and set aside
Mince and chop garlic , celery and cilantro
Measure tomato sauce, tomato paste, oil and water.
Squeeze fresh lemon to get about ¼ Lemon juice or to taste.
Cooking, you are going to need a medium size pot and a frying pan:
1- Using the oil spray cook chicken cubes till golden, use the spray often while stirring .
2- Meanwhile add one tablespoon of olive oil into the frying pan and sauté minced Garlic, minced Celery, chopped cilantro consecutively sautéing each for about two minutes.
3- Add the garlic mixture to the chicken and stir. Cook for about two more minutes so the herb flavor gets combined with the chicken.
4- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and water.
5- Add spices and salt and let it cook on high heat till first boil.
6- Add the drained beans and let cook on medium heat for 20 to 30 additional minutes. If there is too much water on the beans, cook at this stage uncovered, otherwise cook covered. Stir occasionally so the beans will not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve in individual plates over rice; spoon cooked white or brown rice in deep plate, pour the Fasoulia on top or next to it and serve hot. Garnish with few sprigs of Parsley.
Things to serve on the side: Lebanese/Arabic pita bread, olives, radishes, onions, green onions, pickles, etc.
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Notes:
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Choice of Beans - you can use a number of varieties including:
o Pinto beans فاصوليا المنقطة
o Romano beans or borlotti is an Italian bean that is a good alternative where Pinto is not available.
o Red beans فاصوليا حمراء
o White beans فاصوليا بيضاء
o White flat beans or Lima Beans فاصوليا عريضة بيضاء
o You can also use canned beans - refer to Variations In this recipe picture I used Peruvian beans
o If you are adventurous, you can use mixed beans lol
Preparing dry beans : Measure 2 cups of your selected dry beans; pick through the beans, discarding any discolored or shriveled beans, any dirt or foreign matter; rinse the beans thoroughly; put in deep bowl and pour boiling water over it to the top - allowing room for 4x expansion; soak overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Optional - it helps to reduce cooking time, and supposedly gas, if you add 1 tablespoon of baking soda before you pour the boiling water. After 2 hours, rinse and re-add boiling water another time without the baking soda. GAS-FREE SOAK: place beans in a pot and add boiling water then boil for 2-3 minutes, cover and set aside overnight. By morning, 75-90% of the indigestible sugars will have dissolved into the soaking water.
--------------------------------------
Choice of Meat - you can use various types and sources of stewing meat:
o Young veal shanks موزات عجل are my favourite: remove the hard ligaments on the ends and cut each shank in the middle; you can keep the shanks whole if you want.
o Beef shanks موزات بقر are also tasty: treat the same but cut in thirds
o Lean veal or beef stew meat cubed - will take a bit longer to cook
o Lean Lamb or Goat meat cubed. You can also use other types of meat - refer to Variations.
o Chicken Breast
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Choice of Spices - you can use various types that you may like:
You can use Seven Spices” بهارات سبع or other spices but for my taste I like curry powder with the chicken only ..Other spices suggestions may be :
o 2 Bay leavesورق غار
o 2 Cinnamon sticks (medium) عيدان قرفة
o 3 Cardamom حبوب الهيل
o 5 Cloves كبش قرنفل
o 5 Whole pepper kernel حبوب بهار
Put them in a spice infuser (similar to tea infuser) or cheese cloth and drop them in; you can then remove them before serving. You can use the spices that you like,
As for the Arabic “Seven Spices” بهارات سبع mix I find that most people who do not like the taste of this mixture actually dislike one component of the mixed spices, normally cumin. So alternatively mix your own selecting what you like and keeping out what you don’t like or what is not available, from the following ground spices: allspice, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and paprika.
Number of Servings: 4
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user NADWAH.
Serve with 1 cup of brown cooked rice.
Prepare all ingredients for cooking:
Cut chicken breast into small cubes.
Open Bean cans, rinse well many times to get rid of preservatives, drain, measure and set aside
Mince and chop garlic , celery and cilantro
Measure tomato sauce, tomato paste, oil and water.
