Chicken [or Tempeh] and Broccoli Curry with Coconut Rice

I recently celebrated my 29th birthday! Mark jokingly said "I guess this will be the first of many 29th birthdays".  Ha! I think I'll be okay with proceeding into my 30s, but let's not rush anything!

For my birthday dinner I decided I wanted this yummy broccoli tempeh curry that I had made before but for some reason never posted to the blog. I KNOW I bought the tempeh at the store, but when it came time for us to cook this meal we couldn't find it anywhere! And I mean anywhere. We both searched the refrigerator, then the freezer, then all the cupboards, then the shopping bags, then even my car... nowhere to be found. So we decided it never made it home from the grocery store. Luckily I had some chicken in the freezer so I decided to just substitute the tempeh with chicken. Still tasted great! So moral of the story is this recipe works well with chicken or with tempeh!

This meal consists of coconut rice topped with chicken and broccoli tossed in a delicious (and pretty healthy) homemade tomato/coconut curry sauce. The sauce is relatively quick to make and I found that overall there was less chopping of ingredients than in some recipes. Had we not spent 15 minutes looking for the tempeh, it would have been ready quickly! Just start cooking your rice first and everything else will be done when the rice is done.

I have a rice cooker and just threw the broccoli in the top of the rice cooker to steam while I cooked the chicken. I forgot to set a timer so I overcooked the broccoli a bit. It still tasted great, but it's better when the broccoli holds its shape better.

I really like the flavors of this dish. If you make it, I definitely encourage you to make the rice as well! I used black rice (I found it in bulk at Costco and we are loving it), but brown rice works too.

Chicken [or Tempeh] and Broccoli Curry with Coconut Rice

serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

Coconut Rice

• 1 cup black rice (or long grain brown rice)
• 1 cup canned lite coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Chicken [or Tempeh] and Broccoli Curry

• 2-3 bunches broccoli, cut into florets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces tempeh, cubed OR 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (depending on if your tomatoes are unsalted)
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup (or more as desired) lite coconut milk (use the same can that you used for the rice)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Start by cooking the rice.  Combine all the rice ingredients in a small saucepan (or rice cooker). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25-35 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rice sit, covered, at least 10 minutes until ready to serve.
2. Meanwhile, steam or saute broccoli until tender (don't overcook!). Run under cold water to stop the cooking and set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tempeh or chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and lightly browned. Remove from pan to a plate and set aside.
4. Add remaining olive oil and butter to the skillet and turn heat to low. Once butter is melted, add onions and cook until soft and slightly brown, about 5 minutes.
5. Add cumin, curry powder, turmeric, and cayenne. Stir to combine.
6. Add in salt, tomatoes, and water. Stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes.
7. Transfer onion/tomato mixer to blender. Add 1/4 cup lite coconut milk to blender as well. Blend until thoroughly pureed. Add more coconut milk until desired taste/consistency is reached.
8. Return pureed curry sauce to skillet. Add chicken/tempeh and stir to combine. Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until chicken/tempeh is hot. 
9. Add broccoli and stir to combine. Cook until broccoli is warmed through. 
10. Remove from heat and serve over coconut rice.

recipe slightly adapted from edible perspective

Strawberry Balsamic Bacon Pizza

A pizza with strawberries?  I have to admit that I much as I love strawberries, I never would have thought to put them on a pizza until I saw this recipe last year.   I was immediately intrigued by the spicy sweet balsamic sauce and the bacon and strawberries that topped this pizza.  Of course, it turned out delicious!  The flavors really do work well together.  I also like that there is chicken on this pizza for an extra boost of protein.

Though I am happy to eat a couple of large slices of this pizza for a meal, whenever I eat it I think that it would also be great as an appetizer cut into mini pieces.  Or perhaps make a light lunch of a slice of this pizza and a salad?  So many options!

After first trying this pizza last year, I waited ALL year until strawberry season arrived again.   Luckily, this pizza was every bit as good as we remembered.  It is a perfect summertime pizza to highlight the super flavorful strawberries that are everywhere right now.  Try it this summer!

