Thai Chicken Curry in a Hurry

I love Thai food…don’t you?  In fact, my favorite restaurant is the “Royal Thai” in Laguna Beach, California. They serve the best Thai food I’ve ever had. I took a cooking class from them quite a few years ago and learned about the ingredients used in Thai cooking including: basil, white pepper, turmeric, ginger, lime juice, curry, coconut milk and lemon grass. I enjoyed learning about the various flavor combinations used in Thai cooking.

Recently, I was seriously craving Thai food! I happened to have some fresh broccoli, cauliflower carrots, onions and boneless chicken breasts on hand. So I cooked it all up, added some light coconut milk, peanut butter, honey, fresh garlic and curry powder and served it over rice. De-licious! I hope you enjoy this “Thai Chicken Curry in a Hurry” when you get a craving for Thai food.

Thai Chicken Curry in a Hurry

• 3 carrots
• 1 stalk broccoli
• 1/2 head cauliflower
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 onion
• 1 T coconut oil
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 2 T honey
• Salt, pepper, garlic granules, onion powder and red pepper flakes to taste
• Chopped fresh basil-for garnish
• Fresh cooked rice

Peel and chop carrots. Trim broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Lay all three on a jelly role pan or cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, clean and trim chicken breast, pat dry with a paper towel and set aside. Peel and chop the garlic and onion. Add oil to a frying pan turned on medium/high heat. Once warm, add the garlic and onion; stir for 1-2  minutes, then add the chicken; stir 5-7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add the roasted vegetables and stir to combine.

Remove the chicken/veggie mixture from the pan and place in a bowl; set aside.  Return pan to the heat, add peanut butter; stir until smooth and bubbling. Mix in coconut milk, curry powder and honey. Add salt, pepper, garlic granules and onion powder to taste. I also put in a sprinkle of red pepper flakes which gives this dish just a little extra kick and flavor. Stir and simmer until bubbling and thickened.  Add chicken and veggies back in, stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.  Serve with hot rice…enjoy!

Root Notes

• If you don’t have time to roast the veggies, just put them in your pan with some water and boil uncovered until the carrots are fork tender. Drain and set aside. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
• Making rice is pretty simple really.  I used to have a rice cooker, but decided “less is more” when it comes to additional kitchen appliances.  For an average serving of rice, bring 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil.  Add 2 cups of rice and stir.  Return to a boil, reduce heat to low, put a lid on the pan and cook for 15 minutes. I like using Basmati rice for this recipe. 
• If you like brown rice and want it to be super soft, just make it in a crock-pot. Put 4 cups of water, 2 cups of rice and a teaspoon of salt into the crock-pot.  Put lid on, turn to high heat and walk away!  Cook for 2 hours and serve.
• Use whatever vegetables you have on hand or prefer. Sometimes I add a red bell pepper, purple onion instead of white, green beans or asparagus. Whatever sounds good to you!
• I only have 2 teaspoons of curry powder in this recipe but feel free to add more to taste. You may substitute curry paste for curry powder. Begin with 1/2 teaspoon and increase to achieve desired heat. and flavor.
• I also sprinkle some red pepper flakes into the sauce while cooking for added heat and flavor.