With the New Year comes New Beginnings and for us that meant a permanent move to warmer, but rainier southern Oregon from Montana. I am most looking forward to cooking in a bigger kitchen with gas instead of electric! I am so excited that Everyday Cooking Adventures is now in its 4th year. I’ve so enjoyed cooking, baking, and experimenting in the kitchen and I hope you’ve joined along on the ride and tried some recipes yourself. Here’s a recipe from before our move..

We love going out for Thai food because it’s a cuisine I don’t attempt much at home. This recipe however seemed manageable and without any hard to find ingredients. It was delicious! Definitely peanutty but with the coconut milk sweetened it and the cilantro added a nice bite. I would make this again anytime if was so good. I served the chicken and sauce with Bhutanese red rice, which is a short-grain rice similar to brown rice but with a slightly more nutty flavor.

Chicken Breasts with Red Thai Curry Peanut Sauce 

Serves: 2

Recipe from: Fine Cooking, “Quick & Delicious: Dishes Inspired by International Cuisines,” Issue 76

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
• 1/2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup natural smooth peanut butter, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. mirin or granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. red Thai curry paste
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil; more as needed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine the ginger, garlic, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin (or sugar), 3/4 teaspoon of the curry paste, and 3 tablespoons of water. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Taste to check the heat level and add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon curry paste if you like.
2. If the chicken breasts come with tenders, remove them and reserve them for another use. Between two sheets of plastic wrap, lightly pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness with a meat mallet, a heavy pan, or the side of a cleaver. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
3. Set a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the canola oil. When the oil is very hot, add two of the chicken breasts and cook until nicely browned, 3 to 4 min. Flip the chicken and continue to cook until it’s cooked through, another 3 to 4 min. Transfer the chicken to a platter.
4. Reduce the heat to low and add the coconut milk and 1/2 cup of the peanut sauce to the skillet. (Save the remaining sauce for another use). Stir to combine and heat through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.