Lighthearted Confabulations From Outside Our Tent: Don't be afraid of Thai cooking... give it a Thai!

Thai food is one of my all time favorite meals, but I figured cooking Thai at home would be a challenge. Surely the sweet, savory and delicious flavors would be some mysterious ingredients only available at speciality markets? Recently I took a Thai cooking class and discovered how simple the dishes can be! Now... you'll need to get a few things that probably won't be familiar to you. I know what you are thinking... I don't need more condiments in my fridge that I'm only going to use once. The good news is... many Thai dishes use the same spices and seasonings, so if you decide to "go in" you'll be sure to use the whole thing before long. Tonight's dish "Red Curry Chicken".

The cast of characters:

2 cans of coconut milk (found in the Asian department of your local grocer)

1 tablespoon of Red Curry Paste (also in the Asian dept.)

2 tablespoons of "Fish Sauce"(this one is one of those weird ones and I can see the face you are making at the sound of fish sauce. Don't fret- it's actually quite good and tastes a little like soy sauce. You can buy this... guess where??? In the Asian dept. of your local grocer. If you like you can substitute fish sauce for soy sauce, but many Thai dishes will use Fish Sauce. Seriously, I'm told they use it like we use ketchup.

3 tablespoons brown sugar (dark or light)

2 tablespoons of lime juice

2/3 c. basil (chopped)

3 tablespoons canola oil

2-3 chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

1 small can of bamboo shoots (Asian dept.)

1 med. red or green bell pepper (julienned)

1 med. shredded carrot

1 med. shredded zucchini

* Note: the bell pepper, carrot, zucchini are optional. I like them for crunch and health.

2 cups of short grain rice prepared in your rice cooker or stovetop.

Before you begin: Get your rice cookin'! By the time you are done with your curry, your rice will be ready to go.

Step 1: Do you prep work and get ready to go. This helps so much in making the dish come together quickly. Remember to trim all the fat off the chicken.

Step 2: Pour the 2 cans of coconut milk in a large saucepan and mix in your curry paste. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes until the flavors mesh. Taste for spice- if you like it hotter- add more paste.

Step 3: In a wok or large skillet, add canola oil. When heated, add chicken, quickly browning on each side (about 7 minutes). Be sure to add salt and pepper for flavor.

Step 4: While the chicken is cooking, hop back to your coconut milk/paste mixture. Add fish sauce, brown sugar, basil and lime juice. Let it simmer.

Step 5: When your chicken is nearly done, add your shredded carrot, zucchini, pepper and bamboo shoots. Finish cooking chicken and veggies until veggies are still crisp, but softened.