Last night I had the pleasure of cooking dinner for my mum and stepdad. Usually I cook GAPS food for myself and mum cooks what she calls ‘regular food’ for everyone else dining at our place that night. I miss cooking some of my old favourites, such as a simple chicken curry with steamed Jasmine rice. I always jump at the chance to cook a meal for the rest of the family.

Last night I got to don my non-GAPS chefs hat and make a dish from scratch with absolutely no food intolerance restrictions (other than gluten-free for mum, but in this day and age – well at least in this household – that barely counts as a restriction).

This delicious curry was the result. It was ready in less than half an hour, and turned out to be quite allergen-friendly despite the fact that it didn’t ‘have to’ be. That’s the advantage of real food cooking. Most dishes are naturally free of common allergens.

So enough of my ramblings, here’s a gluten-free, low-lactose, sugar-free, GAPS-friendly (if you are Full GAPS), starch-free (if you serve on a bed of cauliflower rice or mash, rather than traditional jasmine), egg-free and nut-free (chock-full of nourishing fats) Thai Green Chicken Curry … you’re welcome!!!

Thai Curry

Serves 4

300g chicken thigh fillets, diced
3 teaspoons Thai green curry paste (oil-free, spices only)
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen green beans
1 cup steamed carrots (about 2 chopped carrots)
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 drop food grade lime essential oil
420ml can pure coconut cream
4 cups steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

Melt oil in a saucepan over medium heat and fry off paste until fragrant, stirring constantly to avoid it sticking to the base. Add the chicken and mushrooms and stir to brown and coat in spices.

Add carrots (plus the cooking water from steaming them – this sweetens the curry and adds moisture), beans and coconut cream. Simmer on a low heat for a minimum of 30 mins. Remove from heat and stir through basil and lime oil.

Serve with steamed Jasmine rice.