Thai Green Curry

There is something about the combination of coconut milk and lemon grass that is just ridiculous. A long-time lover of Thai food, I was tempted to experiment with a curry dish, having only made noodle-based dishes in the past. In this recipe, I use low-fat coconut milk - the consistency for this dish is meant to be on the runny side, but if you prefer it to be thicker, I recommend using coconut cream. Also, I tend to over do things with vegetables (why not add more vegetables to any dish?!), so feel free to modify which vegetables you use.

Green Paste 

Ingredients:

4 tbsp lemongrass, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic
1-3 green chilies (jalapeno or serrano) 
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp ginger, grated
1/2 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves & stems, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 tsp coriander, ground
1/2 tsp cumin, ground
1/2 tsp white pepper, ground
3 tbsp fish sauce (*soy sauce works well too)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp raw sugar

Method:

1) Combine all ingredients into a food processor (or blender) until finely pureed. Ta-da! If you do not have a food processor (get one!), you can still make this dish, it just requires a lot of manual chopping. A mortar and pestle could help with grinding as well.

Curry

Ingredients:

1 can low-fat coconut milk
2 breasts chicken, boneless and skinless, chopped into 2'' chunks
1 cup of broccoli, chopped
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped 1'' chunks
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped 1'' chunks
1 cup snow peas, whole
1 cup spinach, finely chopped
1 cup white onion, chopped 1'' chunks
1 tsp olive oil

Method:

1) On high heat, drizzle olive oil in a Wok (or deep pan) and add green paste until fragrances are released (approximately 2 minutes).
2) Reduce heat to low-medium and add entire can of coconut milk. Add chopped chicken and onion, simmering until chicken is thoroughly cooked (approximately 20 minutes).
3) When chicken is about 5 minutes from being completely cooked, add desired vegetables, turn off heat, and cover Wok with lid. Let vegetables steam for 2-3 minutes (*I prefer my vegetables on the raw-side, steam longer if necessary). 
4) Spoon heaping portions of curry and sauce over brown rice, to make a soup-like consistency. Top with fresh cilantro, and serve!