We can begin to feed...: Creamy Coconut Chicken

One of the blogs I read on a regular basis is called Gourmet Runner. Vanessa lives in Georgia with her husband and 3 kitties, and among other things, she writes about running, working out, travelling and food. We seem to have similar tastes so I like to keep an eye on what she is cooking!

Recently she posted a recipe she calls Coconut Chicken Curry and the ingredient list looked very intriguing. I knew with a couple of very minor changes, I could make it work for us, too. There really is no curry involved so I have dropped that from the title and am just calling it Coconut Chicken.

If you are a fan of coconut milk you will love this recipe... and even if you don't like spinach, don't be deterred... by the time it is all cooked and plated, you will see it, but not taste it! I think it is just there for the sake of a bit of color and some added nutritional value.

I served it over brown rice, and The Captain loved it. He told me while it was cooking that it was making his mouth water... the aroma of the steaming coconut milk, garlic, and ginger coming from the kitchen. We will definitely be making this again and again. Thanks, Vanessa!

We used coconut oil in this dish, but if you don't have any, use a vegetable oil of your choosing. It won't affect the flavor too much, I don't think. And one more thing, do check out the original recipe that Vanessa posted, to see how she made it up, too. This recipe can easily be doubled and the leftovers saved.

Coconut Chicken

Makes 2 servings

2 tsp coconut oil
8 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 - 3/4 inch cubes
200 ml canned low fat coconut milk (1/2 can)
1 Tbs grated ginger root
4 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbs brown sugar
2 oz. fresh baby spinach leaves

Pour the coconut oil into a large skillet and place over MEDIUM heat.
Put the chicken pieces into the heated oil and cook till the edges of the chicken are white and seared, about 3 or 4 minutes. It will be pink in the middle.
Meanwhile, shake the can of coconut milk very well before opening. Measure out 200 ml and pour it over the chicken in the pan, then add the grated ginger root, minced garlic, red pepper flakes and brown sugar. Stir to mix.
Spread the spinach leaves over the top and then cover with a lid.
Simmmer for 30 minutes to finish cooking the chicken.
Cook rice and then plate. Divide the chicken mixture over each serving of rice. Serve hot.

Per serving, not including rice.
Weight Watchers P+ = 5.
Calories 207; Protein 19g; Carbohydrate 6g; Fat 12g; Fibre 1g.

Just before covering and leaving to simmer.

After cooking for 30 minutes.

Served over brown rice and ready to enjoy! Smells delightful!

Printable Recipe

If you are wondering what to do with the leftover coconut milk, here are a couple of ideas... we will be having the butterless Butter Chicken ourselves this week!