We survived our first week of swim lessons! My best laid plans were not a total success. I packed dinner for the boys to eat at the gym, however, Jack was the only one that actually ate. Seems Ewan and Sean were too busy glued to the television in the babysitting room to bother with dinner. I wonder why they complained about being hungry after lessons?!

This chicken and lentil stew has become a winter favorite in our house. It is quite tasty and good for you. The lentils provide a good amount of fiber which is always good for me. There is also lots of protein and it is relatively low fat. The fresh herbs give it a nice flavor, plus there are so many herbs that work in this recipe. My favorites are thyme and rosemary, especially since I have them in the garden year round.

Most importantly it is kid friendly and portable. My kids especially love carrots and chicken so this is a no brainier for them. Plus the tri-color lentils appeals to them since they like a variety in colors. Jack and Ewan have both packed it in a thermos for lunch. It smelled so good Ewan’s teacher was asking about when I picked him up!

Thursday when I picked up the boys at the gym Sean and Ewan still had most of their stew left. Once I got the television turned off they did a much better job eating! Of course we were rushed to get to lessons. Hopefully next week will run smoother.

Chicken and Lentil Stew
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 c. carrots, chopped or sliced
1 1/2 c. lentils (tri-colored or green)
3 3/4 c. chicken stock
Salt to taste
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 Tbs. fresh thyme

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet of medium high heat, add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 10 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Sauté onion in the skillet for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, celery and carrots, sauté for another 3 minutes.

Add the lentils and chicken stock, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. If it looks a little dry you may need to add more stock to the lentils. Put the chicken and tomatoes in the pan, salt to taste, cover and simmer for another 20 minutes. Add the thyme and let sit for 5-10 minutes uncovered.

Yields 8 servings