#129 Spicy Thai Chicken Basil

 

There are those special days of the month when I feel  so enthusiastic about cooking a well-planned menu for the day,  and just killing it dish after dish and often wanting to cook more. Those days are the result of good planning, a well-stocked fridge, lots of extra time and an inspiration- such as, a  hungry child who is always excited about everything you make and  a cooking blog. :)  Then there's the majority of the days of the month when I find myself not wanting to be the home kitchen superstar, wishing someone could take over my role for a day..especially after working long hours in front of a laptop.. and before I could even finish,  it's time to make dinner. One day I found  myself staring at the fridge and after finding just a single package of uncooked chicken breast fillets left, I let out a big sigh, so tempted to just make a quick soup or throw it in the oven. Most days I really don't know what to cook..I rely upon my Iphone to search for ideas at the last minute. While looking at  the chicken, I started thinking about what I could do with it.. if only I had a well-stocked kitchen that day, and if only the grocery store is not a 30-minute drive away. Next, the vegetable bin is inspected..and there's 3/4 of a huge red bell pepper, left over ginger, a single serrano chili pepper, and a bunch of basil and mint that smelled so good. At that moment, I did not know what to do and so for a minute I sat and wished that I did not procrastinate on buying food to last for days. Then a blessing came. A roaring blessing. Where I got the idea of what I made was given to me by my daughter roaring at my face with her tongue sticking out, literally. "ROAAAARRRR"..."That's how the people in Thailand intimidate their enemies while doing the Haka, see? ROOOOOARRRRRR..right? that's what Captain Sean said"..."Oh haha, Captain Sean and his island adventures...no, not Thailand, it's New Zealand, hey it rhymes", I replied. Right when she mentioned Thailand, I remembered this dish I saw on TV several years ago, a celebrity chef added basil in chicken stir fry. Spicy Thai Chicken Basil-I've tried it many times a few years ago, it's really good. Then it dawned on me that the left over veggies I had in the fridge was just enough for what I needed to make the delicious dish. Thanks to the roaring girl! Soon I felt good about cooking something delicious again, and  I'm glad I found this recipe that I slightly tweaked from Cooking Light. (I'm a huge fan). What I love about this dish? The heat...wow, it lifted me to the roof. Serrano chili pepper was just perfect for the much needed heat but I think  the heat is just too much for kids, it definitely was for mine. I served the peppers on the side then added it on my plate, and my little one enjoyed it without the minced chile peppers. We omitted the fish sauce for her plate too because of her allergies, she didn't complain, she loved it. A quick cooking and delicious dish, it was a great dinner!

SPICY THAI CHICKEN BASIL

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1/2 cup minced shallots
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, thinly sliced into strips
1 pound chicken breast fillets, sliced 
2 Thai or serrano chiles, minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce 
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar 
2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 cup basil leaves 
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 
4 lime wedges

Directions:

1.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots; sauté 2 minutes. Add bell pepper; sauté 1 minute. Add garlic and ginger; sauté 30 seconds. Remove shallot mixture from pan.
2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well. Return chicken to pan over medium heat. Add chiles; cook 1 minute. Add shallot mixture to pan. Stir in fish sauce and next 3 ingredients (through black pepper); cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove pan from heat; stir in basil and juice. Serve with lime wedges.

The Jalapeno pepper has 5,000 Scoville heat units.

The Serrano pepper (above) has 25,000 Scoville heat units!

The hottest chile peppers out there are the Habaneros, with a whopping 325,000 to 570,000 Scoville heat units!! Not sure if  I will even try it!

Delicious!

#97 Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a dish from Thailand.  It originated in Vietnam, using Pho noodles, it is called phở xào. This dish was introduced to Thailand by Vietnamese traders, it's flavor altered  and  in the 1940's made popular by Thailand's Prime Minister. It was then declared the country's national dish. This was easy to make, and I learned how to stir fry the Thai way. Quick, spicy and delicious. Although I did not eat it with chopped peanuts due to our extreme allergies, it still turned out excellent. Pad Thai, in my book, is one of the most delicious noodle dish in the entire world.

Yield: Serves 4

SHRIMP PAD THAI

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon Thai red chili sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 garlic clove minced

1 1/2 cups bean sprouts

5 green onions, chopped

2 large eggs, lightly beaten in a bowl

fresh cilantro

lime wedges

chopped peanuts (optional)

Rice noodles, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, drained

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Mix well.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok, or large pan, and then add the shrimps and garlic. Stir constantly until the shrimp turns pink. Remove from heat.
3. Add the soaked and drained noodles, and the combined sauce, toss until all the noodles are covered with sauce. Let cook. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the bean sprouts and green onions, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Make a space in the wok, and pour in the eggs, scramble. Stir in the cooked noodles and shrimp in the wok, mix well. Serve immediately, top with fresh cilantro, lime wedges and peanuts (optional).

Pad Thai is the best.

#42 Thai Beef Salad Wraps

Ahh this wrap was so good. It tasted so fresh, with the mint, cilantro and basil combined..plus the tender meat and sauce..yum! It was my third time to try Thai cuisine. I know, I know. Where have I been..haha. I missed out on a lot. Thai food is delicious I was told several times, and I totally agree.  It is very easy to make and we truly were more than satisfied!


THAI BEEF SALAD WRAPS


Ingredients:

1 pound flank steak, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
1 cup cubed peeled cucumber
1/2 cup grape or cherry tomato halves
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
12 Bibb lettuce leaves


Directions:

1. Prepare grill to medium high-heat.
2. Sprinkle steak with salt and black pepper. Place steak on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill for 4 minutes on each side or untl desired degree of doneness. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Cut steak diagonally across grain into think slices. Combine steak, cucumber, and the next 5 ingredients(through fresh cilantro) in a large bowl. Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, and red pepper. Drizzle over steak mixture; toss well to coat.
4. Warm the tortillas according to the package direction. Arrange 2 lettuce leaves on each tortilla. Spoon 2/3 cup steak mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up.

Here is a picture of us visiting the Grand Palace in Bangkok. 

She's so cute. I like how big my lashes and hot pink shoes are :) 

I think we were on top of the palace's roof ;)

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, 2007