Yield: 2 servings (easily doubles)
Tonight was cold and I was a little weary, so I craved a warming meal that didn’t require a trip to the grocery store. I decided to make dinner using only what I had on hand in the pantry, fridge and freezer. This desperation dinner turned out to be a meal that I’ll return to again and again. The white chicken strips, onion and coconut milk playing off the bright green beans and the golden-yellow couscous are lovely in their simplicity. Beautiful, fragrant, tasty and healthy, this dish is more than the sum of its parts.
Vegan Chicken and Green Beans in Coconut Milk:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, halved and slivered
4 ounces of Meal Starters chicken strips, thawed (you may substitute 4 ounces chicken-flavored seitan or tempeh, the latter recommended by a reader who felt the sweet coconut milk and natural bitterness of the tempeh were tasty complements to each other)
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans
3/4 cup coconut milk (I use lite)
juice of 1/2 of a lime
1 tablespoon raw or brown sugar
coarse sea or kosher salt
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, halved and slivered
4 ounces of Meal Starters chicken strips, thawed (you may substitute 4 ounces chicken-flavored seitan or tempeh, the latter recommended by a reader who felt the sweet coconut milk and natural bitterness of the tempeh were tasty complements to each other)
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans
3/4 cup coconut milk (I use lite)
juice of 1/2 of a lime
1 tablespoon raw or brown sugar
coarse sea or kosher salt
In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat oil to shimmering. Saute onion, stirring frequently, just until it softens. Add vegan chicken, green beans and coconut milk. Cook, stirring frequently, just until ingredients are warmed through and green beans are bright green and crisp-tender. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer just a minute to to combine flavors. Serve warm over warm couscous (recipe follows).
Vegan Curried Couscous:
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/2 cup couscous
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse sea or kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring broth and scallions to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in couscous and golden raisins. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork while stirring in olive oil, salt, pepper and curry powder.
January 16, 2010 at 10:59 am
Sounds good to me and simple. Can't hardly beat that combo!
January 16, 2010 at 2:56 pm
That looks fantastic. I love curry, green beans, and coconut. The thought of adding them all together sounds perfect. Thanks for sharing!
January 16, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Heather, I agreed! There is something so appealingly pure about the flavors and colors. Enjoy!
Marly,I'm so glad. The light was failing when I got home from school, but I really wanted to go ahead and post it, so I went for it and hoped it would look "romantic" rather than just "dark." 🙂 It's a delicious combo and it "sits" lightly. Cheers!
January 17, 2010 at 3:20 pm
I just made this, and it's delicious! Surprisingly, I had all the ingredients except curry powder, but I was able to whip up my own. I had some leftover baby portabellos, so I tossed those in with the onion, and I love the sweetness of the golden raisins and coconut milk. Another winner!
January 17, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Hooray! I'm so glad. It really is an "on hand" meal, isn't it? Your addition sounds perfect. I'll give it a try. True confession: I had the leftovers for breakfast. 🙂
January 20, 2010 at 7:51 pm
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January 20, 2010 at 8:10 pm
I'm flattered–or make that "plattered"–Mary. I'll definitely email you. Thanks so much!
February 21, 2010 at 11:25 am
we tried this last night–it was delicious (especially the lime-coconut combination). we didn't have chicken strips, so we used plain tempeh. this is a great option in a pinch: the tempeh's nutty, slightly bitter taste complements the whole melange fairly well.
February 21, 2010 at 11:43 am
Thank you for letting me know! I'll add tempeh as an option. I can see how the sweet coconut milk would offset it's natural bitterness. I appreciate your sharing!