Spicy Basil Chicken with Sweet Peppers and Snow Peas

I cook a lot of Asian and Thai-style dishes, partly because they don't use dairy, but mostly because they are so delicious! I have really grown to love this style of food.

As you know from my last post, I was looking for anything and everything that I could make using fresh basil. The stuff just speaks to me. I walk by it in the grocery store and I JUST CANNOT RESIST! So, when I came upon this recipe recently, I knew I would have to make it soon.

Let me tell you, this is not your mamma's chicken and rice dinner!

If you have never used fish sauce, don't be intimidated! I was for a while. And then even after I bought a bottle and opened it up I wondered if it really would taste good, because, honestly it doesn't smell that good by itself. There's something about it though when you add it in Asian dishes. It magically transforms them, deepening the flavor and giving it that salty bite. Be warned though, don't be heavy handed...a little goes a long way.

The dish is balanced out with a little sweet and spicy from the sweet chili sauce and, of course that pop from the fresh basil added in at the very end.

Spicy Basil Chicken with Sweet Peppers and Snow peas
olive oil
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
2 red bell peppers
1/2 lb snow peas, trimmed and cut in half, if desired
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
4 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
2 tsp. water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup sliced basil leaves

Thai Coconut Rice (omit cilantro for this recipe)

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes, then add peppers and peas and saute another 3-4 minutes, until they are crisp-tender. Add garlic to pan during the last 30 seconds or so of cooking. Remove veggies to a plate and set aside.

Add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan and let it heat up. Add the chicken pieces and cook until chicken is no longer pink. While chicken is cooking, combine fish sauce and the next 4 ingredients in a small bowl Stir with a whisk to combine.

Return veggies to the pan with the chicken and add fish sauce mixture. Cook for 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring to coat chicken and veggies. Remove from heat. Stir in basil. Serve warm with Thai Coconut Rice.


SOURCE: Adapted from Cooking Light on myrecipes.com