Chicken stew with celery and apple

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
500g chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks
4 stalks US celery, peeled and diced
1 red apple, peeled and diced
125ml chicken stock
125ml apple juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp bread crumbs (optional)

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Brown onion and garlic for 2 minutes.
2. Add chicken to the pan and brown for 5 minutes. Then add celery and apple, and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Pour in chicken stock and apple juice. Lower heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Stir in balsamic vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste. (If you want to thicken the sauce, add 1 tbsp of bread crumbs and stir well.) Remove from heat and serve hot.

Tips:
Do not overcook the celery as the quality of its texture will suffer.

For a more fuss-free alternative, you may make a salad by combining chopped celery and apple with Dijon mustard and mayonnaise, or mix them together for a blended drink.

Recipe source: Today newspaper