Coconut milk and curry paste take chicken to new heights
Boneless skinless chicken breasts save the day for so many busy folks who want to get a lean, protein-filled, affordable dinner on the table in a hurry.
I always have a package or two in my freezer — I buy them when they are on super-sale (which they are once every 4-6 weeks in my experience) and freeze them, a strategy even more helpful if you seek out the pricier organic or free-range versions.
Even if I forget to pop the frozen chicken in the fridge to thaw the night before I need it, I can always do a quick-thaw in a big bowl of cold water, and still get dinner on the table quickly.
This ubiquitous cut of meat is chock-full of lean protein — a 4-ounce serving is only 125 calories, and has about 26 grams of protein, plus a smattering of minerals and B vitamins, and only a gram or two of fat.
The downside to the boneless skinless chicken breast is that the flavor is a little lackluster. But what some call bland, I call a blank slate! And with so little fat in the meat, you have a little wiggle room to indulge a bit with other ingredients.
In my Weeknight Thai Curry Chicken recipe, for instance, I use full-fat coconut milk — a mere half cup for six servings of chicken is enough to create a luxurious mouthfeel without adding more than a few grams of fat per serving.
In this quick weeknight-friendly recipe, I use fragrant Thai curry paste as a rub right on thin chicken cutlets, infusing them with a ton of flavor, and I serve the sauce as an accompaniment, rather than having the chicken swim in it.
A quick saute gives the chicken just the right amount of char (don't overcook), and the coconut sauce is made flavorful with fresh basil, green onion, and garlic and quick — just a few pulses in a blender and a few minutes stovetop. Dinner in about 20 minutes will prove that weeknight cooking need never be boring.
• Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, “Supermarket Healthy.”