Thai Red Curry With Chicken (or Tofu!)

Monday, Monday.  Hope you all had a good weekend and are revved up for what the week brings . . . for us, it’s the last week of school, which makes L. very sad . . . yes, my girl LOVES school.  If you have kids, this is a CRAZY-making time.  There are so many end-of-year events/gifts/tributes/cards/etc. it can make your head spin.  I’ve said it before, but I’m gonna say it again, when times get tough, it’s even more important to eat well and take care of your body.  Whether you have kids or not, if you’re under stress and start shoveling too much junk in your face, you’re going to succumb to sickness.  Trust me on this one.  Garbage in, garbage out.  Eat those greens, friends! 

Here’s a quickie to get you started.  This recipe’s a snap.  Like 30 minutes or fewer – probably more like 20.  Dial up the curry paste if you like things hot, dial it down for milder flavors (heat seekers can always add sriracha or chili sauce).  Go traditional with jasmine rice – available in a brown-rice version for extra nutritional bennies . . . . and keep your eyes on the prize – those long, slow, lazy summer days are just around the corner!

Thai Red Curry With Chicken (or Tofu) (adapted from Real Simple)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Cook in a small amount of olive oil over medium high heat until cooked through.  Remove and slice.  If you’re using tofu, slice the block in half, then again in half the long way, then cut into triangles.  Place the triangles on a plate atop a few paper towels, with more paper towels on top and weigh it all down with a stack of plates for 10 min. or so to drain the tofu.  Proceed as with chicken – fry up that tofu ’til crispy brown and then set it aside. 

Add the peppers and water to the pan and cook until crisp-tender.  Add the curry paste and coconut milk and simmer for about 4 minutes.  Add the chicken/tofu back (along with any accumulated juices) into the pan.  Serve with rice and sprinkle with basil and a squeeze of lime juice.

Serves 4.

Note: this recipe lends itself to tweaking – we lost power mid-stream so I didn’t have a chance to steam up some asparagus and throw that in . . . or this would be great with chunks of fresh pinapple, or cut green beans, or maybe even pieces of mango thrown in . . . more fruits and veggies never hurt a person, so get creative here!

© 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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