- 1 bag Tinkayada brown rice pasta (penne)
- ~2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken pieces (breasts & thighs)
- 1/2-3/4 c. barbecue sauce (I use Backhills Barbecue Sauce--a local brand that's sweet with a little peppery kick)
- 1 14 oz. can coconut milk *not low fat* (Thai Kitchen organic)
- Several two-finger+thumb pinches Lemon Pepper or similar seafood seasoning (I have some from Costco I love)
- 2 t. cornstarch
Cook the pasta according to package directions. While that's going on, warm a little extra virgin olive oil into a skillet and add the chicken pieces. Drizzle barbecue sauce on top. Cover and simmer for 6-10 minutes, or until chicken looks like it's nearing well-cooked. Add coconut milk, and allow the gentle simmer to help incorporate the more solid portion of the milk. Sprinkle seafood seasoning evenly over the top. Keep at a very low simmer for 10-15 minutes more. Mix the cornstarch with water and slowly drizzle over the chicken & sauce and simmer until thickened. (Just a minute or two--if it doesn't thicken by then, you've either got the heat too low or not enough cornstarch.)
Serve with this yummy salad:
Kid-friendly Butter Lettuce Salad
- 1 bag butter lettuce (more tender and flavorful than romaine or nutritionally empty iceberg.
- Ranch or Poppy Seed dressing of your choice (we like Litehouse Jalapeño ranch or Brianna's Poppy Seed)
- Parmesan/Romano cheese (grated or in a shaker bottle)
- Raisins
My kids love this sufficiently that they eat it without complaint, and ask for seconds (especially if they don't know what the main dish is yet ;o). I let them choose what toppings they want; the cheese and raisins are mostly for my more sophisticated palate.
This took me about 30 minutes to prepare, and it wasn't labor intensive. (Meaning I didn't have to wash, cut, core, peel, or fussy-cook anything. My kind of easy.) Everyone loved it, and this is definitely going in the family cookbook.
Now, if I could just keep from becoming bored with a recipe after eating it only a few times! Hopefully I'll just keep coming up with them. ;o)