Strawberry Balsamic Bacon Pizza

Yield: 1 14 inch pizza (serves 2-4)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup strawberry or raspberry preserves (I used Trader Joe's reduced sugar)
• 1-2 teaspoons sriracha 
• 1 ball pizza dough (I used a half batch of sourdough starter pizza dough)
• olive oil cooking spray (optional)
• 4 slices applewood smoked bacon, diced and cooked until crisp
• 6-8 ounces boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cooked and shredded (I cut into chunks, boiled, and shredded in my stand mixer)
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup hulled strawberries, sliced
• 3-4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• small handful of Parmesan cheese
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh cilanto [optional]

DIRECTIONS:
1)  Take the ball of pizza dough out of the fridge and let it rest on the counter for a couple of hours to come to room temperature (if you forget to do this, microwave covered on the lowest power for a couple minutes, checking every 30 seconds, to warm up).   About an hour before you want to eat, start prepping all of the ingredients (cooking chicken, cooking bacon, etc).

2) Preheat oven to 450˚ F.  Once the ball of pizza dough is room temperature, shape it into the correct shape for your pan of choice.  I prefer a 14 inch round pizza pan.   I use a rolling pin and my hands (lifting up the dough) to help it into the right shape.  Transfer to your pan of choice coated with cooking spray and let sit while the oven is preheating.  Once the oven has preheated, spray the crust with olive oil cooking spray and put it in the oven for 5 minutes to pre-bake the crust.  (Note:  if you are using a pizza stone, make sure the oven has been preheated for at least 30 minutes before putting in the pizza.  You do NOT need to pre-bake the crust if using a pizza stone.)

3)  In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add balsamic vinegar.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 4 minutes until vinegar is thicker and syrupy.  It should have reduced to about 2 tablespoons.  In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, preserves, and sriracha.  Taste and add more sriracha if desired. 

4)  To make the pizza, spread a thin layer of sauce over the pizza crust [you might not use all the sauce depending on how big your pizza is-- you don't want too thick of a layer].  Top with the cooked chicken, bacon, onion, and strawberries.  Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese (a light layer is fine) and Parmesan cheese.

5)  Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese and crust has some light brown spots.

6) Transfer to a wire cooling rack for a few minutes (to help make sure the crust doesn't get soggy).  Sprinkle with fresh thyme or cilantro.   Cut into pieces and serve!   

(recipe barely adapted from Annie's Eats)

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

Given how much Mark and I love peanut sauce, this salad was a real hit!  Lots of fresh vegetables are chopped up and tossed with some shredded chicken.  Topped with a peanut dressing, this salad was filling and delicious.  It is so packed with vegetables that eating it really made me feel good. It filled me up, but didn't leave me feeling heavy and tired-- know what I mean?  

This salad is great for the warmer months when you might be craving a cold meal.  If you get bored with traditional salads, this is a great way to mix things up!  This would also make a great lunch, as it does not need to be warmed up before serving.  If you like Thai/peanut flavors, I'm sure you will like this.  Hope you get a chance to enjoy this meal!

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

serves: 4-6 (as a full meal)
*Note:  If you don't eat meat or want the chicken, this would be great with cubed tofu or just with the vegetables.*

INGREDIENTS:

Salad:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast (if one large breast, cut into 2-3 pieces)
• 1 small head green cabbage (to yield about 4 packed cups cabbage when thinly sliced)
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
• handful of chopped peanuts, for sprinkling on top

Dressing:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce/tamari
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
• 6 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons water + more as needed 

DIRECTIONS:

1)  Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil.  Add the chicken and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook for about 15-25 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165F.  When the chicken is done, remove from heat and drain.  Shred with two forks or use your stand mixer (it works really well!).

2)  While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rest of the salad.  Thinly slice the cabbage and put it in a large bowl.  Add bean sprouts to the cabbage.  Shred the carrots and zucchini (a food processor does this quickly) and add them to the bowl.  Add chopped cilantro and sliced green onions as well.  When the chicken is done and shredded, add it to the bowl with the vegetables and toss to combine.

3)  In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients.  If your peanut butter is chunky or if desired, blend dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Add additional water as necessary until the dressing is the desired consistency.

