Potato and Chicken Curry

This is a sort of odds-and-ends recipe, that can - and should - be customized based on what you have in your fridge. Starting with a basic coconut curry broth, with onion, ginger, and garlic, I make this with whatever veggies and protein we have on hand. The potatoes cook up very tender, and take on a lot of the curry flavor, so I highly recommend including some of those. But feel free to use broccoli, cauliflower, beans, tofu, or whatever else you have to round out the dish. You can also toss a handful of chopped fresh herbs on top when serving.  If you don't use the potatoes, you can skip most of the simmering time, and this dish will be ready to eat in only a few minutes.

It is freezing cold here right now, and yesterday we had extremely high winds.  A hearty and comforting dish like this is just what we needed for a blustery winter day.

 
Potato and Chicken Curry
Feel free to substitute any veggies you like in this dish - it is a very flexible recipe. 
Yield: serves 4

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 inch piece fresh ginger root, minced
1 medium russet potato, washed and chopped into bite-size chunks
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 can light coconut milk
2 chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
Optional: cayenne pepper, to taste
To serve: cooked brown rice

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat a 3 quart or larger pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, bell pepper, and ginger and cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic and potato, and cook 1 minute more. Add spices, and cook 1 minute more, stirring.
2. Add broth and stir well, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and simmer 10-15 minutes longer, until potatoes are nearly done.
3. Stir in chicken, and cook about 5 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through.
4. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Garden update: The sprouts are still looking great, and the swiss chard has started to poke up out of the dirt.  I'm hoping to taste a few broccoli sprouts today!