Squeeze fresh lemon to get about ¼ Lemon juice or to taste.
Cooking, you are going to need a medium size pot and a frying pan:
1- Using the oil spray cook chicken cubes till golden, use the spray often while stirring .
2- Meanwhile add one tablespoon of olive oil into the frying pan and sauté minced Garlic, minced Celery, chopped cilantro consecutively sautéing each for about two minutes.
3- Add the garlic mixture to the chicken and stir. Cook for about two more minutes so the herb flavor gets combined with the chicken.
4- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and water.
5- Add spices and salt and let it cook on high heat till first boil.
6- Add the drained beans and let cook on medium heat for 20 to 30 additional minutes. If there is too much water on the beans, cook at this stage uncovered, otherwise cook covered. Stir occasionally so the beans will not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve in individual plates over rice; spoon cooked white or brown rice in deep plate, pour the Fasoulia on top or next to it and serve hot. Garnish with few sprigs of Parsley.
Things to serve on the side: Lebanese/Arabic pita bread, olives, radishes, onions, green onions, pickles, etc.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
----------
Choice of Beans - you can use a number of varieties including:
o Pinto beans فاصوليا المنقطة
o Romano beans or borlotti is an Italian bean that is a good alternative where Pinto is not available.
o Red beans فاصوليا حمراء
o White beans فاصوليا بيضاء
o White flat beans or Lima Beans فاصوليا عريضة بيضاء
o You can also use canned beans - refer to Variations In this recipe picture I used Peruvian beans
o If you are adventurous, you can use mixed beans lol
Preparing dry beans : Measure 2 cups of your selected dry beans; pick through the beans, discarding any discolored or shriveled beans, any dirt or foreign matter; rinse the beans thoroughly; put in deep bowl and pour boiling water over it to the top - allowing room for 4x expansion; soak overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Optional - it helps to reduce cooking time, and supposedly gas, if you add 1 tablespoon of baking soda before you pour the boiling water. After 2 hours, rinse and re-add boiling water another time without the baking soda. GAS-FREE SOAK: place beans in a pot and add boiling water then boil for 2-3 minutes, cover and set aside overnight. By morning, 75-90% of the indigestible sugars will have dissolved into the soaking water.
--------------------------------------
Choice of Meat - you can use various types and sources of stewing meat:
o Young veal shanks موزات عجل are my favourite: remove the hard ligaments on the ends and cut each shank in the middle; you can keep the shanks whole if you want.
o Beef shanks موزات بقر are also tasty: treat the same but cut in thirds
o Lean veal or beef stew meat cubed - will take a bit longer to cook
o Lean Lamb or Goat meat cubed. You can also use other types of meat - refer to Variations.
o Chicken Breast
--------------------------------------
Choice of Spices - you can use various types that you may like:
You can use Seven Spices” بهارات سبع or other spices but for my taste I like curry powder with the chicken only ..Other spices suggestions may be :
o 2 Bay leavesورق غار
o 2 Cinnamon sticks (medium) عيدان قرفة
o 3 Cardamom حبوب الهيل
o 5 Cloves كبش قرنفل
o 5 Whole pepper kernel حبوب بهار
Put them in a spice infuser (similar to tea infuser) or cheese cloth and drop them in; you can then remove them before serving. You can use the spices that you like,
As for the Arabic “Seven Spices” بهارات سبع mix I find that most people who do not like the taste of this mixture actually dislike one component of the mixed spices, normally cumin. So alternatively mix your own selecting what you like and keeping out what you don’t like or what is not available, from the following ground spices: allspice, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and paprika.
Number of Servings: 4
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user NADWAH.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 340.9
- Total Fat: 5.0 g
- Cholesterol: 17.1 mg
- Sodium: 1,492.2 mg
- Total Carbs: 54.0 g
- Dietary Fiber: 16.7 g
- Protein: 22.9 g
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