4)  Serve salad topped with dressing and sprinkled with peanuts.  If you have leftovers, store leftover salad separately from leftover dressing for a few days.

(recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum)

Lemon Thyme Chicken with Garlicky Quinoa

This chicken and quinoa is absolutely PACKED with flavor.  Lemon, garlic, and thyme are a great mix of flavors that in this dish taste both light and rich.  This meal tasted gourmet, but didn't require that many ingredients and was actually relatively quick to make.

Quinoa and minced garlic are toasted in some olive oil and then cooked in broth.  While the quinoa is cooking, the chicken is pounded and cooked in the skillet, and then a quick sauce is made from lots of garlic and thyme, white wine, broth, lemon juice, and a bit of butter.  The sauce is where the flavor really comes in!  And the small amount of butter really helps to make the sauce taste rich.

We had the chicken and quinoa with a big salad.  You could of course replace the quinoa with another grain or cut it out completely.  This will be a great refreshing meal to have throughout the warmer months!

Lemon Thyme Chicken with Garlicky Quinoa

serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

For the Garlicky Quinoa:

• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa (any variety)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
• zest from 1/2 a lemon (use other lemon half for chicken, below)
• salt + pepper

For the Lemon Thyme Chicken:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast, divided into four sections and pounded relatively thin
• 1/4 cup flour
• salt + pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
• zest from 1/2 a lemon (use other lemon half for quinoa, above)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3/4 cup broth (vegetable or chicken)
• juice from 1 lemon (same lemon the zest came from!)
• 4 teaspoons butter

DIRECTIONS:

1)  Start the quinoa:  In small saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil.  Add garlic and quinoa and stir to combine.  Cook and stir for about 2 minutes.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn heat to low and cover.  Let cook for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, remove cover and check to make sure all the broth has been absorbed (keep cooking if not!).  Remove from heat and let stand.  Before serving, fluff with a fork and stir in lemon zest and salt + pepper to taste.

2)  Meanwhile, while quinoa is cooking, prepare chicken:  Season each of the four pieces of chicken with salt and pepper.    Put flour in a small bowl.  Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and then shake off the excess flour.

3)  Heat 1 of tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Once shimmering, add chicken (you might need to do this in two batches) and cook until golden brown and internal temperature is 160F, about 2-3 minutes per side.  Remove chicken from pan to a plate and cover with foil.

4)  To make the sauce:  Add garlic, thyme, and lemon zest to the pan that cooked the chicken (add additional olive oil if necessary).  Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.  Off heat, add the white wine and stir to combine, scraping any browned bits off the bottom.  Return to heat and add broth.  Bring to a boil and let simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes.  Add lemon juice and butter and whisk to combine.  Season with salt and pepper as desired.

5)  Once the sauce is done, serve the chicken over the quinoa and spoon the sauce over the chicken.

(Lemon Thyme Chicken recipe adapted from Annie's Eats)

Maple Walnut Chicken

This is a tasty chicken dish that is relatively quick to make.  Chicken is rubbed with some olive oil, ground thyme, salt and pepper and cooked up in a skillet.  A sweet sauce is made from apple cider vinegar and maple syrup.  Walnuts add a lot to the flavor.  Mark and I both really enjoyed this.  It's similar to barbecue chicken, but with slightly different flavors.

Both the walnuts and olive oil are a good source of healthy fats.  Many claim that apple cider vinegar helps with dozens of health issues (google it and you'll see tons of articles).  So, I'm always happy when I find a good use for it.  I served this chicken over cooked bulgar with roasted vegetables.  This was our first time having asparagus in many months and it hit the spot.  This meal was a winner!  If you're looking for a new way to cook chicken, give this a try!

Maple Walnut Chicken

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut into 4 large pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground dried thyme (or dried thyme leaves)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

1)  In a large skillet over medium-low heat, toast chopped walnuts until golden and fragrant, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully because they can quickly burn.  Once toasted, remove from skillet and set aside.

2)  Meanwhile, combine olive oil, dried thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Rub chicken with seasonings to coat thoroughly.  Add chicken to hot skillet and turn heat up to medium.  Cook chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through (165F), about 12 minutes.  Remove chicken from skillet to a plate.

