Coconut Curry Sweet Potatoes with Baby Bok Choy ...and other veggies

This is a super easy recipe. Just buy some Thai Red Curry paste (you only need a few teaspoons at a time depending on how spicy you like your curry) and keep some light coconut milk cans and brown rice in stock. That way if you have some left-over random veggies in your fridge you can whip up a quick tasty dinner.

Start with the rice unless you have the fancy frozen stuff because that will take the longest. I have a rice cooker I set right when I get home if I know I want to make this dish. That way I can putz around the house a bit before I start cooking, and rice will be done about the same time as the rest of the meal. Remember, you can always make rice ahead of time and freeze it your self in zip-lock bags. I don't have a microwave, so I would just heat some water to a low boil and add the rice (keeping the rice in the bag) until it is heated through.

All you need to do for the sauce is warm a can (or two if you like a lot of sauce) of coconut milk with a few teaspoons of curry paste. Adding a ton of finely chopped cilantro and a thinly sliced Thai red chili to the sauce will make it more flavorful and pretty, but you don't really need that. While you warm the sauce, you can prepare the veggies you want to use. I used sweet potatoes, baby bok choy, sauteed shallots, mushrooms, and red pepper. Steam or saute the vegetables you want to use so that they are almost ready for consumption. Do not overcook them because you will be adding them to the sauce to cook for another 5 minutes or so.

For added protein, I used tofu. You do not need to use a lot of oil with the tofu. A couple of teaspoons is plenty if you have a nice non-stick griddle. Slice your tofu into 1" cubes, and use some paper towels to blot out a little of that water. Spread the cubes so that they are flat on your pre-heated griddle. Then flip after about five minutes or when the bottoms are a light golden brown. Repeat on the other sides so that you have nice crispy cubes.

When all of your veggies and tofu are done you can add them to the sauce. Coat and cook for 5 minutes. Serve over rice and you have a hearty and healthy meal!!