5 Spice Chicken in Broth

by Sue
(New York)

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

* 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each), cut in 2-inch pieces
* 4 cups chicken broth
* ½ inch sliced fresh ginger, sliced (or ½ tsp dried ginger)
* 6 whole cloves
* 2 cinnamon sticks
* 5 star anise
* ½ tsp dried fennel seeds
* 1 medium-sized onion, chopped in big pieces
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped in big pieces
* 6 whole medium dried shiitake mushrooms
* 1 lb green beans, ends cut off
* ½ cup minced scallions

Directions:

1. Chop onion and garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health-promoting benefits.

2. Healthy Sauté onion in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute. Add chicken broth, ginger, cloves, cinnamon stick, star anise, fennel seeds, and shiitake mushrooms. Turn heat to medium-high and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. While broth is simmering, cut ends off beans and cut into 1-inch pieces.

4. Strain broth mixture (saving shiitake mushrooms) and put liquid back into pan. Bring to a boil and simmer on high heat with chicken pieces and green beans. You may need to skim the surface a little while chicken pieces are cooking. Slice shiitake mushrooms and add to chicken and broth. Add scallion as well as salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Serve with brown rice. For optimum flavor and nutrition serve with:

(Source: George Mateljan, Mateljan Foundation)