Chicken & Vegetable Coconut Curry

I love curry. It is delicious and spicy. When I first got married my main dish was barbeque chicken. I literally took raw chicken breasts and drenched them with a copious amount of barbeque sauce straight from the bottle. Then I would cook them for a long time, to ensure that I did not cause my husband to get salmonella.

So, as a newbie cook just a few years ago, I did not ever imagine I could make something as amazing and complex as curry. Well, I have news for you. I can make curry and so can you. Making it is not complex and, in my opinion, it's fun. I feel like a fancy chef in a five star restaurant, and I am not going to lie, I think it tastes pretty yummy. For this recipe I had my husband, mom, neighbor and toddler test it out. They all gave it two thumbs up. So, here is a super yummy chicken and vegetable coconut curry!

Start by cooking your chicken and then shred it into small pieces. Take 3 peppers (I used yellow and orange ones, but red would add a nice pop of color) and slice them into small strips. Put them into a skillet with about one tablespoon of oil. Begin cooking them on medium heat. Thinly slice yellow squash and zucchini and add them to the skillet.

Once the vegetables are cooked (I like mine really soft since toddlers are eating this dish), add the chicken and coconut milk. Let the coconut milk cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes and add the three tablespoons of red curry (less or more depending on your spicy preferences). This is when I generally start cooking the jasmine rice, per instructions on the box. Once curry is mixed in, let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Add two teaspoons of cornstarch to the skillet and mix in. The sauce should thicken as you bring down the heat. Serve over rice and enjoy!

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

CHICKEN & VEGETABLE COCONUT CURRY

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20-30 minutes
Yield: 4 people

Ingredients

• 3 peppers (different colors)
• 1 zucchini
• 3 yellow squash
• 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken
• 13.5 oz can coconut milk
• 3 tbsp red curry paste
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
•  salt to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Cook chicken in boiling water, then shred
2. Meanwhile, cut vegetables (slice peppers into small strips, cut squash and zucchini thin)
3. In a large skillet, throw in a tablespoon of oil and bring to medium heat
4. Toss in peppers, cook for a few minutes and then add squash and zucchini
5. Add shredded chicken and coconut milk once vegetables are cooked (I like mine soft so they soak up the curry sauce)
6. Put curry paste into the skillet, stir and let heat for 5-10 minutes
7. Add cornstarch and salt, stir, turn down heat and let thicken while dish cools
8. Enjoy!