3)  Meanwhile, combine apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and water in a small bowl.  Pour into skillet and use a wooden spoon to scrape up anything that was left in the bottom of the skillet from the chicken.  Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened/reduced, about 6 minutes.  Add walnuts and stir to coat.

4)  Serve chicken with sauce/walnuts on top.

(recipe adapted from paleo plan)

Coconut Oat Crispy Chicken Salad with Pomegranate Drizzle

Sometimes a great big salad with crispy chicken is just what I'm craving!  And what makes this salad even better is that the crispy chicken is actually good for you.  It is coated in a coconut/oat topping and then baked instead of fried.  Drizzled over the salad is pomegranate juice that has been reduced into a thick syrup.  The sweet and tangy drizzle contrasts really well with the other flavors in the salad.  

These chicken nuggets would also be good NOT on a salad, with a dipping sauce of choice.  I know I will make them again like that.  This is now my go-to baked chicken recipe.  I loved that that you could taste a hint of coconut on the chicken.  I'm  planning to try a similar topping on tofu in the future to see if I can make this vegetarian.  

If you get a craving for a crispy chicken salad, or some awesome chicken nuggets, give this a try!   

Coconut Oat Crispy Chicken Salad with Pomegranate Drizzle 

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken:

• 1 pound chicken breast, sliced into 2 inch nugget pieces
• 1/2 cup oats [for gluten free, make sure they are certified gluten free oats]
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg whites, whisked
• cooking spray

Salad (feel free to adapt to your preferences!):

• 1 pound baby spinach
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 pound mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, julienned
• 4 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
• low fat Parmesan/Ranch dressing (I like a refrigerated one from Trader Joe's that is sold in the produce section)

Pomegranate Drizzle:

• 16 ounces pomegranate juice

DIRECTIONS:

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with foil or a baking mat and fit it with a wiring rack.

2)  Place oats, coconut, and all spices in the bowl of a food processor.  Process into a fine consistency.  Pour into a shallow bowl.

3)  Put egg whites in a second bowl.  Dip each piece of chicken into egg whites, let excess drip off, then roll in coconut/oat mixture until thoroughly covered.  Once coated, place chicken pieces onto wire rack.  Spray chicken with cooking spray.

4)  Bake chicken in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.  To make extra crispy at the end (if desired), turn the broiler on low for the last 3 minutes (watch carefully so it won't burn!).  Remove from oven and set aside.

5)  Meanwhile, put pomegranate juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until thick and coats a spoon.  Check frequently after about 15 minutes.   (Don't cook too long or it will start to get black/ too thick/ burned!)

6)  While chicken and pomegrante drizzle is cooking, prepare salad ingredients.  Divide spinach among bowls and top with other vegetables.  Toss with desired amount of ranch dressing (you don't need a lot!).    Once chicken is done, first slice if desired and then divide among salads.  Drizzle some of the reduced pomegranate juice over each salad.    Enjoy!

For leftovers, don't prep salad until night that you will eat it, and store chicken and pomegranate drizzle each separately from other ingredients.

(recipe adapted from Family Fresh Cooking)

Crispy Herb Chicken with Vegetable Hash

While we don't eat much meat, Mark and I both occasionally get a craving for crispy chicken.  I've made it different ways in the past, but we both really liked this version.  Here, the chicken is coated in a garlic,  herb, and yogurt mixture before being tossed in panko and Parmesan cheese.  The result was chicken that was super flavorful, moist, and crispy! And because we like dipping sauces, we made this Greek yogurt dip to go with the chicken.

Recently on Modern Family, Phil was making fun of Claire for always making sure half of their plates were covered in vegetables.  Mark and I had to laugh at this because, as Mark said, "you do that too!!"  One good reason to make half your plate vegetables is it means more food for not that many more calories.  So for this meal, I made up a veggie and sweet potato hash and sprinkled a bit of Parmesan cheese on top.  It definitely helped to round out this meal.  A big salad would be great as well-- you could even put the chicken on the salad.  But at this point in the winter, I was feeling warm vegetables.

