Thai Chicken & Coconut Rice

I found this recipe via my friend Bethany's cooking blog:  For the Love of Grub.  It is delicious. I have included Bethany's notes at the bottom as well as a few of my own.

Thai Chicken and Coconut Rice
~ Waiting For The Day - Sonlight Forums

2 14 oz. cans coconut milk
2 c. water
1 t. salt
2 c. uncooked long grain rice
6 T. creamy peanut butter
4 T. Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1-4 t. chili garlic paste (depends on how spicy you like things) **
1/4 c. sesame oil
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed or sliced
6 green onions, sliced
2 medium red bell peppers, sliced thinly

Bring 2 cups coconut milk, water and salt to boil. Stir in rice; cover and reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes.

OR

Put 2 cups of the coconut milk, water, salt and rice in rice cooker and start cooking.

Meanwhile, whisk remaining milk, peanut butter, Bragg's Aminos and chili garlic paste until blended. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over med-high heat for 2 minutes. Add chicken and stir-fry 5 minutes or until browned. Add onions and bell pepper. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add peanut butter mixture and bring to boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Serve over rice.

Bethany's Notes: You could easily cut this recipe in half and use as much chicken as you want. Some people add carrots, green beans, broccoli, pineapple, cashews and/or peanuts for flavor or to stretch the dish a little farther. 

*****

Notes:

(1) For us, the addition of the red bell peppers needs to be later in the recipe as they become too soft if cooked for 10 minutes.  We like ours to have a snap to them.  I suggest adding these after the peanut butter mixture is added and begun to boil.  These only need about 2-3 minutes of cooking.


(2)  If adding bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, baby corn or canned bean sprouts, DRAIN, DRAIN, DRAIN for a long time.  Then pour them out onto a couple of layers of paper towels and pat dry.  The high water content will ruin this recipe if you skip this step.


(3) Chili garlic paste will keep in the fridge for a long time.  Do not skip this ingredient.  We use only 1 1/2 tsp so that it is not too spicy for the younger members of the family.  You can also add some to your individual plate when you eat it.


(4) We will also substitute shrimp for the chicken to change it up.  You could probably also use pork chunks but I have not tried it yet.

Tuscan White Bean and Southern Greens Chicken Soup

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery with leaves on, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, freshly ground
• 2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups gluten free chicken broth
• 1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro(optional)
• 10 ounces of southern greens, thoroughly rinsed and roughly chopped
• 2 cups chicken or turkey pieces, precooked

Directions

Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add drained beans, broth and chicken.  Bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.

In saute pan heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the roasted peppers, minced garlic and cilantro.  Cook until the garlic is soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in the southern greens , cover and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the pot and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.desired.

NOTES:

(1)  This can be made in the crock pot IF you leave the addition of the roasted peppers and the southern greens until right before you serve the soup.

(2) Southern greens:  I purchase mine from Trader Joe's.  The package includes, spinach, collard greens, kale and turnip greens.  However, you can pick up what you would like at any grocery store.  I started using these because Trader Joe's was out of kale one day.

(3)  This is a great soup for leftovers but only if you add the greens prior to serving them.  When I am going to do this I do not saute the southern greens.  I just throw them into the soup and cook for a few minutes.