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Friday, January 22, 2010

Chicken & Basil Stir Fry


 
There is a Thai restaurant out here that serves a killer dish called Crispy Basil Chicken.  It has these crispy little bite size pieces of chicken that have been tossed in a molasses and garlic sauce and it's served over flash fried basil.  It is scrumptious!  I actually haven't been there in years, but, oh how I remember it's sweet crispiness!  It was the first time I'd actually had Thai basil and I fell madly in love with it.  Thai basil has more of a licorice or mint flavor then say sweet or lemon basil.  When I came across this recipe, I immediately thought of that dish.  It's not the same dish of course, but it's got the same basic flavors.  Next time I make it I might change the sauce up a bit, but for now, it was the perfect way to fill the void that the crispy basil chicken had left :)   Don't worry if you can't find Thai basil, any variety of basil will actually work for this dish.

One thing before I leave you... I'm going to try and start adding nutritional information after each recipe.  I can't guarantee it will be with every recipe, but when I can add it, I will.  The nutritional info that goes with this recipe is for the chicken only, rice is not included.

Chicken & Basil Stir-Fry
Adapted from My Recipes.com 
Ingredients:
1 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size chunks
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red pepper, julienned or chopped into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce (optional)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup lightly packed fresh Thai basil, rinsed and chopped (if you can't find Thai basil, any basil will do)

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix ginger, chili flakes, broth, soy sauce, hoisin, and cornstarch until smooth.  Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and stir fry until almost cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the red pepper and stir fry for 1 minute.  Add the garlic and stir fry another minute.  Add the sauce mixture to the pan and stir until the sauce starts to boil, about 1-2 minutes.  Add the basil and cook just until wilted, about 30 seconds. Serve over rice or noodles. Enjoy!

(Nutritional Info:  202 calories (25% from fat), 5.7grams fat, 30grams protein, 6.5grams carbohydrates)

2 comments:

Deb in Hawaii said...

Saw your blog on the Foodie BlogRoll and thought I would come and say hi. You have some great looking food and recipes. I love anything Thai and with Thai basil and this looks fresh and delicious.

Aloha,

Deb

Unknown said...

Aloha Deb!
Thank you so much for checking out my site! Nice to know that the BlogRoll really works :)