This is definitely comfort food, but is relatively healthy!  Enjoy!

Crispy Herb Chicken with Vegetable Hash

serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

For the Crispy Herb Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt (I used nonfat)
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 5 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, sliced into tenders
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk powder (optional)
• Greek yogurt dip (optional)

For the Vegetable Hash:

• 1/2-3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 large sweet potato or yam, scrubbed clean and chopped into small cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 teaspoons italian herb seasoning (or a mixture of basil, oregano, marjoram)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt + more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 5 ounces mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced
• 10 ounces kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
• grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1)  For the chicken:  Place the chicken in a large ziploc bag and add the olive oil, yogurt, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Let all the air out and close the ziploc bag.  Massage everything together and into the chicken.  Put the bag into the refrigerator.

2)  Preheat the oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet with foil or a baking mat and fit with a wire rack.  Set aside.  The wire rack will help keep the chicken crispy on all sides by allowing air to move underneath the chicken.

3)  Mix together the panko, Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper and buttermilk powder in a large bowl.   Set aside.

4)  For the veggies:  While you wait for the oven to preheat, add the sweet potato and 1/2 cup vegetable broth to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until  most of the liquid has been absorbed and the potatoes are mostly soft, but not completely cooked, about 10-15 minutes.

5)  Finish the chicken:  Once the oven has preheated, take the chicken out of the refrigerator.   Working one chicken tender at a time, coat with the panko mixture and then place on the wire rack.    Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 15-25 minutes, until chicken is brown and the internal temperature is 165F. The length of time will depend on how big your tenders are.

6) Finish the veggies:  Once the sweet potatoes are mostly cooked, push them to the edges of the pan and add the olive oil to the center of the pan.  Once heated, add italian herb seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and mushrooms to the pan.  Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are golden brown.  Add the kale to the pan and stir as best you can.  Add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable broth to help it along if necessary.  Once the kale is wilted, stir to combine, remove from heat, and taste.  Add additional seasonings if desired.

7)  Serve chicken with Greek yogurt dip (or another dip) if desired with vegetable hash on the side.  Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese over the vegetable hash if desired.  

(recipe for chicken adapted from Ambitious Kitchen)

Coconut Thai Chicken and Vegetables

I think this is one of those meals that tastes a lot better than it looks.  When I was trying to take pictures of this, I kept thinking to myself "wow, this doesn't look that good, does it??".  So, I guess you'll have to trust me that it's good!  I found this recipe on Cooking Light back when Mark and I were first dating.  He was visiting his cousin in Australia at the time and I made this for myself.  I remember this distinctly because as I was eating it that first time I thought it was one of the best meals I had ever eaten and I promptly emailed Mark to tell him all about it.  I know... "best meal" is saying a lot!  Admittedly since then I don't think it has quite lived up to that first memory of the meal, but it is still super tasty and never disappoints.  

This is a stir-fry of chicken, onions, and peppers, with a spicy coconut milk sauce.  You can definitely substitute tofu for the chicken (I have done that many times), and it is still great.  Unfortunately, it still won't be vegetarian if you do that because the recipe uses fish sauce as well (like so many Thai recipes!).  Though this is not an Indian dish, one of our favorite ways to eat this is with naan!  Naan is perfect for soaking up the delicious sauce.  Of course you could also serve this over brown rice or another grain-- whatever you prefer!

Coconut Thai Chicken and Vegetables

serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast, sliced into strips
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 1 large or 3 small onions, sliced (about 2 cups of sliced onions)
• 3-4 bell peppers (different colors if preferred), sliced (about 4 cups of sliced peppers)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
• 1 13.5 ounce can light coconut milk
• 1-3 tablespoons sriracha (depending on how spicy you want it)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• naan or cooked grain of choice

DIRECTIONS:

1)  Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  In a bowl, combine chicken, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and fish sauce.  Once pan is hot, add chicken to skillet and cook, turning occasionally, for about 5 minutes until golden brown.  Remove chicken from pan.

2)  Meanwhile, make the sauce-- combine coconut milk, sriracha, sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and lime juice in a bowl.

