Spicy Peanut Chicken over Rice

Last year, around this time actually, I promised myself that I would start trying some new recipes -- I even ordered some new cooking magazines. The whim lasted for a few weeks, and then I became pregnant and my meals mainly consisted of saltines, with a side of saltines, and maybe some saltines for dessert. Oh, and a Luna bar thrown in for good measure! (Seriously, for a few months, that's all I could keep down!)

Anyway, those magazines are all stacked in my kitchen and lately I've been flipping through them and getting the urge to really start cooking again. Now is the perfect time. I'm used to having a baby in the house, I am back to work, and things are generally falling into a routine -- and I mean that in a good way!

So, here is my first cooking post in over a year. I made this a few days ago and it was a hit with both C. and I. I've added it to my recipe box and I will be making it again.

Me being me, I couldn't just leave the recipe as is -- I tweaked it!
1. The recipe makes TWELVE servings. That's way too many servings, so I cut it in half.
2. I don't own a Dutch Oven, so I used a large skillet with a lid. I affectionately refer to this skillet as my "Hamburger Helper Pan".
3. I didn't have peanut oil, so I used canola oil -- seemed to work just fine.
4. We don't really eat tomatoes, so I just used 1/2 a can of tomato paste and left out the tomatoes.
5. I didn't have any brown rice, so I just used the cheap instant white rice.
6. The grocery stores in my little town didn't have any "Greek-style" yogurt, so we went without. I can see that this would be a good addition to the recipe though, so next time I will go to the 'city' and get some. Or maybe some sour cream would work too.

Spicy Peanut Chicken over Rice
-- Cooking Light, August 2008, page 138.

1 T. peanut oil
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1 1/2 T minced garlic
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 t curry powder
1 t salt
1 t crushed red pepper
1/2 t black pepper
1 6-oz can tomato paste
3 cups chopped plum tomato (about 6 tomatoes)
2 (14 oz) cans fat-free, reduced sodium, chicken broth
8 cups hot cooked brown rice
3/4 cup 2% Greek-style yogurt (such as Fage)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring frequently.
Stir in peanut butter and next 5 ingredients (through tomato paste); cook 1 minute.
Add tomato and broth to pan; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
Serve chicken mixture over rice; top each serving with yogurt.
Yields 12 servings. (serving size is 3/4 cup chicken mixture, 2/3 cup rice, and 1 T yogurt.)
(Calories 340, Fat 7.6 grams, Fiber 4.6 grams)

The chicken came out really yummy with just enough spice. It's a good dinner if you are looking for something different. I already had most of the ingredients, so that always makes a recipe a keeper in my book. I hate recipes where I need to buy all this crap that I will only ever use for that specific recipe.

Enjoy!


This is how I measure 1/2 of a 1/3 cup of peanut butter: