I am a variety gal. I think my joy of variety spans into almost all aspects of my life. I get bored, I like to DO and CREATE. Its who I am. I remember when I was a little girl that my dad had so many different hobbies. He did it all in my eyes. He was into Native American culture (I think because it is in his blood *a little*) He is 1/16th Choctaw Indian. Then he was into all things cowboy and horses. Then flying airplanes (in real planes, and model, motorcycles, woodworking, boy the list goes on and on if I really sit here and think about it. He was a master of many many things. It gave me a really wide view of what was out there in the world. I got "into" those same things right along with him sometimes and those daddy daughter moments like beading Indian jewelry or riding and training horses are some of my favorite memories as a child. My dad taught me to be actively involved with something you love. He did it well, and still does to this day! I would say at this moment he is most into guns and shooting at the range, or road biking and spending time with his grand kids. He is an amazing man and I am lucky to call him my daddy-o. I have been "into" cooking, sewing, oil painting and several other hobbies for many years now, and am glad I have learned to progress in the areas I am interested in. It is not always easy but it is totally worth the time and effort you put into the learning process.
I have learned to love so many different types of foods over the years. Now, I am learning to love cooking these fun ethnic foods too! If you are willing to take some time to practice with different ingredients, it is not as scary or impossible as you may think! I would venture to say that many many ethnic foods are essentially much more simple than a lot of American fare. That is a pleasant surprise indeed.
In the past I used to think that the only place to get some good Thai food was out at a restaurant. Not so! You can make a delicious meal in your own kitchen with pretty minimal effort. Today I am going to show you one of the staple meals in our home right now. It's my Red Coconut Curry Chicken And Vegetables. This is one of my easy go-to dinners when I am really short on time and energy. We all love it, and it only takes a few ingredients! Win-win. When making this red curry dinner you can basically use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Bonus!
In the Winder Farms Produce Box coming up we put in bell peppers, carrots, sugar snap peas, Yukon gold potatoes and several other yummy ingredients. These veggies were perfect for making my red curry, so here we go!
She's a beauty! She's got a little kick to her too....
First we need to prep our veggies. I like my veggies chunky for curry, but let your conscience be your guide. :) Slice your carrots in thick slices at an angle. Then cut in half the sugar snap peas.
Wash, remove the seeds and large dice your peppers. The bigger the better!
Wash your lovely Yukon golds, and cut them into the desired size of slice.
Next for the onion. Large pieces again.
I had a little bit of corn left over from the last Winder Farms produce box, so I cut the corn off the ear and tossed that in too! Yum!
Now for the SUPER complicated part..... Just kidding this is so so so easy! Put a little toasted sesame oil in a large skillet and heat it up over medium-high heat. Add some red curry paste. (You can find this at any Asian market.) It's worth the trip I promise. Once you cook with it, it will become a regular pantry item. :) Red curry paste is super spicy. If you want it on the mild side add 2 teaspoons. If you like to sweat a little like me, add 1 tablespoon or more. Oh baby! This is gonna be good. Saute the red curry paste for a few minutes to let the flavors intensify. Then add your chicken.
OK, I am lazy so I picked up a rotisserie chicken to add to my red curry dinner. I know, everything should be made from scratch.... not! I love doing this. It saves me tons of time in the kitchen and I swear its cheaper than buying chicken breasts at the store.
Add your cubed rotisserie chicken and saute it with the sauce. This will enhance the flavor of the meal even more. But, if you forget to do this don't worry about it! It will still be good if you add the chicken later on. If you are making this vegetarian style, just saute the paste then continue making the rest of the sauce. Easy-peasy.
Second new must have pantry item. Coconut milk. You can go light or stick with the straight stuff. I like it both ways. Pour in the coconut milk over the chicken. Stir it together to release some of the red curry paste into the sauce. Add milk and stir well. Reduce heat to medium so that it comes to a simmer.
Add the Yukon gold potatoes, peppers, onions, corn, Thai basil (optional) and chives (optional). I love the flavor the fresh herbs gives to the sauce, but we can't all have 4 giant chive bushes now can we?
Cook until veggies and potatoes are tender. Serve over rice and enjoy! I hope you love it as much as we do! Get adventurous and try something new! Let me know if you find anything amazing that I should know about too!
CLICK ON RECIPE TO VIEW AN ENLARGED PRINTABLE PDF
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