Thai Chicken with Basil

(Adapted from Food & Wine)


So this is Benjamin Basil. He is my basil plant. And I haven't killed him yet!

Boyfriend bought Benjamin Basil for me a few weeks ago, and since this is my third basil plant, I did extensive research on how to keep basil plants alive.

Long story short, the secret to keeping a basil plant alive is keeping the soil moist.

That's it.

So I guess I can't take too much credit for not killing my plant yet. It's pretty easy to keep alive. And it's been really nice to have fresh basil whenever I want it. It's also pretty sweet that Ben grows super fast. I can use as much basil as I need, and it grows back by the next day!

Here's the first recipe that was graced with Benjamin Basil's deliciousness:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1-by-2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 large onion, cut into thin slices
• 3 fresh red chiles, seeds and ribs removed, cut into thin slices, or 1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed basil leaves

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the fish sauce, soy sauce, water, and sugar.
2. In a large nonstick frying pan or a wok, heat the oil over moderately high heat.
3. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the chiles and garlic; cook, stirring, 30 seconds longer.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon and add it to the hot pan. Cook until almost done, stirring, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the marinade and cook 30 seconds longer.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the basil. Serve topped with the remaining 1/2 cup basil.