Happy New Year, Friends! Hope everyone had a great holiday season. In between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve one my best friends got married & I entered a sharpened state of holi-daze. I did not know what day of the week I was in or what time it was. I was just running around the city getting a dress & shoes & trying to tame my now very long locks. I also had to write and deliver a speech for the big day; and I delivered-without any ugly crying. Ha! That week felt like one big stretch/blur of time compressed into a day or two. But am refreshed & back with a delicious one-pot recipe that’s going to change your mind every single time you want to call and order food.
Better than take-out! This dish reminds me of a rich, flavorful Thai curry meets addictively-good Chinese food. Think of it as coconut red curry meets your favorite sweet and sour chicken. Done. Basically, the type of cozy comfort food you crave after a long work day when you come home famished; and wanting to raid everything in your pantry. Its perfect for a chilly night because the nice melange of spices warm you from the inside out. With warming spices like turmeric, paprika & chili powder; it’s spicy but sweet at the same time thanks to the ripe tomatoes, mango cubes, & coconut sugar. This recipe is perfect for those crazy days when you need to a whip up a quick weekday meal in 15 minutes or less. Yes, it’s that easy to make! And it’s so incredibly delicious, it will quickly become a part of your emergency dinner repertoire.
My munchkins absolutely love this dish. It can be quickly turned into a kid-friendly meal by simply omitting/adjusting the level of spice or heat (chili powder) the recipe calls for. My boy loves to have it over a bowl of freshly cooked quinoa and always asks me for “Loooots of sauce, please mama!”. Yes, the sauce is the BEST part. And I don’t say this lightly. The little man knows what’s good!
Once upon a time (am not naming names…) there was a really busy girl who was seriously hooked on take-out. She would order it 2 times a week (at least). From the canola oil it was likely cooked in to the industrial amounts of sodium it probably contained; it didn’t matter whether she ate a little (or a lot of it). She was basically eating something that was completely devoid of any nutritional benefits & full of the stuff she now meticulously avoids. And then came two almost back to back babies. And I would often argue I had to order in because who was time to cook when you’ve got to take care of 2 under 2 all by yourself, around the clock? Right. Anyone has time to cook. Anyone can spare 15 or 20 mins and make this. It took me a while to get there but I did.
Well, my friends, (ahem take-out lovers) we can rejoice at this much healthier, but equally delicious option. The chicken is browned or sealed with your choice of coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil. Its even packed with anti-inflammatory superfoods like turmeric, which I love to add to pretty much all my food. It also gathers sweetness from your choice of coconut sugar, raw honey or agave. You can season it with sea salt & black pepper or opt to ditch both and use low-sodium tamari sauce, instead. So what’s tamari? Its basically aged, gluten-free soy sauce. And it’s not lacking in taste, at all. Try it!
If you are vegetarian or vegan and want to turn this into a marinade/sauce you can use, I would recommend searing eggplant or tofu or both and you’ll be loving this easy entree! Oh and don’t forget: it’s a one-pot wonder! That always counts. Good food, minimal dishes.
Sweet And Spicy Mango Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large organic boneless chicken breasts or a carton of 6-8 thighs
- 2-3 cloves of garlic thinly diced
- 1/2 a red onion, thinly grated
- 2 tablespoons of pure coconut oil OR extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of coconut manna or coconut butter
- sea salt and black pepper to taste * I used about 2 tbsp of low-sodium tamari instead
- 1/2 tablespoon of paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 very ripe mango either sliced or cubed
- 3 very ripe tomatoes mashed
- 1 red pepper sliced thinly
- 2-3 teaspoons of chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar OR raw honey OR agave
Tip: to garnish before serving: throw in sliced green onions (chives) & sprinkle of sesame seeds!
Instructions
- “Brown” or seal the chicken. Warm up a large non-stick or cast iron pan to medium heat and add either the olive oil or coconut oil. Once the oil is warm, I like to add the garlic, and the grated onion. I let them cook for about 1-2 minutes and then proceed to add the chicken. I add salt & pepper to taste and move it around until it’s starting to brown (5-7 minutes).
- Add the sliced bell peppers, the mango cubes, the mashed tomatoes, the turmeric, the paprika, the tablespoon of coconut manna, coconut sugar or honey and the chili powder.
- Stir every 3-4 minutes and cover the pan with a lid so that all the juices don’t dry out. Remember, the sauce is the star of this dish.
- Cook for another 15-20 minutes on low heat, or until there’s no signs of pink when you cut open a piece of chicken.
By: Aleyda/ The Dish On Healthy
Notes:
This dish is great as well if you want to prepare it the night before. It stays well in the fridge for about 2-3 days. Another great alternative (provided you have the time) is to marinate the chicken in a sort of dry rub the night before, which would make it even easier at dinner time the following night. The dry rub would consist of salt, pepper, turmeric, paprika, chili powder and the honey or coconut sugar. The flavor it would absorb is unbelievable! You would still follow Step 1, minus the salt and pepper part. On Step 2 you would add everything minus the sugar and chili powder. Steps 3 and 4 would apply entirely the same.
I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!! Happy Eating.
Hi Aleyda, I made this tonight and it’s delicious. Irene
Irene, it made my day to read you tried a recipe! Glad you enjoyed it.