Thai Tuesday is Back!
My first job out of college had me in an office with a Chinese & Thai food restaurant within walking distance... and nothing else! Sure I could have ordered Jimmy John’s freaky fast delivery or got in my car to pick up a salad from Chipotle, but I became slightly obsessed with this quaint little Thai restaurant. Especially the red and green curry dishes. The coconut cream with the all the spices made it such a unique dish that my Texas taste buds were hooked!
When I learned about my food sensitivities, I went from cooking 2-3 nights per week to every. Single. Night. Let’s just say I had a lot of chicken with green beans and sweet potatoes for the first few weeks. I hit a wall incredibly fast and was over the whole “food sensitivity” thing before I really gave it a chance. I finally realized that if I was going to make this work I HAD to step my game up.
Without question, this was one of the first “outside of the box” dishes I tried to recreate after I learned about my food sensitivities. The first attempt was *acceptable* and took way longer than it should! Over the course of time I have tweaked and fine-tuned it to my liking, but it is very versatile and comes out different every time I make it. My better half really enjoys this recipe, though, and was sad when I took it off the menu for a few months.. So last night I officially re-instated Thai Tuesday!
First of all, you will need bell peppers and onions! I like color so I get red and green if I am making it for two-three servings. If I am making a big batch than I will add in an orange bell pepper, as well! Chop up your bell peppers and onions. This doesn’t have to be pretty! I have no qualms with a roughly cut pepper.
As far as amount, remember this recipe is very versatile so you can use and many or as few bell peppers and onions as you’d like. For two people I typically use 1½ bell pepper and ½ an onion, but sometimes more if they are on the cusp of expiring!
I used two chicken breasts for 2-3 servings, since the organic chicken breast at Whole Foods are typically plump. *Note “2-3 servings” means two big servings for now and one slightly smaller serving for leftovers the next day! Roughly cut the chicken breast. This is no beauty contest so cut them however you want! Sometimes I will cut them a little bigger than anticipated and then fine tune the size with my wooden spoon when I am cooking.
Speaking of cooking... here is the process:
Heat ½ tbsp coconut oil on a medium-low skillet/wok. Pour the bell peppers in and cook until tender. Pour in a side dish so you can cook the chicken separately. I will typically put it in one of the dinner bowls that I will be eating the meal in (because extra dishes are such a waste)!
Next, heat the other ½ tbsp coconut oil on your same skillet/wok (again, we’re trying to save dishes here)! Cook the chicken through completely (can take anywhere from 8-12 minutes depending on how much chicken you are using).
Once the chicken is cooked, add back the bell peppers and stir. Add in your choice of full-fat coconut milk (whether it is homemade or from a can) and stir it into the meat and veggies.
This next step is totally dependent on your taste buds and what you want out of your dish (spice-wise). Add in EITHER 2 tablespoons of Thai Red Curry Paste ORRRRRRRRR if you forget to go to the grocery store and don’t have any Curry Paste you can do what I tend to do more often than not and basically just add in every single spice you have in your cabinet (typically salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder – you can sub this for real garlic when cooking the peppers and onion, and sometimes even a hint of ginger). This is the closest I have gotten to the real thing when in a pinch!
Let this simmer for a while (10-15 minutes) to allow it time to pick up all the flavors from the spices.
Like I said, this recipe is verrrry versatile. You can add in kale (without the ribs) during the “simmering process”, or even add carrots and other veggies when you are cooking the bell peppers and onions. There is no right or wrong way to make this, in my opinion!
Ingredients – organic, if possible (2-3 servings):
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
2 chicken breasts
2 bell peppers (green & red)
Optional: 3 Chopped Carrots, Bamboo
½ onion
3 cloves fresh garlic (OR garlic powder to taste)
6 oz OR ½ can full-fat coconut milk (Can use a DIY version or use a pre-made version)
Note: this option is from Thrive market (which is an amazing site full of awesome paleo staples) and does not contain any guar gum!
2 tablespoons of Thai Red Curry Paste (can find this online or the Asian section of the grocery store like Whole Foods)
Optional: Instead of using the Thai Red Curry Paste you can use – ½ - 1 tsp of salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder TO TASTE!!!!
Optional: Instead of fresh garlic or ginger you can use ½ tsp of powder.
Garnish: Not so soy sauce, to taste!
Directions:1. Heat ½ tbsp coconut oil on a medium-low skillet/wok. Pour the bell peppers in and cook until tender. Pour in a side dish so you can cook the chicken separately. I will typically put it in one of the dinner bowls that I will be eating the meal in!
2. Next, heat other ½ tbsp coconut oil on your same skillet/wok (again, we’re trying to save dishes here)! Cook the chicken through completely (can take anywhere from 8-12 minutes depending on how much chicken you are using).
3. Once the chicken is cut, add back the bell peppers and stir. Add in your choice of full-fat coconut milk (whether it be homemade, from a can, or from a box) and stir it into the meat and veggies.
4. This next step is totally dependent on your taste buds and what you want out of your dish (spice-wise). Add in EITHER 2 tablespoons of Thai Red Curry Paste OR spice it to your preferred taste with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder. Sub in garlic &/or ginger powder if you chose not to use fresh.
5. Let this simmer for a while (10-15 minutes) to allow it time to pick up all the flavors from the spices. Serve in a bowl and lap up the goodness! Garnish with some “Not So Soy Sauce” for extra flavor!
