Paleo Coconut Comfort Stew

While fall is officially upon us, we are certainly lacking the cool temperatures.  I wanted to make a hearty stew, but it was so hot here I switched it up to something a little bit lighter that would still satisfy my craving for fall and big bowl of comforting stew.  

There's nothing better on a chilly day than having something simmering on the stove, filling your house with amazing smells for hours in anticipation of those delicious bites, but when it's hot the last thing I want to do is make the temperature in my shoe box of a house rise even a few degrees.  This dish actually cooks pretty quickly, which will minimize the impact on your thermostat.

1 small onion, diced

1 large shallot, diced

2 tbs fresh ginger, peeled and diced

1 garlic head, chopped

Zest from 1 lime

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 large chicken breasts, diced

1 can coconut milk

10 oz chicken broth

2 kaffir lime leaves*

juice from 1 lime

Spicy sausage (I used about 6 oz of andouille), chopped in rounds

1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tsp turmeric

5 green onions, chopped

In a large pot add some butter or coconut oil and saute the onion, shallot, ginger, garlic, lime zest and bell pepper until fragrant.  Add chicken and brown.  Throw in the coconut milk, chicken broth, kaffir lime leaves and lime juice, and simmer until chicken is almost done.  Throw in the sausage, shrimp, turmeric and green onions and cook about another 5 minutes. Shrimp will just start to turn pink.   Serve with a little spritz of lime and few extra green onions.  You can also give it a squirt of rooster sauce to bring the heat up. 

*Kaffir lime leaves can be found at spice shops and specialty grocery stores, but if you can't find them, just double the lime juice/zest