HURRY CHICKEN CURRY

feeling like eating something a little out of the ordinary dinner routine? this is it! the ingredients are exotic enough to excite your taste buds, but still easy enough to find at your regular grocery store. plus, when you cover vegetables in a delicious spicy, peanutty sauce- nobody can resist eating healthy!

INGREDIENTS:
13 oz can of lite coconut milk
6 tbs. red curry paste
3 tbs. peanut butter
1 lime
3 chicken breasts
1 red pepper
1 small yellow squash
1 small zucchini
1 small package of whole white button mushrooms or baby portabellas
1 medium onion
2 cups rice
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
extra virgin olive oil
metal skewers or soaked bamboo skewers

DIRECTIONS:
for chicken:
-mix 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1 tbs. peanut butter, 2 tbs. curry paste, 2 tsp. olive oil, and 1/2 lime juice in a large bowl
-cut chicken breasts into 1"-1 1/2" chunks and place in bowl to marinate 30 minutes to 24 hours
-skewer chicken
-grill on foil, 10-15 minutes at about 400 degrees until chicken is done
for veggies:
-cut red pepper, zucchini, squash, and onion all into 1" pieces
-skewer cut veggies and mushrooms, brush with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper
-grill at about 400 degrees until veggies start to get soft and char around the edges, about 10 minutes

for rice:
-place 2 cups white rice with 3 cups of water into a medium sized pot
-bring to a boil
-reduce heat to low/simmer, cover with a tight fitting lid
-cook about 20 minutes until rice is tender
for sauce:
-mix remaining coconut milk, 4 tbs. curry, 2 tbs. peanut butter, 2 tsp. olive oil, cayenne powder, and soy sauce in a small pot over medium low heat until it warms through and thickens a little

-in a large mixing bowl, combine cooked chicken and cooked veggies, and toss with about 1/2-3/4 the sauce to coat
-place cooked rice in a large serving dish, pour chicken and veggies on top to serve family style or place individual servings of rice and chicken/veggies on each plate
-finish off serving dish/individual dishes by pouring on top the juice of the other 1/2 of lime
-serve leftover sauce for those who like it saucier
-enjoy!

serves approximately 6 people

SHOUT OUTS:
this recipe is a combination of 2 recipes from Clean Eating magazine and Food Network magazine

TIPS and ADAPTATIONS:
-try it with a green or yellow curry paste instead
-eggplant, green beans, cauliflower, carrots, white potatoes and sweet potatoes are all great veggies to add to this dish
-don't have a grill or grill pan? roast or saute vegetables and chicken (separately)
-to add some more whole grains into your diet, eat curry with brown rice instead of white. just be sure to realize the cooking time for brown rice is about 40 minutes, opposed to the 20 minute cook time for white rice