The temperature is getting hotter...so naturally my food is too.
I think anyone who is drawn to cooking and eating has messed up senses. For example, I'm convinced that I have dull taste buds. I'm fairly positive I could bite into an onion and have no problems. I drink the vinegar that is leftover in the bowl from my salads on a daily basis. I use roughly six times the recommended cloves of garlic. On the other hand, I think my sense of smell is heightened, which for obvious reasons can be both good and bad. I can smell fresh bread baking a mile away, but I can also smell Axe cologne on the 12 year old boy three aisles away in the grocery store. Fortunately, cooking relies heavily on scents. This Thai basil chicken encapsulates my ultimate favorite smells.
Basil, mint, and ginger. I wish I could marinate in those orders for a bit? Basil makes me think of sitting on my parent's deck at night after dinner and picking some fresh leaves, eating them raw. Ginger makes me think of the world's best food, sushi. Mint, just makes me happy. It makes me think of sneaking mojitos at the pool when I was 19 during my family vacation and also reminds me of my favorite dessert peppermint patties. It's no wonder I love this chicken dish. My three favorite smells come together and transform what normally would be a bland chicken dish, to a flavor explosion. I think Thai food in general does a great job of melding together the most intense flavors into a beautiful combination. Thai food is both fresh and spicy at the same time and leaves my stomach feeling amazing.
I've kind of been obsessed with Thailand lately. While in quarantine, I have been binging travel shows including everything and anything by the epic late Anthony Bourdain and also the Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil. If you haven't watched it please do! It's by Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal and he essentially is your goofy dad traveling and experiencing exotic locations. Despite his nutty persona, the guy is a genius and has a complete respect for the food and atmosphere. This isn't a Samantha Brown travel show; Phil gets deep into the culture in a similar way that Bourdain did. Season three was just released on Netflix.
I really hope to go to Thailand one day, but as I sit here on my couch in the suburbs of Connecticut it's quite daunting. Even though I've traveled through most of Europe, I recently developed a major fear of flying and the commute to Thailand is, well let's just say, frightening. I hope before I die, I can experience the floating market of Bangkok, the ridiculously spicy food, and the amazingly beautiful beaches.
I really hope to go to Thailand one day, but as I sit here on my couch in the suburbs of Connecticut it's quite daunting. Even though I've traveled through most of Europe, I recently developed a major fear of flying and the commute to Thailand is, well let's just say, frightening. I hope before I die, I can experience the floating market of Bangkok, the ridiculously spicy food, and the amazingly beautiful beaches.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
2 red bell peppers sliced into strips
1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms (I used regular button)
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger
1 15 ounce can coconut milk (can use lite)
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce (or more to taste)
1 1/2 cups + 1/4 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup fresh mint
chopped peanuts (for garnish)
cooked rice noodles or plain rice to serve over
In a deep skillet heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add in onions, peppers, and mushrooms and cook until soft, stirring occasionally (about 10 - 12 minutes). Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan and add in ground chicken. Cook until browned (about 3 minutes) and add in garlic and chicken. Stir to combine and keep cooking until the chicken is fully cooked through (another 5 minutes). Add the vegetable mixture back into the pan along with coconut milk, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, rice wine vinegar, and fish sauce to the pan. Stir to combine and continue to cook until the sauce reduces roughly 1/3rd. Turn the heat off and stir in the basil and mint. Serve over rice noodles or plain rice and top with additional basil and chopped peanuts.
3 tbsp olive oil
2 red bell peppers sliced into strips
1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms (I used regular button)
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger
1 15 ounce can coconut milk (can use lite)
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce (or more to taste)
1 1/2 cups + 1/4 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup fresh mint
chopped peanuts (for garnish)
cooked rice noodles or plain rice to serve over
In a deep skillet heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add in onions, peppers, and mushrooms and cook until soft, stirring occasionally (about 10 - 12 minutes). Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan and add in ground chicken. Cook until browned (about 3 minutes) and add in garlic and chicken. Stir to combine and keep cooking until the chicken is fully cooked through (another 5 minutes). Add the vegetable mixture back into the pan along with coconut milk, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, rice wine vinegar, and fish sauce to the pan. Stir to combine and continue to cook until the sauce reduces roughly 1/3rd. Turn the heat off and stir in the basil and mint. Serve over rice noodles or plain rice and top with additional basil and chopped peanuts.
RSS Feed
