Quick Curry Dinner

Some mornings I get up with the whole day in front of me thinking, "This is the day I'm going to get through my list of things to do and still have time to make a lovely dinner for my family."

About that time the cat sprays the refrigerator, the dog throws up on the carpet (I'm not naming names here) and the washer starts leaking during the rinse cycle. By the time I've cleaned up the messes and only checked a couple of items off the list, I hear the dogs barking to let me know that Dave's home from work and that lovely dinner I wanted to prepare vanishes in a puff of smoke.

With any luck, though, there's a bag of frozen chicken thighs from Trader Joe's in the freezer and a can of light coconut milk in the pantry. Some curry powder, onion and a couple of cups of raw rice and my ass isn't looking so much like grass.

Curried Coconut Chicken

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. (+ or -) curry powder
1 can coconut milk
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. rice

Cut chicken thighs into bite-size pieces. Heat oil in deep skillet, add chicken and brown on all sides. Add onion and garlic and sauté till tender. Add curry powder and sauté 1 min., then add coconut milk, bring to bare simmer. Cook for 30 min.

Heat 4 c. water and the salt and bring to boil. Sprinkle in rice, return to boil and turn down very low, cooking till water is absorbed. Rice and curried chicken can be served together or separately with steamed frozen peas or a salad. Indian chutneys or Mark Bittman's tomato jam are terrific alongside.