Guyanese chicken stew...or is it stew chicken?

So all of my Guyanese/Caribbean friends and family have probably had a couple different varieties of chicken stew over their lifetime. At home it is a common dish and mostly served with rice. This simple recipe is quick, easy and delicious! It serves 4 and takes about 1 hr (with prep and cooking). In the pic, I have the thighs with the meat on the bone, because it adds more flavor but you can debone your chicken if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 carrot, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 or 6 pieces (ok to just dice with skin on if you prefer)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 plum tomatoes, sliced into halves
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (Guyanese thyme, if you can get a hold of some)
• 1 ½ lb chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch cubes

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy 5 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. In a medium mixing bowl, add celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper, salt and pepper (to taste), tomatoes, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, teriyaki sauce, thyme and chicken. Mix together until chicken is well coated with the seasoning. Then add to saucepan. Let sauté for about 5 minutes, then cover and let cook for about 10 minutes, occasionally stirring. Add potatoes and carrots and 2 cups water. Cover and let cook for another 20 minutes occasionally stirring the mixture. When the stew has simmered to a thick gravy consistency, remove from the heat. Serve with bread or rice.