My main dislike about cooking is washing the dishes, pots, pans, etc. So to remedy that, this week we have another deliciously easy one-pot meal that requires very little prep and is ready in under 30 minutes.
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I grew up eating brown stew chicken as most Jamaicans do, served with either white rice or dumplings and green bananas. Now brown stew chicken gets its name partially from the browning used in marinating the chicken and browning is simply a thickened mixture of water, sugar, caramel, and salt. I have used browning in desserts, stews, and even rice & peas, so it’s a staple in my kitchen. Alongside the browning, the chicken is also marinated in soy sauce, a variety of seasonings, and then cooked with potatoes, carrots, onions, and peppers.
As much as I like to eat traditional Jamaican meals, I get bored easily and as such, I like to find new ways to make these dishes so I decided to switch out the rice for pasta, specifically penne, and here we are with the Brown Stew Chicken Penne. To make this dish a bit easier I decided to use a brown stew marinade I picked up from my corner store. This marinade has all the same ingredients you’d find in a traditionally prepared brown stew chicken (the browning, soy sauce, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, etc.) but it’s just in a bottle. Of course, I was skeptical of this marinade at first but now I’m a true believer. The brown stew marinade made the prep work easier without losing any of the deliciousness.
While some changes to the traditional recipe were made, you’ll still find that the final dish is filling and flavorful, perfect for those busy weeknights or lazy weekends. So let’s get to cooking. Have fun and enjoy!
Servings: 2
Ingredients
10oz Penne
2tbsp Brown Stew Marinade (see note below)
½ Green Bell Pepper
½ Red Bell Pepper
2 cloves Garlic
1 stalk Thyme
1 Scallion
2 ½ cups Water
2tbsp Ketchup
1tsp Brown Sugar
1tsp Browning
1 Chicken Bouillon Cube (optional)
1tsp Salt
Steps
1. Rinse the chicken with equal parts water and vinegar. Pat dry, cut into bite-sized pieces, and season with brown stew marinade and all-purpose seasoning. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour.
2. Slice peppers into strips. Chop garlic and scallions keeping the green and white parts separate.
3. Heat 2tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Add peppers, garlic, and scallion whites. Stir and cook for 5 mins until the peppers soften. Remove from the pan.
4. In the same pan, add the marinated chicken and cook undisturbed for 5 mins until browned. Return the peppers, garlic, and scallions to the pan. Stir to combine.
5. Add the water, browning, sugar, salt, bouillon cube, and thyme leaves. Bring to a boil.
6. Once boiling, add penne and cook for 10-12 mins or until the pasta is fully cooked. Stir occasionally to prevent any sticking. Top with scallion greens and serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
1. If not able to find brown stew marinade, season the chicken with 1tbsp soy sauce and browning. Add 1tsp of salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic, and onion powder. Allow to marinate and then follow the remaining steps.
2. Chicken broth can be used as a substitute for water.
