Lighter than Light Chicken Peanut Curry

Funny how recipes are created, sometimes the ideas and flavors erupt as if by spontaneous combustion when two foodies get to talking. It was late afternoon, well past lunch and snack-time had come and gone when I toured the pantry shelves with my girlfriend Chi Cha at Healthy Way. Pausing briefly during her running commentary on the inventory, she showed me a canister of powdered peanut butter. Whaaaa? Powdered Peanut Butter? Interest peaked. What would I make with that? We bandied about ingredients and cuisines and I blurted out Peanut Curry! We were off and running, near giddy with the notion of this concoction as we lobbed ingredients back and forth as if we were on a tennis court. So here my Healthy Way Peeps, the results!

Lighter than Light Chicken Peanut Curry

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Using low fat, low salt ingredients with fresh herbs and vegetables no way diminishes the rich flavor of this classically inspired meal.

Author: Robin E. H. Ove

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Asian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons powdered Peanut Butter (I used PB2 powdered peanut butter.)
• 4 tablespoons Water
• 1 tablespoon Spicely Organic Thai Curry
• 1 15 oz can lite Coconut Milk
• 1 dried Thai Chili
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened Coconut Flakes
• ¼ teaspoon whole Cumin
• ¼ teaspoon whole Coriander
• 4 black Peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 2 skinless boneless Chicken Breasts, cut into ½” x 1” chunks
• Braggs Liquid Aminos Spray
• 1 stalk Celery, cut on the diagonal into ½” pieces
• 4 cups fresh Spinach, roughly chopped
• ½ small red Onion, sliced into slivers, 1”4” x 1”
• 2 cups fresh Green Beans, cut on the diagonal into 1” pieces
• ¼ cup fresh Basil, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
• 3 sliced Green Onions (Scallions)

Instructions

1. Mix peanut butter, coconut milk and curry in a small bowl. Should be slightly thick.
2. Grind spices in spice grinder, or mortar and pestle until fine, but not a paste.
3. Spray chicken with Braggs Liquid Amino, then sprinkle the spices on both sides of the chicken, rubbing into the flesh, then cut up the chicken into small pieces.
4. Clean and chop vegetables and organize on a platter for stir frying. (this do-ahead makes cooking so much faster.)
5. Heat coconut oil wok pan on high and add chicken pieces, brown evenly on both sides and remove from wok. This takes about 7 minutes.
6. Check oil in wok, I found I had sufficient remaining that I just added the onions, celery and green beans first. Stir fry for about 5 minutes then add the spinach. Give a quick spray of Braggs and cook until the spinach is just wilted.
7. Add the chicken (and juices that collected on your holding plate) back into the wok.
8. Add the Peanut Curry liquid and blend thoroughly, as it just comes to a boil, turn down heat to low and cook for about 5-8 minutes more.
9. Just before taking off the heat add most of the cilantro and basil to mixture. Reserve about two tablespoons each as a garnish with sliced green onions.Test green beans to make sure they are fork tender before serving in individual bowls with rice or noodles.
10. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, basil and green onions.

Notes

Cook’s Tips I experimented with using rehydrated unsweetened coconut flakes in warm water to find an alternative to coconut milk. I ground the flakes in a spice grinder until it was a fine meal then added 2 teaspoons coconut flour and 1 tablespoon Xylitol for sweetness. The result wasn’t bad, a bit grainy textured so be sure the flakes are very finely ground. This would work in a pinch if you did not have Lite Coconut Milk on hand (something that is rare at my house.) PB2 - 85% Less Fat Calories than traditional peanut butters, per 2 tablespoon serving it has 45 calories. Thai Kitchen Lite Coconut Milk as 60% less fat and calories than regular coconut milk with each ⅓ cup serving having 50 calories. In my opinion, these ingredients did not diminish the consistency or flavor of the dish -- at all. In fact, this made quite the tasty meal.

3.2.2029

How often do you jump in and try something brand new?

 Notes on ingredients: I purchased all of these for testing and tasting.

Links

Healthy Way, Santa Cruz