Lots of you want new ways to cook chicken, so take this recipe and give it a try. It'll take chicken with vegetables and rice to a new level, even a your-kids-will-like-it level. And if you're freaked out by things like coconut milk and ginger, well... just don't be. They're waaaay too tasty to avoid and super easy to cook with.

Coconut Chicken

• three or four chicken breasts (feel free to cut into smaller pieces)
• one can of coconut milk
• a splash of canola or vegetable oil
• two limes
• four or five chopped green onions
• about half a bunch of chopped cilantro
• one finely chopped jalapeno pepper (sans seeds if you'd like)
• one red bell pepper diced or sliced into small-ish pieces
• one zucchini sliced into halfmoons
• one cup or so of chicken stock
• a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
• salt and pepper
• 2-3 cups of cooked white rice

It seems like a lot of ingredients, but it's really not. Let's cook.

1. Marinate the chicken. Mix together about 1/3 cup of the coconut milk, a little canola oil, the juice of one lime, a couple of chopped green onions, a handful of chopped cilantro in a plastic bag, the jalapeno, and a pinch or two of salt. Add the chicken to the bag, and mix it all around. Let the chicken hang out in the fridge for a couple of hours or on the counter for at least half an hour. It's better if it hangs out a bit longer.
2. Cook the rice however you like it or however the box tells you.
3. Chop the vegetables and herbs while the chicken marinates so you can just drop it in the pan when it's time.
4. Heat a big skillet over medium-high heat, and add just a hit of oil. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook for about three minutes on each side. You're not trying to cook the chicken all the way through here; you're just getting some nice color.
5. Remove the chicken, add a little extra oil to the pan if you need it, turn the heat to medium, and add the red peppers and zucchini. Season those with salt and pepper, and stir for about a minute. You'll see all of the chicken bits start to come off the pan a little; that's a good thing. Don't be afraid of the bits.
6. Add the rest of the coconut milk, the chicken stock, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Let that come to a nice bubble. Add the chicken back in, and let it cook on each side for another two minutes or until the chicken feels a bit firm.
7. Stir in the fresh flavors: ginger, the rest of the green onions, another good handful of cilantro, the juice of the other lime, and more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Do this with the heat off so the freshness doesn't fade.

Serve this over rice, and go to town. It's even better the next day after the rice has had a chance to soak up all the yummy sauce. I can't wait for you to try it!