Chicken stew with vegetables

Warm up your cold winter evenings with this delicious hot steaming bowl of chicken stew. This stew is full of not only chicken pieces but also carrots, potatoes, beans, cauliflower and a smattering of herbs and spices.Add a cupful of macaroni to the stew and you have a complete meal in itself which is not only wholesome but also healthy.


Ingredients
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 
1/4 cup cauliflower
2 carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces 
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup beans, cut into 2" sized pieces
2 onions, thickly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomato, chopped into big chunks
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 boneless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups boiled macaroni
1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup white sauce


Method

Combine all the vegetables together with the chicken stock and boil till the vegetables are just about tender. ( Be careful not to over boil them - they should be nice and crunchy).
Add the white sauce and dried thyme to the chicken broth and vegetables.
Boil the chicken breast separately and add to the broth.
Add the boiled macaroni.
Simmer and cook for about 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Check the seasonings.
If you want a thicker stew, brown about a tbsp of flour in butter and add to the simmering stew and boil for a few minutes till you get the desired consistency.
(For a healthier option, substitute the butter with olive oil and the flour with whole wheat flour.)
Ladle into serving bowls and serve hot with bread.