I know what you're going to say when you read my recipe below..."did she just say prune stew?"  But really, it's so tasty and so easy.   This recipe is a takeoff of a Persian dish that uses prunes/plums.  The dried plums in this stew thicken the sauce and add a great tangy sweet & sour flavor to the chicken and harvest vegetables, accented by the zing of the lemons.  The nice color and depth comes from the saffron threads.  This dish is nice over basmati rice or quinoa and is even better the next day.  Vegetarian? Just leave out the chicken, use vegetable broth, and follow the recipe.

You don't even really need to go to Trader Joe's for this one, but they have everything there including inexpensive little jars of saffron.

Plum Good Stew

2 raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped (or 1 cup of bagged diced onion)
2 cups Organic Free-Range Chicken Broth
8 oz (1/2 a 16-oz bag) Non-Sorbate Pitted Prunes
1 bag (16 oz) baby carrots or sliced carrots
1 tsp saffron (about ½ the jar)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp lemon juice (juice of 1 large lemon)
2 bags (16 oz) cubed butternut squash

1) In a lidded deep skillet, brown the onion and chicken in 2 Tbsp oil.  Add the broth, prunes, carrots, saffron, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
2) In another skillet, brown the squash in 2 Tbsp oil.  Add the squash to the pot and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.

Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time:  1 hour (mostly hands-off)
Yield: 4-6  servings