What's for dinner? Curry!

If you ask my kids what their favorite dinner is, the answer is always: Curry!  I am so freaking proud of that.  Before I had kids, I was always worried that they would only eat macaroni and cheese or something, but then once they arrived I realized that for the most part, kids will eat what you eat.  I know that I felt like I needed to clean up my diet a bit when my kids got old enough to want what we had.  Soda especially has gone by the wayside.  If the kids see a can near my lips they surround me like flies demanding to know what I have and can they share it? I am not totally anti-soda or treats, but I realize that if I want my kids to eat well and make good choice, then I have to model that for them.  

We have never made separate food for the kids to eat.  Even when they were infants, they ate what was on our plate.  I never made any special baby food or fed them out of a jar, they just ate what we had either mashed up or as I called it, the baby bird style, where I would chew it up a bit with my front teeth and feed it to them.  That sounds gross when I write it down, but hey, they didn't mind!  So they have been eating all of these different flavors and spices from the beginning.

Well, that is the long wind bag explanation for why my kids love curry...the real reason is that it tastes freaking awesome.  This curry tastes kind of like Thai massman curry and it is super easy to make.  Here is the recipe:

Chicken Curry

3-4 chicken breasts

3-4 medium potatoes (or other root vegetables i.e. swt. potatoes, squash etc.)

1 medium onion minced

1 green or red pepper

2 14 oz cans Coconut milk

1 T Red curry paste

2 T Fish sauce

2 T Brown sugar

Handful unsalted Cashews (optional)

Start by simmering your curry paste and coconut milk over low heat until the milk and paste are combined.  While waiting for this, chop up your onion, potato, and peppers and add to the pot.  I chop the onion up quite small for the kids and make the potatoes and peppers around bit size.  Add the fish sauce and brown sugar then bring the pot to a slow boil and cover.  Cook until the potatoes are soft.  You can also wait to add the peppers till the end if you like them crunchier (we do).  While you are waiting for this to cook, chop up your chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and cook in a skillet.  When done, drain off excess liquid and add to the pot. Viola!  Serve over rice.  If you have unsalted cashews, throw them on top!  

You can really use any vegetables, but I suggest keeping with the root veggies.  You can out in anything else you like or have.  If you want to make this vegetarian, just omit the chicken and add more veg.  

Fish sauce is the absolute integral part of this recipe.  It is the stinkiest substance on earth, but without it, Thai curry is blah.  You probably have to go to an Asian market to get a jug of it, but it will last you a long time.  I just finished off a bottle my dad got me a year ago.  He got it in Florida and drove it up here to NC.  The lady in the Asian market asked him what he was going to do with it and he told her he was driving to see his daughter and give it to her.  Her response was "No break in car!"  Seriously, I think the stuff may be listed on the EPAs hazardous waste list.  I kept mine in a freezer bag in the cabinet, just in case.   On its own, toxic waste. Combined with coconut milk and brown sugar, heaven.  

PS:  This tastes even better the second day and it freezes beautifully.  I freeze this and take it when we go camping.  It serves to keep the cooler cold and heats up quick for a fantastic camp dinner.