Chicken in Coconut Milk with Lime Leaves

Serve over a bed of steamed asparagus (or use drained canned ones) or steamed spinach or wild rice with a crisp green salad. A useful hint: Don’t keep coconut milk in the fridge for days on end; it won’t be good. Freeze it in ice cube trays and then store them a container (label it accordingly) in the freezer.

save, share or print this recipe

ingredients

• 1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk (divide in two parts)
• 1 tablespoon Coconut Cream Concentrate (optional)
• 1 large Spanish onion, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt or Celtic salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, finely diced
• 1 stalk fresh lemon grass or lemon balm *
• 3-4 fresh lime leaves *
• 3 skinless chicken breasts, cut in chunks
• 1 fennel bulb, finely sliced

method

1. Use 1/2 of the coconut milk or enough to cover the bottom of the pan, add the coconut cream, as desired, and onion and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the spices, including the lemon grass and lime leaves and cook for another minute or two.
3. Now add the chicken and the remainder of the coconut milk, cover well, and cook for about 20 minutes. Start out at high heat, then lower to medium-low heat or a “comfortable bubble.”
4. Add the sliced fennel bulb, cover again and cook for another five minutes. The fennel should still be a little “al dente,” or chewy, not totally soft.

*Lemon grass and lime leaves can be found in Asian specialty stores (is there a Chinatown in your city?). However, if you can’t find any, cut some strips of a fresh lime peel and finely chop (lime zest). Most stores have dried lemongrass. It won’t be the same, but will be close. What you really want to get is the combination of the delicate sourness of lime leaves and lemon grass and the mellowness of coconut milk. Fresh lemon balm, an herb that’s often locally grown, has almost the same flavor as lemon grass. Cut lemon grass in half to fit the pot, and remove it before serving.

Serves 4

Nutritional Breakdown Per Serving:

395 Cal; (59% from Fat); 27 g Fat; 19 g Protein; 23 g Carbohydrate; 6 g Fiber; 102 mg Calcium; 6 mg Iron; 33 mg Cholesterol; 122 mg

For more information on how you can make a
difference in the South Pacific visit... www.nuigeneration.com