Low-Carb Chicken Breasts with Cilantro and Thai Curry Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thick
• 2 T peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 1 T chopped fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter at room temperature
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 T sweetener of your choice
• 1 tsp. red Thai Curry Paste
• 3 T homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• About 2 T peanut oil
• 1 cup unsweetened regular or lite coconut milk
• 4 T finely chopped cilantro, or more, plus more for garnish if desired

Directions

1. Neaten the chicken breasts by cutting away visible fat and any uneven edges so the pieces are similar in size. Place the chicken in a plastic bag or sandwich it between sheets of plastic wrap, then pound it with a meat mallet until it is an even 1/2 inch thick.
2. Chop the ginger and garlic very finely. In a food processor or the cup for an immersion blender, blend the ginger, garlic, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, your chosen sweetener, Thai curry paste, and chicken stock. Taste the mixture and decide whether you want a little more red curry paste.
3. Warm the oil in a large heavy frying pan. Sprinkle the chicken with black pepper, set it in the pan, and cook over medium heat until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes on the first side and 2-3 minutes on the second side. Do not push the chicken too far; when it comes out of the pan, it should feel just barely firm.
4. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent it with foil. Turn the heat down to low, then pour in 1 cup coconut milk. The remaining 3/4 cup coconut milk can be frozen for later. Loosen the browned bits from the pan, stir in the peanut curry ginger mixture, and warm the sauce for about 2-3 minutes.
5. Pour in any juices that collected on the plate and cook for another minute or 2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.
6. Spoon the sauce over the chicken right away, adding more chopped cilantro on top if you’d like.