Moroccan-Style Chicken and Root Vegetable Stew

I love stews, especially stews from cultures other than mine (which would be any stew with more seasoning than Worcestershire sauce and celery). I was excited last weekend when the weather turned chilly--I know it is short-lived and before long we will be hitting 100 degree days over and over and stews will be but a distant dream. Stews are my favorite way to use root vegetables besides roasting them or turning them into a pureed soup. I successfully cleaned out my root vegetables with this recipe. We all loved it, especially with a little bit of fresh cilantro (from my herb bed) snipped over top.

This recipe will serve 6 (and uses just a bit of chicken for how many people it serves!). My use of root vegetables weren't exact, I used just as much as I had; a little more sweet potato, considerably less kohlrabi, and I didn't even measure the turnips or rutabaga (but I suspect I used less turnips and more rutabaga). If I would have had couscous in my pantry, I would served this over top. Instead, I had to only imagine how good that would have been.

Moroccan-Style Chicken and Root Vegetable Stew
from Bon Appetit

1 T olive oil
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 c onion, chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
1 T curry powder
1 T ground cumin
1 cinnamon stick
2 c sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
2 c parsnips or kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
2 c turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 c rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
2 c chicken broth (or 2 c of a water/chicken broth combination)
1/4 c dried raisins or currants
1 c canned diced tomatoes, drained

Heat oil in large pot over medium high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add to pot and saute until light golden, but not cooked through, turning occasionally, about 1 - 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Add more oil to pot if it looks dry. Add onion to pot and saute until golden, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 more minute. Add curry powder, cinnamon, and cumin and stir 30 seconds. Add root vegetables, broth, and raisins. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add tomatoes, and chicken with any accumulated juices to the pot. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and flavors blend, about 5 minutes longer. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.