Thai food at it's finest

Yes, I know. I quit. But... the very next day I made this dish. And oh, how delightful. 

Picture from Thelontfamily.blogspot.com

I can't tell you how good this dish it.  The flavors of peanuts, limes, ginger,  curry, cilantro all stand out, yet manage to blend together to make an amazing bite. 

The original recipe is from  Love at Home, and is a crock pot dish. However, I just couldn't manage to get it going in the crock pot, so I made it on the stove top. And you know what? I really think that method is better. I think that's why the individual flavors stood out so much. 

Thai Peanut Chicken

Adapted from Love at Home

2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots (3 medium)

1/2 to 1 red sweet pepper, cut into bite sized pieces

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

3/4 cup chicken broth

3 Tb peanut butter (I used crunchy, smooth is fine as well) 

1/2 teas finely shredded lime peel (Mine were rather large, but I actually sought them out- so good!)

2 Tb lime juice

2 Tb soy sauce

**If you are slow cooking, include 2 Tb quick-cooking tapioca. I did not use this for the stove top method.

1 Tb grated ginger (Ginger freezes well, so you don't waste the rest!)

2-3 teas red curry paste

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup frozen peas (I omitted)

Hot cooked rice

Chopped Peanuts (Optional, but so good! Adds texture and salt to the dish)

Chopped Fresh Cilantro (Optional, but come on, you need it!)

 

**Stove top directions (Prefered):  

Heat a few Tb oil in a large sauce pan.  Saute' onions, carrots, and sweet pepper until soft. I was working with frozen chicken, so I boiled that in water while the veggies were cooking. If your chicken is ready to go, add it to the veggies, set the stove top to medium low, and cover.  Cook until chicken is done.

In another pan combine broth, peanut butter, lime peel, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, curry paste, and garlic; stir until combined. Bring to a simmer.  One comment- at this point, the dish does not look very appetizing.  Stick with it, you'll be so glad you did! 

Add in the coconut milk and the peas if using. Cook until heated through, but do not boil. Add in the chicken and veggie mixture.  

Serve the chicken and sauce over hot cooked rice. Top with peanuts and cilantro. 

Enjoy!   

 **Crockpot directions: Place onions, carrrots, and sweet pepper in the crock pot. Add chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, peanut butter, lime peel, lime juice, soy sauce, tapioca, ginger, curry paste, and garlic, until smooth. Pour over the chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Stir in coconut milk and peas. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.