Thai Curry Chicken

I was hopping on the elliptical last night as Mr. Prevention was hopping on the treadmill.

“What’s for dinner?” he wanted to know.

When I said, “Fajitas”…he wanted to know “what kind”.

I reported, “Chicken fajitas.”

His next question: “Did you do anything weird to them?”

Is this what my husband thinks of me? That I adulterate meals?

I gave him the stink eye before unpausing my episode of Grey’s Anatomy and pedaling away.

The crazy part about dinner last night is that I chopped and marinaded the chicken and veggies yesterday morning and I STILL didn’t have dinner on the table before 7:45pm…and that was a quick meal! I’m all for quick meals these days and I’m not above a little cheat or short cut to get a healthy dinner ready fast.

 I’m not gunna lie, I did a double take when I saw Bon Appetit called for a recipe using an entire jar of curry paste. Don’t get me wrong, I stock the stuff in my fridge at all times but this was the ultimate shortcut. You know what? If it’s good enough for them, it’s certainly good enough for me. A jar or curry paste with a can of light coconut milk…you’re in business.

Add in a ton of veggies and chicken…bam, that’s dinner.

I did serve this with a bit of rice and Mr. P added naan. Everyone’s happy!

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Thai Curry Chicken slightly adapted from Bon Appetit

2 tsp olive oil
1 (4 oz) jar yellow, red, or green curry paste
3/4 lb carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (15 oz) can unsweetened, low fat coconut milk
Chopped fresh basil and cilantro, to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots, onion, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add potatoes, chicken, coconut milk, and 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Divide curry among bowls/plates and top with herbs. Serve with rice, if desired.

Yield: 5 servings (about 1 1/3 cups each)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 293 calories; 7.6 g. fat; 44 mg. cholesterol; 884 mg. sodium; 33.2 g. carbohydrate; 4.8 g. fiber; 24.6 g. protein; 6.4 g. sugar

Result: Simple flavors and a simple meal. The original recipe directed to add 1 1/2 cups water, but that made our curry a bit watery. I changed the recipe above to include only 1/2 cup water, but you could use even less. I love the simple ingredient list, low calorie count, and the fact that it is a one pot meal. Thai curry paste is found in the ethnic foods section. The brand I seem to find most often is Thai Kitchen. I used green curry paste in ours. Enjoy!

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 Busy day today…lots of meetings and I need to grocery shop for my diabetes cooking class tomorrow night. We’re making Homemade Hamburger Helper and Mustard-Herb Panko Crusted Chicken Breasts – 2 favorites!

Be well,