For a Summer Cool Wave

Chicken, though pricier that it used to be—what isn’t?—is still about the thriftiest meat you can eat. When I cooked chicken with green beans in curry sauce, extemporizing from what was in the freezer and the vegetable bin, the grandson who came to dinner, kept saying, “Mmm-mm, good!”

He added, “You should put this in your food column.”

So here it is, a great dish for people who have trouble getting their kids to eat vegetables, and anyone who eats meats:

Chicken with Green Beans in Curry Sauce
        3 to 4 servings
12 ounces chicken tenders, cut in bite size pieces
2 large or 3 smaller garlic cloves, diced small
1 Tablespoon minced ginger, skin on
1 pound green beans
2 teaspoons curry powder or to taste
3 Tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
1 large yellow onion, halved, then wedge-sliced
Hot Water to cover

Combine in a cup or small bowl:
2 Tablespoons cornstarch or rice flour
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
¼ cup water

Combine the chicken, garlic, and ginger. Marinate for at least 20 minutes, better yet overnight or mix in the morning and let wait in the refrigerator all day while the chicken absorbs the flavors of the garlic and ginger. The chicken and spices can even be frozen for later. Thaw in a plastic bag immersed in tepid water.

In a saucepan, parboil the green beans 5 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wide skillet. Stir-fry the onion slices with the curry powder until limp and shiny. Pour in hot water to cover. As the water boils away and the onion cooks, keep adding more water.

When the onions are done, add the green beans and their broth. Tuck the chicken pieces among them. When one side of each piece has turned white, flip them. Cook 3 minutes more, until there’s no pink left inside the chicken pieces. You can halve one to check and be sure they are no longer raw inside. Taste the liquid and add a dash of hot red pepper flakes if it’s not spicy enough for you.

Add the thickening mixture, stirring as you slowly pour it in. This should give the dish a nice glaze. It will create a thin, shiny, translucent sauce.

Serve over Golden Rice: In a 6-cup saucepan, on medium heat, or in a rice cooker, put: 2 Tablespoons coconut or olive oil. Stir in 1 ½ cups brown rice and 1 ½ teaspoons turmeric. When all the grains are oil-coated add 3 cups water. And 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook until the rice is done, about 50 minutes. Fluff and transfer to a serving bowl.