Easy Thai Chicken & Rice

My mom and I attended the Taste of Home Cooking School last week, and this was a dish they made that I knew I had to try right away. I am always looking for a good tasting dish that is both healthy and easy, and while what defines "healthy" is different for everyone, it is EASY to whip up in no time and SO flavorful. It is a dish that I know Grandma would love and it will definitely be a staple at our house from now on!

1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp brown sugar, firmly packed
1 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 bag (16 ounce) frozen Asian-style veggies, thawed
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

1. Prepare rice.
2. In a small bowl, combine combine coconut milk, brown sugar, curry paste, lime juice and salt. In a nonstick pan over medium heat, combine chicken and vegetables. Add curry sauce and cook until heated through.
3. Garnish with chopped peanuts and additional lime, if desired.

- I used 3 cups uncooked rice and it was the perfect amount. Quinoa would be good too! I also used the remainder of the can of the coconut milk for some of the liquid in the rice to give it additional flavor.
- I cut up two raw chicken breasts into bite size pieces and sauteed it in olive oil until browned, then added the veggies and sauce. I had a 3 lb bag of frozen veggies and used half, so you can easily add more than it calls for and there was plenty of sauce. You could easily make this a vegetarian meal and use all veggies! Because my amounts were a bit larger than what the recipe called for, our meal easily served 6.
- The curry paste I had said it was spicy, so I was wary of using a full Tbsp and only used about 1/2. It wasn't spicy at all, so I will definitely add the full amount next time.

Summer chicken salad

Because I didn't live near Cleo year-round, most of my memories with her involve the SUMMER, when we would come stay with her for months at a time. One of my favorite things to do was to go on picnics with she and grandpa - along the Columbia River Gorge, at the Rose Gardens or just down the street at Willamette Park. Cleo knew how to pack the perfect picnic. Chicken salad sandwiches were a regular part of her picnic ensemble. While she didn't ever have an actual recipe, this is my own recipe I've created after making it with her many times.

Summer Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup grapes, halved
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1-2 tsp cumin
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 croissants, split

Directions

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Spoon about 1/2 cup into each croissant. Approximately 4 servings.

On snowy days like today, when it feels like winter will never, ever end, I can't help but think of summer and all of the fresh, yummy food that comes with it. So what better way to lighten up a dreary winter day than with some summertime food, and maybe the warm weather will decide to make an appearance too!