Thai Basil Chicken

 

Thai Basil Chicken

If your weeknight dinner repertoire doesn’t include Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai), then you’re missing out. This superquick stir-fry comes together faster than you could get takeout delivered. It traditionally uses holy basil, which is very hard to find, but you can use either Thai or sweet basil, depending on availability.  

Ingredients:
2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce, preferably Thai
1 tbsp (15 mL) oyster sauce, preferably Thai
1 tbsp (15 mL) low-sodium soy sauce
l tbsp (15 mL) water
1 tbsp (15 mL) brown sugar
6 tbsp (90 mL) canola oil, divided
1 lb (455 g) ground chicken
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bird’s-eye chili, finely chopped
1 long red chili, halved, seeded, thinly sliced
7 oz (200 g) green beans, cut on bias into 1/4-inch (5-mm) pieces
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) loosely packed basil leaves, preferably Thai
4 large eggs
Jasmine rice and lime wedges for serving

Directions:
Stir fish, oyster and soy sauces with water and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat 3 tbsp (45 mL) oil in a large nonstick frying pan over high heat until shimmering. Add chicken and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until liquid has evaporated and chicken is starting to sizzle and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and chilies. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add green beans and fish sauce mixture. Stir constantly until sauce evenly coats chicken, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Cover and set aside.

Heat remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) oil in a small nonstick pan over medium-high. Cook eggs, one at a time, until edges are browned, whites are puffed and yolks are still runny, about 1 minute. (Be careful as oil tends to pop a bit.)

Serve stir-fry with steamed jasmine rice, lime wedges and a fried egg on top of each serving.  Serves 4

Teriyaki Chicken Meatball Kebabs

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken

1/2 cup panko or Italian breadcrumbs

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 red onion, shredded

1 clove garlic, minced

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks

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 Directions:

To make the meatballs, mix together the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, teriyaki sauce, carrot, red onion, garlic, egg, salt, and pepper. Then, take 1-tablespoon scoops and form them into small meatballs. (If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit more breadcrumbs until the meatballs keep their shape.)

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Refrigerate the meatballs for about 20 minutes, or while you’re cutting the veggies and preheating the grill (medium heat) or oven (375 degrees F).

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Thread each skewer with a meatball, pepper, meatball, and alternate leaving enough room on each end of the skewer for picking up with your hands.

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If you want to grill the skewers, spray the grill with nonstick spray or brush with olive oil. Then, gently place the skewers on the grill and grill for about five minutes on each side – make sure to test the meatballs to be sure the center is cooked.

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If you want to bake the skewers, then lightly grease a baking sheet and gently place the skewers on it. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs are golden brown and cooked all the way through. Turn the skewers halfway through the baking process.

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Serve with rice and extra teriyaki sauce for dipping, if you’d like.

Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara

Today we mark "The Ides Of March", the day Julius Caesar was assassinated and The Roman Empire became the Roman Republic in the year 44 B.C.   I am posting a dish typical of a Roman dinner.  The first time I enjoyed Pasta Carbonara, our son-in-law from Italy served it to our family.  It was so delicious. I thought you might enjoy it also!  Celebrate!

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Ingredients:

RAGU
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped carrot
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
12 oz ground dark-meat chicken
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 branch Italian parsley
Pinch dry thyme
2 tbsp white wine
¾ cup chicken stock

TO FINISH
2 tbsp olive oil
⅔ cup diced bacon or pancetta
4 egg yolks
2 oz grated Pecorino Romano cheese
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb fusilli pasta

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Directions:

1 Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add celery, carrot and red onion and sauté gently for 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft and lightly browned. Turn heat to medium-high, add chicken. Press chicken with the back of a fork, separating morsels well. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add bay leaf, parsley branch and thyme and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, or until chicken is lightly browned.

2 Add white wine and cook for 2 minutes or until wine has almost completely evaporated. Add ½ cup chicken stock and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, adding more stock as needed, until chicken is cooked through and still slightly saucy. Discard bay leaf and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve.

3 Heat oil in a separate frying pan over medium-low heat. Add bacon and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon and blot on paper towels. Reserve.

4 Combine egg yolks, Pecorino, bacon, parsley and pepper in a large bowl and set aside.

5 Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving about ½ cup of the cooking water. (Pasta water gives substance to sauces, making them a little creamier. It’s a good addition to most pasta dishes.)

6 Combine ¼ cup of the cooking water with egg yolk mixture and quickly toss with the hot pasta, stirring to coat. If necessary, add more cooking water to make the sauce even more creamy. Add reserved ragu, toss and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4