Orange-Basil Chicken

Meet my basil plant:

Basil!

While it might not look like more than a basil plant to you, you must understand - I cannot keep plants alive.  My mother-in-law buys me a fresh basil plant every year and I almost always kill it off.  The first year she pitied me when I killed off the first one and came later in the season with a second, I then killed as well.   Last year, while we were away cruising the Mediterranean on our honeymoon, my basil plant stayed with my MiL, which was a treat, as when we got back, it had doubled, yes doubled, in size!  She really knows how to keep 'em healthy! 

So this year when she came over for our Memorial Day BBQ, she brought me my plant - and lo and behold, it's growing like crazy!  So with all this basil, I started on my search for basil-infused recipes that didn't include red sauce - something non-Italian.

Insert tonight's dinner - while the basil wasn't at the forefront (and honestly, I could have used more), this was a great balance of orange, soy, ginger, and basil.  The fresh broccoli added a nice crunch and the rice soaked up the sweet, yet salty sauce.

A good use for basil - but yes, stay tuned, we'll get my favorite bolognese and pesto recipes eventually.  Until then, say a prayer (if you believe in that sort of thing) for the well-being of my basil plant!

Orange-Basil Chicken

Orange-Basil Chicken

What You Need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 3 tbsp cornstarch, divided
• 2 small broccoli crowns, cut into pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 3/4 c orange juice
• 5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 c honey
• 3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 c chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp grated orange rind

How You Do It:

1. Toss chicken with 2 tbsp cornstarch, and set aside.
2. Sauté broccoli in 1 tbsp hot oil in a large skillet, stirring occasionally until crisp-tender, remove from skillet and set aside.
3. Sauté chicken pieces in remaining 1 tbsp hot oil, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until done. Reduce heat to medium.
4. Whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, honey, ginger, and remaining 1tbsp  cornstarch. Add orange juice mixture and broccoli to chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally until sauce is thickened. 
5. Stir in basil and orange rind.

Orange-Basil Chicken recipe adapted from MyRecipes.com.

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken

You know how when you order cashew chicken from a Chinese restaurant it's always more celery than chicken and cashews?  And remember how I told you there are a few - yes, a very short list - things my husband really doesn't like?  Well, celery is a big one of them.

This cashew chicken recipe is fully-loaded with veggies - more mushrooms than most of our friends would be interested in, a diced onion, garlic (lots of garlic), and much to my husband's dismay, pea pods.  (He really is the best - doesn't mind that I cook with pea pods, just chooses to push them aside.)

While I would doctor the sauce a little next time to add a little more flavor, maybe a pinch of red pepper flakes, less vinegar, and some fresh ginger, this is a good, healthy option, (with no celery) for cashew chicken.

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken

What You Need:

• 1 c chicken broth
• 1 tbsp cornstarch 
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 8-oz packages sliced mushrooms
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 lb. chicken tenderloins, cut into small chunks
• 2 c snow peas
• 1/2 c unsalted cashews

How You Do It:

1. In small bowl, mix broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger.  Mix to combine and until cornstarch dissolves.
2. In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms until tender, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add chicken, snow peas and cashews.  Mix to combine and cook until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender, 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir sauce and add to skillet.  Mix to combine and cook until sauce has thickened.

Veggie-Loaded Cashew Chicken recipe adapted from Hungry Girl.

Hoisin Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

Tonight there was a culinary "situation" in our kitchen: we are out of garlic.  Not quite sure how that happened, as last week we had not one, not two, but three heads of garlic in our garlic keeper.  Nonetheless, the cooking went on, sans garlic.  Next time this recipe deserves two cloves.

Now, on to dinner.  I'm a big fan of fruit in my savory dishes.  I like pineapple on my pizza, craisins in my salad or couscous, raisins on my celery and peanut butter.  I also like snap peas, much to my husband's dismay.  But he's a good man and will eat them every once and a while.  My husband, on the other hand, likes hoisin sauce, and I will tolerate it in moderation.  (Yes mom, tonight I cooked with "poison sauce".)  Tonight - snap peas and hoisin.

This was a good combination of veggies, lots of veggies in fact, the sweetness of the pineapple, and a nice twist with the hoisin sauce.  A nice bed of rice would make a complete meal, but it was already too late at our house for the additional carbs.

(Check out the nod to my Minnesota peeps - my MN-shaped spoon rest with the Golden Gopher "M" painted on in the right corner of the photo.  GO GOPHERS! RAH!)

Hoisin Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

Hoisin Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

What You Need:

• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 can pineapple chunks, drained, reserving 3 tbsp juice
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
• 2 tsp oil
• 2 c sugar snap peas
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

How You Do It:

1. Combine hoisin, soy sauce, 3 tbsp pineapple juice, and pepper flakes and set aside.
2. Heat oil in large pan.  Add chicken and cook until no longer pink.
3. Add bell pepper and and peas.  Saute until soft.
4. Add garlic and saute 1 minutes.
5. Add reserved pineapple chunks and sauce, and toss to coat.  
6. Bring sauce to a boil.  As soon as the sauce starts to thicken, remove from heat, tossing to ensure everything is coated.

Note: I added the garlic to the recipe -- next time, I too will use garlic!

Hoisin Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry recipe adapted from Jenn's Food Journey.

Garlic Turkey-Broccoli Stir-Fry

Here's a make-your-own-take-out recipe for the books.  While everyone loves Chinese food, it doesn't always come with the healthiest of ingredients and/or preparations.  This recipe, however, is not only delicious, but easy to make and quite healthy.  Lean turkey tenderloin accompanied by fresh veggies and a light sauce, make for a balanced and healthy entree.  I served mine with some brown rice.

Garlic Turkey-Broccoli Stir-Fry

Garlic Turkey-Broccoli Stir-Fry

What You Need:

• 2 tsp sesame oil, divided
• 1 (1 lb) turkey tenderloin, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup chicken broth (I used fat-free, reduced sodium)
• 4 large garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bell pepper, cut into thin strips (I used orange)
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1 (8 oz) can diced water chestnuts, drained
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (I used low sodium)

How You Do It:

1. Combine broth, garlic, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes.  Stir until cornstarch dissolves and set aside.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in large skillet until hot.  Add turkey and stir-fry until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add remaining teaspoon sesame oil to skillet and add pepper strips and broccoli.  Stir-fry until slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add water chestnuts and stir-fry another 1 minute.
5. Stir broth mixture and add to skillet, along with soy sauce, turkey and remaining juices.
6. Bring to a boil; cook 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Garlic Turkey-Broccoli Stir-Fry recipe adapted from: MyRecipes.com