This recipe won the Grand Prize in NFCA’s “Cool Weather Cooking with Thai Kitchen” Recipe Contest. Congratulations, Michael!

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thigh, diced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 (14-oz) can Thai Kitchen coconut milk
• 4 cups low-sodium gluten-free chicken stock or water
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and large dice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

1. Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken generously with black pepper and lightly with salt. Add chicken to Dutch oven and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer chicken to a plate.

2. Add onion to the Dutch oven and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 the ginger, 1/2 the garlic, and cayenne and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

3. Add coconut milk, chicken stock, tomatoes, peanut butter, black-eyed peas, and 1 teaspoon thyme to saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid by 1/3.

4. Reduce heat to simmer. Stir in sweet potato, chicken, the remaining ginger, the remaining garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until sweet potato is cooked through. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

5. Serve in bowls. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves.

Makes 4-6 entrée servings.