On cold and blustery snowy days, I like to eat brightly-flavored food that will warm me up. This Thai-style chicken dish features a strong citrus taste and is delicious served over rice cooked with peas. The turmeric gives the sauce an attractive color. The heat of the chile peppers will warm you up!

Lemon-Lime Chicken

for the lemon-lime curry paste:

• 3 stalks of lemongrass, chopped to make 1/2 cup
• 1 lime
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon chopped galangal or ginger root
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 5 garlic cloves
• 4 dried Thai chile peppers, soaked in hot water
• 1 tablespoon shrimp paste

Use a Microplane grater to zest the lime. Use a sharp paring knife to remove the bitter white pith. Cut the citrus into sections. Add the lime zest, lime pulp, lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, shallots, and garlic to a food processor and puree until smooth. Cut the chiles in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Add the peppers to the food processor. Add just enough of the pepper water (about a tablespoon) to make the paste smooth.

Place the shrimp paste in a folded piece of aluminum foil. In a dry skillet on medium heat, cook the aluminum foil on both sides for a couple of minutes. Let cool. Add the crispy paste to the food processor and blend thoroughly.

for the chicken:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• lemon-lime curry paste
• 3 chicken leg quarters
• 1 can coconut milk
• salt and pepper

In a saute pan, heat the oil and cook the curry paste for several minutes on medium heat until cooked. Add the coconut milk and chicken. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve over rice cooked with peas.