from Julie
First, make a bechamel sauce as follows
Melt 2 tbsp butter
Add 2tbsp flour, cook for a few minutes.
Add 1/4 tsp salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Stirring, add 1 cup milk, bring to a simmer to thicken and turn off heat
For the rest:
1 1/2 cups broccoli
2 tbsp oil
1 - 1 1/2 tsp curry paste (I use Patak's brand, usually madras, found in the aisle with the chinese and mexican stuff. No its not thai, but it works)
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin slices
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp garlic, crushed (2-3 cloves)
2 tbsp soy sauce
roasted peanuts to garnish (optional)
egg or rice noodles
Blanch the broccoli. In large skillet heat together oil and curry paste, cooking over low heat for 1 minute, stirring to blend. Turn heat to med high, add chicken, salt, sugar and garlic. Stir fry until sugar carmelizes (or chicken is cooked through). Add soy sauce and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Stir in bechamel and broccoli. Garnish with peanuts. Serve over noodles.
*Notes:
- chicken that is still partially frozen is easier to cut and get nice thin slices. this also helps it go further.
- you may need extra milk to thin the saucy part after adding it to the rest of the stuff.
-i skip the blanching the broccoli part. i slice up a big bowl of veggies: broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms (quartered) and red or yellow peppers and throw the whole thing on top after the soy sauce has reduced. you can add whatever veggies turn your crank or that your kids will eat.
- you can make this up to the point of adding the bechamel, so that you don't have to feel rushed making it. just turn the heat to low while the noodles are cooking.
- this is also awesome with shrimp, just add them in after the soy sauce, but before the bechamel, and stir to cook. one of my veggie friends makes hers this way, same steps just omitting the chicken stirfry part (if you want more directions on this, let me know)
- this can also be a gluten free meal by using cornstarch to thicken the bechamel and using gluten free soy sauce, serving over rice noodles
