Cheryl's Chicken Stew

Directions

1. 1
   Prepare your vegetables by chopping the celery, onion and garlic coarsely.
2. 2
   Slice carrots into circles, and slice potatoes into med sized chunks.
3. 3
   Halve the swede (the vegetable, not the nationality) and slice into medium sized slices.
4. 4
   Put 2 tbsps of the flour, black pepper and onion powder into a plate, and dust chicken with this mixture.
5. 5
   Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot and add butter over med high heat.
6. 6
   Add chicken pieces and reduce heat to medium.
7. 7
   Brown the chicken pieces.
8. 8
   Add chopped onion and celery and garlic cloves to the pot and cook over medium heat until the onion is transparent.
9. 9
   Bring the water to a boil and add to the pot.
10. 10
    Reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer chicken for approximately 10 minutes.
11. 11
    Add the swede slices and carrots to the mixture and increase heat to medium high.
12. 12
    Add the bay leaf and the thyme.
13. 13
    Boil the veg in this broth with the chicken until the swede slices just start turning tender.
14. 14
    Remove chicken pieces and reserve.
15. 15
    Add potato chunks and boil broth with veg for another 12 minutes.
16. 16
    Add green beans and cook for 8 more minutes.
17. 17
    If the stew looks too watery, add a little flour and water paste using the reserved flour.
18. 18
    Add chicken pieces back to the stew and simmer until all the vegetables are cooked.
19. 19
    Serve with hot biscuits or sliced bread.