Thai Curry with Chicken and Butternut Squash

As you all probably know by now, I am an avid believer of not letting anything go to waste! Yesterday, I decided to make steak with mashed potatoes and roasted butternut squash. I ended up only using half of the butternut squash, so I went in search of a different recipe to utilize the rest of it! Nothing goes to waste here! I came upon this recipe and tailored it to my liking. I omitted mushrooms, though the original recipe calls for about 6 mushrooms, sliced. Add whatever vegetables you want! Remember to have all the ingredients prepared accordingly before proceeding to cook! It is so much easier to have everything cut up already so that the process is much smoother and less stressful. This recipe is reminiscent of Tom Kha Kai, which is a Thai/Laos spicy hot soup that is coconut based and usually has chicken in it. Warning: this soup has a bit of a kick! Serve this with rice or a fresh baguette! Yum! Happy cooking!

Yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces
1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. butternut squash, diced
1 cup chicken stock (or more, if needed)
4 tbsp. garlic chili paste (spicy level - medium; use less if you want it less spicy)
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp. fish sauce
1/2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 lime, juiced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 (13 - 13.5 oz.) can coconut milk
Small bunch of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Directions:
1. In a medium pot, cook the butternut squash and chicken stock for about 10 - 12 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic chili paste, fresh ginger, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and coriander until there are no lumps.

3. In a wok, cook the chicken, onion, and garlic on medium heat until the chicken begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

4. When the chicken is cooked, add the butternut squash and chicken stock to the wok. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.

5. Add the wet seasonings to the wok and stir so all the ingredients are coated. Cook for 3 minutes to released the spices.

6. Add the mushrooms (if using), bell pepper, and coconut milk to the wok and stir to combine. Allow the soup to come to a boil before lowering the heat to a simmer. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until the butternut squash is soft. If the soup does not have enough liquid in it, add more chicken stock to your liking.

7. Add the cilantro to each individual bowl before serving. Enjoy!