West African Peanut Stew With Chicken

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

One 2½- to 3-inch piece peeled fresh ginger root, minced (2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

One 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with juices

1 medium sweet potato (12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

½ bunch collard greens (tough ribs discarded), leaves chopped (about 3 cups total)

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1/3 cup natural-style peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

6 tablespoons chopped roasted unsalted peanuts, for garnish

Season the chicken with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add half the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until it loses its raw look and is lightly browned in spots, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with another tablespoon of the oil and the remaining chicken, transferring the meat to the plate as well.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot; reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and the remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes and their juices, the sweet potato, collard greens and red bell peppers; once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Return the chicken with any accumulated juices to the pot. Increase the heat to medium; once the mixture starts to boil, stir in the peanut butter until well incorporated; cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly done.

Serve warm, topped with the chopped peanuts.

Serves 6 (makes about 11½ cups)

Nutrition | Per serving: 410 calories, 35 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 18 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 8 g sugar

From nutritionist and cookbook author Ellie Krieger