Trailer Cooking--Thai

Every Sunday night, the whole team gathers in the Galkin trailer for a meal and fellowship. Christy usually prepares the food for the 16 team members, but now that I have a trailer, I've been able to help out some too! Last night I made a recipe I found on Pinterest for Hot and Spicy Braised Peanut Chicken. I LOVE Thai food, and this was a crock pot recipe, so I decided to try it. I normally find all my recipes from either my mom or www.food.com. I love food.com because you can search for a dish, sort the results by most popular, and usually find a well-reviewed recipe that everyone seems to like!

Well, I spent Sunday afternoon cutting carrots, onions, peppers, and chicken. The dish served six, so I doubled it, and made some teriyaki chicken and rice for the kids and people who didn't want spicy. It was all in the crock pot, just in time to be done after the service. I came back to my bedroom to review what needed to happen after it was done cooking, and clicked on "User Reviews". I don't know WHAT I was thinking before, making a double batch of a recipe I'd NEVER tried before. Normally I ALWAYS read the reviews first. To my horror, I read ten reviews about how horrible this dish was, how it was bland and NOT spicy.

I was stuck. No time to go get something different (plus all that money wasted on this dish??) I went to my cupboard and pulled out anything Asian I could find. I started dumping in ingredients, which is not at ALL me...I normally have no creativity with recipes, and just follow them to the letter.

And, to my surprise, the dish ended up tasting ok! It definitely needed the things I added--and so I will share the recipe with you and the additions I made. It WAS super easy to just throw in the crock pot, and only took three hours to cook! It is also pretty good for you!

Hot and Spicy Braised Peanut Chicken
Makes: 6 servings

Prep: 30 mins  

Cook: 5 hrs to 6 hrs(low) or 2-1/2 to 3 hours (high)  

Stand: 5 mins

Ingredients 

2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges

1 1/2 cups sliced carrot (3 medium)

1 small red sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips

2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-in. pieces (I used chicken tenders cut up--still good!)

3/4 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel (I didn't have this, so I just left it out)

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 - 3 teaspoons red curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste--and doubled it.)

4 garlic, minced
The following were my additions to the liquid sauce:
1/4  cup Sweet Chili Sauce (sold in the Asian section of a grocery store)
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil 

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup frozen peas

Hot cooked rice

Chopped peanuts (optional)

Snipped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, place onions, carrot, and sweet pepper. Top with chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, peanut butter, lime peel, lime juice, soy sauce, tapioca, ginger, curry paste, and garlic (and sesame oil, sweet chili sauce) until smooth. Pour over all in cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in coconut milk and peas. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

3. Serve chicken mixture over hot cooked rice. If desired, sprinkle each serving with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Makes 6 servings.

So there you have it! Here's a link to the actual recipe at Better Homes and Gardens. The team liked it, but from now on, I will ALWAYS be reading the reviews BEFORE I cook something for a large group of people! :)

Hot and Spicy Braised Peanut Chicken (my additions not included)