Chicken Ginger Peanut Curry - Low Fat But Rich And Savory

Our son in law Jon was in town for a friend's wedding.  We didn't get much time with him, but Saturday we had a scrumptious strawberry waffle breakfast with all the local family members, and later we got to have dinner with he and his mom, who was also in town.

When I picked him up from the airport Friday afternoon we had a couple of hours to kill so I took him to NPS, the bargain store that sells overstocked and expired items at huge discounts.  While there I found a great deal on three of nature's super-foods:

• Strawberries - 50¢ per pound (bought 16 pounds and made freezer jam, frozen sliced berries, strawberry shortcake for Rachel's birthday party, and strawberry waffles for breakfast)
• Avocados - 4 large ones for $1(Linda made some delicious guacamole to go with the fajitas for Rachel's birthday party)
• Mushrooms - $1.27 per pound (decided to make a chicken curry with mushrooms for dinner)

The mushrooms were my inspiration for making the curry, so I dug through the fridge and found a variety of stir-fry type vegetables, all of which are very nutritious in their own right.  I experimented with a new combination of flavors including fresh ginger (which is a very different experience than using ginger powder), peanut butter, curry powder, shredded coconut, and lemon zest.  We enjoyed it over steamed brown rice (the whole grain is better for you than refined white rice).  The result was yummy, low-fat, and really good for you. 

Here's how to make Chicken Ginger Peanut Curry:

 

• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 20 ounces Skinless Chicken Breast - cut into small chunks (this is easier while it's still slightly frozen)
• 1/4 cup Fresh Ginger - cut match-stick size
• 2 lbs. Vegetables of you choice - diced or sliced (I included sweet peppers, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, celery, and red cabbage)
• 2/3 cup Soy Sauce
• 1 1/2 cups Water
• 2 Tbsp Curry Powder
• 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
• 1/2 cup Shredded Coconut
• 1/4 cup Peanut Butter

Fry the chicken and ginger on high in the olive oil, stirring regularly, until lightly cooked and tender.  Add the vegetables reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until tender but not soft, a bit of crunch in the vegetables is still nice.  Mix together soy sauce, water, curry, cornstarch, brown sugar, and lemon zest and stir into chicken vegetable mixture.  Stir until thick rich and bubbly, then add lemon zest, coconut, and peanut butter.  Stir until smooth.  Simmer for a couple more minutes.

Serve over brown rice.