Chicken Chile Saute

While I enjoyed the flavor of this dish, it seemed to be confused - not quite a stew and not quite  a fajita - I was unsure of how to both serve and eat it. I ended up putting most of the mixture into a corn tortilla and eating it like a fajita.  

Ingredients

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch strips

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 TBS pure ancho chile powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup canned tomato sauce

1 1/4 cups frozen corn, thawed

1/2 cup water

Warmed corn tortillas, sour cream and cilantro, for serving

Directions

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoons of the oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet. Cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned but not cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chile powder and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, corn and water and cook over moderate heat, scraping up any bits stuck to the skillet, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is reduced, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and serve with corn tortillas, sour cream and cilantro.

Modified from the original recipe published in Food & Wine Magazine.