Chicken & Black Bean Stew: An Outlier

One of the first lessons I learned as a young eater was that, in general, healthy food and tasty food are opposites. Take a look at this scientific graph:

You may never have drawn a graph like this, but we all naturally understand this basic truth. There is an inverse relationship between health and taste. However, in rare cases, we encounter outliers (denoted by the "O" in the graph). These are healthy foods that taste great. They are very elusive indeed.

One such dish is Chicken & Black Bean Stew.

If my memory serves me right, I first tasted this meal almost a decade ago. Believe it or not, it was created by none other than yours truly. In the early days of our marriage, it wasn't yet established who had the talent to cook. I found this recipe in a cookbook and the picture looked mighty appealing, so I attempted it. There are nearly 20 ingredients. As a novice, I took the easy way out and used garlic powder and onion powder instead of chopping garlic and onions, but for the most part I followed the remainder of the recipe. For several years this dish was my masterpiece. I made it with pride every few months. One time I even put it in bread bowls.

And then it happened... one time I overcooked it and it was painfully dry. I wasn't too worried. There's a fine line between perfecting this dish and ruining it, because it's best when the chicken is a little burnt or singed. But the next time I overcooked it again. The third time was even more tragic: I destroyed Mrs. Noodle's wok. A recurring problem for me back when I was still allowed in the kitchen was that I got distracted by a baseball game, a conversation, or random thoughts. This time the distraction lasted a little too long and the burnt food stuck to the wok, causing irreparable damage. I'm not sure, but it might have been that very day that I was banned from the kitchen.

These days, Mrs. Noodle prepares the dish, only she does it well. She chops the garlic with gusto, she chops the onions with vigor... she includes not only the red peppers and green chilies but also yellow peppers to make it even more beautiful. But the wonder of this dish remains: it tastes incredible while being leaving the eater completely guiltless. Want a second helping? No problem. Third helping? Absolutely. Chicken, black beans, corn, carrots, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, green chilies, onions, spices, lemon juice, lime juice... all of it healthy, and yet it combines to create a hearty, tangy work of art for the eyes and stomach.

CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN STEW
YANKEE NOODLE RATING: 10.44 out of 10 mmmm's (as prepared by his wife; 8.3 out of 10 mmmm's when prepared by himself)