I don’t know about you all, but I live for the change of seasons. I love all seasons equally, but I get tired of them as they progress. So, I am always super happy when a new season comes rolling in. Living in New England, the season change can be very subtle, like soft butter spread over warm toast. It slowly slides in, with small temperature changes, summer blooms fade away, and the air begins to move from the heavy moisture to crisper, cleaner smells. Other times, the change of season is like bam! a rock just got thrown into a pond disturbing the ever-still water and causing a ripple effect. The temperatures drop drastically over night, causing panic for gardeners to frantically harvest or cover plants, and heavy weighted blankets get dug out of the closet in the middle of the night for cold sleepers. The Canadian geese fly high above by the dozen, honking encouragement as they go, the local, year-round birds start cleaning out the feeders daily, and the fall decorations come out in tenfold. Ah yes, you never know what each day and night will bring you while living in New England! This year it seems that Fall hit us all of a sudden. Frost warnings for the entire state in September and the down comforters are already on the beds. I’ve already pulled all my tomato plants from the garden since they stopped producing due to a pest that ate all the leaves. I was lucky to get any this year I suppose. But then again, we’ve recently had a lovely stretch of 50 degree weather. So I just don’t know.
Be as it is, I decided that it was fitting to start sharing some colder-weather recipes. Soup season, here we come! To kick of the warm-your-soul foods, I decided this curry would be perfect. My friends are totally rolling their eyes right now because they know that if curry is on the menu at a restaurant, then nine times out of ten, I order it. I can’t help it- I love it! This curry is really easy to throw together, even on a busy weeknight. This is also a great curry to savor the last of the summer vegetables. Healthy, filling and satisfying, let’s bring on the soup season!
Recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest
Chicken Coconut Curry with Rice Noodles
This super satisfying curry is healthy and chock full of vegetables. This makes a cozy dinner. Serve with a side of freshly made naan for the best winter meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- 8 ounces thin rice noodles
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 small zucchini, diced
- 2 ears corn, kernels removed from the cob
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 3 Tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 (14 ounce) can full fat coconut milk
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- juice and zest from 1 a lime
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Heat the broiler to high. Place the chicken tenders on a small baking sheet lined with foil. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper and place under the broiler. Cook the chicken for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove and let cool slightly before shredding with two forks.
- Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in the zucchini, corn, garlic and ginger. Cook just until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, soy sauce, honey and shredded chicken. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens lightly.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles according to the package directions.
- Remove the sauce and vegetables from the heat and stir in the lime juice, zest and cilantro. To serve, divide the noodle among small bowls and spoon the curry overtop. Serve immediately.
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator separately, adding noodles to sauce when ready to eat.
