Don’t ask me why, but I had never tried Thai Green Curry Chicken before a friend gifted me with a packet of green curry paste and wow … I had definitely been missing out.

If you haven’t tried making this meal at home, you must. The satisfying aromas emanating from your kitchen will announce that a delicious, healthy meal is in progress. Coconut milk is the ingredient that smooths out the spice.

Vegetables cooked the Thai way round out the meal and bring more of those exotic flavors into play. This filling dish can also be offered to your vegetarian friends as a main course.

There is Mango Sorbet for dessert to cool your palate. With a bit of planning, there could hardly be an easier dessert. Be sure you start with ripe, juicy mangoes and take the time to be sure they are frozen solid. I haven’t tested it, but frozen mango chunks in the package could work, but may not give you the same rich flavor a fresh mango would.

Enjoy your culinary trip to Thailand!

Thai Green Curry Chicken

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons green curry paste
2 green onions with tops, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 cups canned coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, for garnish

Toss chicken in 1 tablespoon soy sauce, then in the flour, coating pieces evenly. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Cook and stir chicken until browned, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a plate and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and stir in curry paste. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then stir in green onions, garlic and ginger, and cook an additional 2 minutes.

Return chicken to the skillet, stirring to coat with the curry mixture. Stir the coconut milk, fish sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and sugar into the chicken-curry mixture. Allow to simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes until the chicken is tender. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves and served over rice. Yield: 4 servings

Stir-fried Cauliflower & Green Beans

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
12 ounces cauliflower florets
6 scallions, green part only, julienned and divided
7 ounces fresh green beans, cut in half
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, sliced lengthwise
5 ounces baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lime juice

Using a mortar and pestle or a mini-blender, blend cilantro, sugar, minced garlic and 1 tablespoon fish sauce into a smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok, add the sliced garlic and sauté just until it just begins to brown. Put half the garlic aside to use for garnish and leave the other half in the pan.

Add spinach to the pan and sauté for 30 seconds or just until it starts to wilt. Add pepper and 1 tablespoon fish sauce and stir. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet. Add paste and cook over high heat for 1 minute. Stir in cauliflower. Add water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover, cooking for 3 minutes. Add green beans and cook, covered, for another 3 minutes. Add scallions (leaving some raw for garnish) and sauté until just wilted.

Spoon vegetables over spinach and garnish with reserved sliced garlic, reserved raw scallions and cilantro. Yield: 4 servings

Mango Sorbet

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into cubes to equal 8 ounces
1 (3.4-ounce) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Juice from a half lime

Spread mango cubes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.

Stir coconut milk well and pour into a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight, freezer-proof container to freeze to a more solid consistency. Yield: 4 servings

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