2)  Heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in skillet.  Add onions, peppers, garlic, and ginger.  Cook, stirring and turning constantly, for about 4 minutes until onions are brown.  

3) Return chicken to the skillet with the vegetables.  Whisk the sauce ingredients and pour sauce over chicken and vegetables.  Bring sauce to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes until thick.  Remove from heat.

4)  Serve warm with naan, brown rice, or another cooked grain.

(recipe adapted from Cooking Light)

Thai Chicken Pizza

I first had this type of pizza at the Bryn Mawr dining hall back in college.  I remember whenever I would be over there for a class or music lesson around lunch time I got so excited that I got to have this type of pizza for lunch! It is also a type of pizza served at California Pizza Kitchen.  This recipe is one that I have basically made up based on the various times I have had it and other recipes I have seen.  If you like Thai food, specifically peanut sauce, you will probably love this pizza.  It's a nice variation on the normal pizza with red sauce and I highly recommend it (and so would a lot of others who have tried it)!


Like with my other pizzas, I tend to use a ball of pizza dough that I've made from my sourdough starter.  You can use any pizza dough that you like of course.  This is a whole wheat recipe that I like.  Trader Joe's makes good pizza dough as well that they have in the refrigerated section by the prepared foods.  The great thing about pizzas is that they can easily be modified and still taste great.  Feel free to leave off the chicken and increase the amount of vegetables if you want a vegetarian pizza.

Thai Chicken Pizza

yield: 1 14-inch pizza (serves 4 with a salad on the side)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ball pizza dough (see note above; if it's been in the freezer, put it in the fridge the night before)
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I use natural peanut butter)
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1-2 teaspoons sriracha (depending on how spicy you want it)
• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1/2 pound), cut into small, bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced (green and white parts)
• 1 large handful bean sprouts
• 1 large handful part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
•  chopped peanuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

• 1)  Take the ball of pizza dough out of the fridge and let it rest on the counter for a couple of hours to come to room temperature.  If you are in a rush, you could try to microwave it on LOW power, but check frequently.  
  
  2) Preheat oven to 450˚ F.  (Note: If using a pizza stone, make sure that it is in your oven before you start preheating.)  Once the ball of pizza dough is room temperature, shape it into the correct shape for your pan of choice.  I prefer a 14 inch round pizza pan, but you could also use a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet for a rectangular pizza.  I use a rolling pin and my hands (lifting up the dough) to help it into the right shape.  A silicone mat is super helpful for rolling and making sure the pizza is the right size.  Transfer to your pan of choice coated with cooking spray and let sit while the oven is preheating.  Once the oven has preheated, put the pizza crust in the oven for 5 minutes to prebake the crust.  (Note:  if you are using a pizza stone, make sure the oven has been preheated for at least 30 minutes before putting in the pizza.  You do NOT need to prebake the crust if using a pizza stone.)
  
  3) Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and sriracha to make the peanut sauce.  Whisk until smooth.  Set aside.
• 4)  In a small skillet, heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add chicken and season with salt and pepper.   Cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is lightly browned and cooked through.  Remove from heat.
• 5)  To make the pizza, spread the peanut sauce over the pre-baked crust in an even layer, leaving about a one inch crust uncovered.  You might not use all of the peanut sauce depending on how big your pizza is.  I usually end up with a few tablespoons left over.  Add the chicken, julienned bell pepper, grated carrot and sliced scallions evenly over the peanut sauce.  Next add the bean sprouts, distributing them evenly around the pizza  Finally, sprinkle on the cheese.  You don't need a lot, because everything else on this pizza has a lot of flavors.  Make sure you can see all the veggies through the cheese!
• 6)  Bake in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes, until the cheese and crust has some light brown spots.  Check to make sure that the bottom of the crust is also brown in spots. If it's not and the top of the pizza is getting too brown, lay a piece of foil over the pizza and cook for a few more minutes until the pizza is lightly brown on the bottom.
  
  7) Transfer to a wire cooling rack for a few minutes (to help make sure the crust doesn't get soggy).  Sprinkle with chopped peanuts if desired.  Cut into pieces and serve!
• (recipe inspired by various Thai chicken pizzas I have had over the years!)