"Thai chicken"

Sorry for the lack of food posts lately. We're having an emergency with the kittens. They don't gain weight like they should - indeed, they don't gain any weight at all. We can't figure out what's wrong, either. They suckle just fine, and Kelly has plenty of milk. Kelly also has no infections, and her x-rays came out fine. Still, something's not working. Keep your fingers crossed that it will work out! In the meantime, we bottle-feed, every two hours. Yesterday, I drove clear across town with tiny Number One safely curled up in my bra, to visit my friend and fellow breeder Eta. Eta gave me a supply of silicon teats, and a lot of support and advice. She has just had to bottle-feed 14 (that's right - fourteen!) kittens, so I consider her the expert on this. (Two litters, and two c-sections.) Number One fed happily on her formula, and even tried a tiny little purr.

Back home, feeding them is quite tough. We're getting a lot of practise, and I just hope we don't mess up. But, it's a stressful time.

So, for stress, this great chicken-curry paste-coconut milk dish is excellent. I call it "thai chicken" but I bet there's not much thai about it. It's really easy and fast to throw together, but more importantly, it's delicious. I use "red curry paste", which is one of the two curry pastes commercially available in Sweden. (The other one being "green curry paste".) I'm sure other places have more sophisticated choices. Just use your favorite curry paste. The red onion is what really makes the dish here, so even if it sounds a bit suspicious - try it!

Thai Chicken
Serves 3

1 tbsp red curry paste
olive oil
2 chicken breasts, in bite-sized pieces
200 g mushrooms, in large dice
1 red bellpepper, in large dice or strips
1 can (400 ml) coconut milk (for a leaner dish, use half a can, and half water)
1 red onion, cut into thin half moons

Pour a splash of olive oil into a saucepan. Add the curry paste, and fry for a minute. Add the chicken pieces, and mix well. Fry until they have some color. Add the mushrooms, and the bellpepper. Fry on medium heat for about five minutes. Add the coconut milk. Let simmer until the chicken is done, and the sauce has come together nicely. Serve with jasmine rice, and top with generous helpings of the slivered red onions.