Food that Warms Without Fattening
January 22, 2004

During this freezing weather I usually eat higher calorie comfort foods for fuel, but the pate and truffle blitz I staged during the holidays is making it tough to fit into my favorite jeans.  My new strategy for staying warm, while warding off the saddle bag syndrome, is the hot ‘n spicy Asian antidote.  Tonight I’ll be snuggling in with a chili spiked chicken Pad Thai while I watch The Apprentice.  (I hope Donald Trump’s hairdo won’t give me indigestion again this week).  The complex flavors, ease of preparation, and refreshing ingredients in Pad Thai always cheer me up and leave me feeling pleasantly satisfied, not stuffed.  I use generous amounts of fresh ginger root, a wonderful wintertime spice: ginger generates internal warmth, clears the palate and settles the digestive system.  Buy a knob of ginger root in the produce section and peel it like an apple, inhale its’ wonderful perfume.  Cut it up into chunks, then chop it in a small food processor.  Pour the ginger into a glass jar and cover it with good quality sherry, store it in the fridge.  You’ll have freshly minced ginger root ready to use at a moment’s notice.  The chili garlic sauce and Pad Thai rice noodles are in the specialty section at the supermarket; I prefer the fettuccini cut for a heartier wintertime dish.

Chili Spiked Chicken Pad Thai
- 1 pound Pad Thai rice noodles
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
- ½ cup each carrot and celery, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 T fresh ginger root, minced
- 1- 14 ounce can coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons (or more) commercial garlic chili sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 pound of chicken breasts, cubed
- 2 eggs, scrambled
- 6 scallions, chopped
- 1 cup coconut, toasted
- 1 cup roasted peanuts

Boil water and cook the Pad Thai noodles al dente.  In a large sauté pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil and sauté the onion and mushrooms for 15 minutes, until caramelized.  Add the carrot and celery, garlic, ginger, coconut milk, chili sauce, and chicken stock, simmer  5 minutes.  Add chicken and simmer 3 minutes more.  Fold in cooked noodles and simmer 3 minutes.  Place in large serving bowl.  Top with scrambled eggs, scallions, coconut and peanuts, serves 4.

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008