Chicken Curry

This recipe has me feeling a bit like Sandra Lee – it is ‘semi-homemade’, but nonetheless, it is a nutritious recipe.

On days when I don’t have unlimited time to spend in the kitchen, I rely on a few faithful pantry staples to make a good meal. If you are mindful of stocking your pantry with good-quality staples, however, you never have to feel that you are cheating anything but the clock.

I used a store-bought simmer sauce – a definite shortcut –
Seeds of Change Jalfrezi Simmer Sauce - a medium-hot red curry sauce. (www.seedsofchangefoods.com) I also used quinoa and a sprouted bean trio of lentils, adzuki and mung beans. (www.truroots.com) With the  addition of the grain and beans, not only do you stretch more servings out of the stew, you also get a one-dish meal – something I am a real fan of.

The components of this dish can be made ahead of time and then reheated all together right before serving.  When using these store-bought shortcuts, the fun lies in layering in flavor and altering things to please your palate. The caramelized onions create a rich and delicious base to build upon. I add in 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized chunks; feel free to sub in the protein of your choice.  I also add 2 medium eggplant, cut into bite-sized chunks.

Here is my process:

I get the quinoa and beans and onions going at the same time.

To make the quinoa: combine 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water, or broth for extra flavor.  (I used water to keep the total sodium content down – one thing to be mindful about store-bought sauces is the sodium content) Bring quinoa to a vigorous boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, until tender but still chewy and the white spiral-like threads appear around each grain, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

To make sprouted beans: combine 1 cup beans with 3 cups water. Bring to boiling over medium heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Let cooked beans stand covered an additional 10-15 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.

To cook the onions: thinly slice 2 medium onions.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, or a combination of olive oil and butter, over medium-low heat in a large pan until warm and/or melted. Add onions, 1 teaspoon
of sea salt and a small pinch of sugar. Allow onions to cook slow and low,
covering the pan once the onions begin to turn translucent. Peek in and stir
the onions occasionally until they turn a deep golden brown. Adjust the heat to
prevent burning or cooking too quickly, you want at least 30-45 minutes of slow
and low cooking.

Once the onions are caramelized, I set them aside, include any liquid that accumulates.

Into that same large pan, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat and cook chicken until no longer pink. Set chicken aside on a plate tented with some tinfoil.

Into that same pan, adding a bit more oil if needed, cook the eggplant, until just tender, don’t overcook it. Right before the eggplant is finished, add your caramelized onions and chicken back to the pan and allow to heat through, stirring gently to combine. Add the sauce, bring up to a very gentle boil; lower heat, cover and let simmer about 10 minutes.

Into a large serving bowl, pour in the sauced-chicken mixture and as little or as much of the quinoa and beans as you would like. You can pass all three separately to allow each person to alter the ratio to their liking.

Might I suggest some warm Naan bread served alongside?