Using fresh ingredients, traditional Thai cooks take pride in their homemade curries– red, yellow, and green. The good news is that we can find high quality curry pastes right in the Asian section of our supermarkets. My recipe for COCONUT CURRY CHICKEN calls for red curry paste. Per serving, it is 400 calories when served over 1/2 cup rice. For those on the GOLD STANDARD OF THIN plan, just skip the evening snack.
Ingredients for a crowd of 6 – 8:
1 1/2 tsp. red curry paste
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 lb. total of skinless breasts
1 T. cooking oil (Sesame oil is my favorite for this, but any oil is fine)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 can cream of potato soup
2 cups of frozen vegetables (your choice)
1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted is optional
In a small bowl combine 1/2 tsp. curry paste, salt, and pepper. Rub into chicken breasts. In a 12-inch skillet, fry in an oiled (using a paper towell to remove excess oil) until brown and then set chicken aside.
In another bowl use a wire whisk to mix the rest of the curry paste with coconut milk. In the skillet, combine this with cream of potato soup and vegetables, simmering for about 20 minutes. Add chicken and cook until tender. It is fine to place in a crock pot.
When serving, sprinkle with toasted coconut.
Chatting with Kathleen Rowland 
Kathleen, I also like the look of browned chicken. That is not always the case in Asian recipes.
Isn’t it worth the extra step, Mary Alice! Looks more appetizing to brown meat. After cutting chicken breasts into 3 or 4 ounce sections, I often use a meat hammer to pound chicken flatter before browning. A serving size appears larger, and that is good for dieters.
Typically, Americans eat too much meat.
That’s for sure, Reba. Protein exists elsewhere. How often did cave people actually eat meat, I wonder.
Kathleen, I have read that early man didn’t eat meat every day. Some groups, closer to the equator, consumed more plants and less protein. Others, at higher latitudes, consume fewer plants and more animals. The reason behind this divergence had to do with the availability of year-round plant sources for foraging.
Thank you, Becky!