Course: dinner
Cuisine: Asian, Thai, vietnamese
Keyword: asian chicken, chicken, chicken dinner, chicken dinners, cilantro, gluten free rice noodles, lemongrass, pine nuts, rice, rice noodles
The recipe cooks very quickly so read it through before starting.
Lemongrass: If using lemongrass, use a sharp knife and cut off the dry thick bottom end of the stalk and 1/3 of the skinny, papery top. Peel off the tough layers, as you would peel a scallion, to get to the pale, more tender inner core. Then slice the lemongrass lengthwise to get two halves. Using the flat side of your knife, give the cut sides of the lemongrass a good whack or two to bruise it. This releases the oils in the stalk that provide the lemongrass flavor. Then thinly chop each half.
For vegetarian's, tofu can be substituted for the chicken.
This dish is just as good with rice as with rice noodles. Vary it up.
If you're not gluten free, add cooked spaghetti or linguine.
I love cilantro but basil and/or thai basil would be just as delicious in this dish. At the same time, if you don't have fresh herbs on hand just omit and the recipe will be just as good.
If using mushrooms, use your favorite variety. If using whole mushrooms, be sure to clean the caps with a damp paper towel before slicing.
Don't be intimidated by the number of ingredients in this recipe. This is one of the easiest and tastiest chicken recipes I've every made.
When working with raw chicken always use a separate cutting board and be sure to wash it and the counter thoroughly. I have a dedicated cutting board for chicken.
If you are calorie conscious, feel free to use coconut milk (not light coconut milk though) in place of the coconut cream.