This curry dish is adapted from a recipe by “The King of Curry” in his recommended book, Pat Chapman’s Noodle Book. In it he says that “green curry is probably Thailand’s most popular dish, both inside and outside the country. Cooked correctly it is a delicate bland of fragrance and flavor, of subtle color laced together with creamy coconut milk. In fact the sauce is not and should not be green; it, and the chicken, is a buff-white color. It is the accompanying herbs — basil and cilantro– and, traditionally, pea aubergines, and huge numbers of tiny green Thai chiles that give the dish its greenness.” Since pea aubergines (tiny eggplants) are somewhat bitter and difficult to find, they have been eliminated in this recipe.

Ingredients

• 9 ounces dried or 1 pound fresh egg noodles

• 1 boneless and skinless chicken breast, sliced

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 2-inch piece galangal or ginger, chopped

• 1 to 3 teaspoons Thai green curry paste

• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk

• 2 or 3 stalks lemon grass

• 2 to 3 Kaffir lime leaves, shredded, omit if unavailable

• 5 to 6 green Thai chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

• 1 to 2 teaspoon fish sauce (nam pla)

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Heat a large pot of water to a boil, add the noodles and cook until “al dente.” Drain the noodles and keep warm.

Trim the stalks of lemon grass to about 3-inches in length. Trim away any hard portions, discard the outer leaves, and coarsely chop.

Heat a wok, add the oil and when hot, add the garlic, ginger, and green curry paste, and stir-fry for about one minute. Add the coconut milk, lemon grass, lime leaves, and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally to allow the milk until thickened. It may look as though it is curdling, but it cannot do this so don’t worry.

Add the chicken and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Add the chiles, fish sauce, basil and cilantro and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Cut a piece of chicken to check to see that it’s done.

Immediately add the noodles, stir, and simmer until the noodles are hot.

This easy recipe comes from Colman’s. Serve the breasts with a salad with Italian dressing and rice pilaf.

Ingredients

• 6 boneless chicken breast halves

• 1/2 cup butter

• 3 tablespoons Colman’s prepared mustard

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

• 1 teaspoon crumbled dried tarragon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts in one layer in a lightly oiled 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then mix in the mustard, lemon or lime juice, and tarragon. Pour this mixture evenly over the chicken. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes (or until cooked through), depending on the thickness of the chicken. Serve accompanied by rice or pasta.

New Mexican cooks are forever improvising on traditional recipes. This interesting variation on green chile and chicken enchiladas has been tested so many times in our kitchens that we now consider it a New Southwest classic. The enchiladas go well with traditional dishes of rice, refried beans, and a crisp garden salad.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts

• 8 ounces cream cheese

• 1 cup onion, chopped fine

• 1 cup heavy cream or half and half

• 3 green serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped fine

• 5 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, seeds and stems removed, chopped

• 1 cup finely chopped tomatillos

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 egg

• Vegetable oil for frying tortillas

• 12 corn tortillas

Instructions

In a pot, cover the chicken with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and reserve the stock. When the chicken has cooled, remove the skin and meat. Shred the meat using two forks.

Combine the cream cheese, onions, and 1/4 cup of the cream. Add the chicken and mix well.

Place the serranos, green chile, tomatillos, cilantro, pepper, egg, remainder of the cream, and 1/3 cup of the chicken stock in a blender and puree to make a smooth sauce.

Heat a couple of teaspoons of oil in a small skillet until hot. Using tongs, fry each tortilla for a few seconds on each side until soft, taking care that they do not become crisp. Remove and drain.

To assemble the enchiladas, dip a tortilla into the green sauce and place it in a shallow 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of the tortilla, roll it up and place it at the end of the dish with the end side down. Repeat the process until the enchiladas form a single layer in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas.

Bake the enchiladas, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes and serve immediately.