"Just add water" Instant Thai Curry

 

When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with those Cup-o-Noodle soups.  You remember the ones that came in that styrofoam cups that you could fill with hot water to reconstitute?  I thought they were brilliant.  A piping hot meal in minutes... "just add hot water". What's not to love?   

Just home from school and feel like you could gnaw your own arm off you're so hungry?  Cup-o-Noodle. 

Not so keen on the brussels sprouts and meatloaf your mom made for dinner? Cup-o-Noodle.

Slumber party at your house and everyone's hankering for a midnight feast?  Cup-o-Noodle.

Of course I know now that they are horribly high in sodium and in terms of nutrition they leave a lot to be desired.  But the genius behind the concept is still not lost on me.  And now as we're entering into the cooler months my normal mason jar salad just isn't cutting it for me.  No, I need something hearty.  Something savory.  Something to warm my belly.  Something I can have ready to devour in minutes. After all, I'M HUNGRY!

This, my friends, is the ticket.  Seriously as you're thinking today about meals to prep for next week's lunches let me offer you this gem of a make-ahead meal.  It has everything your heart could desire and more.  Oh and you're going to want an audience for this one.  Trust me.  Everyone will think you're a frikkin genius when they see you "just add water" to bring this fragrant, inviting, kick-in-the-pants of a meal to life in seconds. 

 As with most of my recipes I would suggest you assemble several of these bad-boys on the weekend to enjoy throughout the week.  

Not a huge fan of chicken?  No problem.  Sub out with your favorite protein of choice or even more veggies.   Prefer a little more of a kick?  Add more curry paste or slice up a thai green chili to sprinkle on top.   No time to cook the chicken and rice?  Swap out the rice for vermicelli noodles (be sure to look for the kind that can reconstitute with just boiling water) and store-bought rotisserie chicken.

Give it a go and let us know what you think.  Have other great "just add water" meal ideas?  We'd love to hear about them!

Ingredients

1/4c coconut milk
1T red curry paste (or more to taste)
1T creamy peanut butter
2T soy sauce
1/2t grated ginger
2/3c cooked brown rice 
1/2c cooked chicken 
1/3c shredded carrot
1/4c scallions
1/4c cilantro
1c hot water

 

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