Spicy Basil Chicken

In an effort to declutter our very tiny townhouse I've been going through old issues of cooking magazines and ripping out the pages with the recipes I want to make instead of saving the entire magazine. This recipe for Spicy Basil Chicken is one I wanted to make and then I saw it on Nicole's blog and again on Elly's blog and knew I needed to make it soon. We really enjoy stir fries, especially the ease of making them.


Since I knew Elly was planning to make it with sugar snap peas I decided to buy some at the store to serve alongside. Then she said she ended up throwing them into the stir fry and I thought that was a great idea. One less pan and a more interesting stir fry = a win. We enjoyed this dish, but both felt like it needed more than just the chicken and basil. I was glad Elly had mentioned the snap peas or this would have been a pretty boring stir fry. I think more veggies are a must, maybe some peppers or asparagus or even spinach.

Spicy Basil Chicken
Cooking Light, as seen on Elly Says Opa!

2 teaspoon canola oil
2 shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chile garlic sauce
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup basil leaves, sliced
8 oz sugar snap peas, sliced
Optional - additional veggies like carrots, peppers, asparagus, etc.
1 1/2 cups, dry rice, cooked according to package directions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken to pan; cook 13 minutes or until chicken is done.

Whisk fish sauce and the next 6 ingredients (through cornstarch) together in a small bowl. Add sugar snap peas and any additional veggies to the pan. Allow to cook until tender then add fish sauce mixture to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring to coat chicken. Remove from heat. Stir in basil. Serve with rice.

Weekly Menu - Week of June 10, 2012

Here we are, the week before Father's Day, and I'm in awe that it's already June. Summer will officially be here next week and I can't wait. We had a great time down the shore this past weekend and are looking forward to spending many more weekends down there. I'm really excited about this week's menu, as we strive to eat healthier and make positive changes in our lives.

Sunday - We had Caprese Burgers and leftover macaroni salad for dinner, but I also made Black Bean Burgers to keep in the freezer.

Monday - I've had my eye on these Chicken and Basil Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes ever since Jessica posted them. I'll serve them with this Easy Arugula Salad made with mixed greens instead.

Tuesday - Hoagies after exercise class.

Wednesday - My recipe swap, along with a side salad.

Thursday - This Baked Ziti with Summer Veggies was part of the recent Noodle Swap and I'm looking forward to enjoying the wonderful, fresh flavors with side salads.

Friday - Breakfast for dinner with Cassie's Breakfast Tacos. I can't wait!

Lighter Creamy Garlic Pasta

You all know my weakness for pasta and cream sauces, right? So I don't need to go over again how much I love any and all types of pasta or how cream sauces make me swoon? Good. I don't want to bore you.

As you also know, we are trying to eat healthier these days. Pasta and cream sauces don't normally fit into that kind of lifestyle, but I have to practice moderation in some things because I can't completely give up the things I love. Enter this insanely good recipe for Lighter Creamy Garlic Pasta. As Stephanie points out, the original recipe is full of heavy, fatty (delicious) ingredients. The good news is she was able to lighten it up substantially without sacrificing flavor. That makes me very, very happy. I want to be a healthier cook but I admit to knowing nothing about transforming unhealthy recipes. So a big thank you to Stephanie for doing the heavy lifting for me.


I served this pasta as a side dish, another attempt at enjoying the things we love in moderation - turn pasta into a side dish instead of an entree. Of course I served it with steak (not so healthy), but tried to redeem myself with grilled asparagus. We both loved it and I snuck an extra fork-ful before packing the leftovers away. The next day I turned the leftovers into a delicious pasta dish by cutting the steak and asparagus into bite-size pieces and tossing it with the pasta and a little water to thin out the sauce again (don't you hate how creamy sauces clump up once refrigerated?) It was insanely good, dare I say better than the original meal.

My only modification was to add fresh herbs instead of dried. I always have parsley in the fridge and I'm growing basil in my garden. Both added a wonderful burst of freshness to the dish. This couldn't have been simpler to make since you're cooking everything in one pan. Baby Girl tried a bite of mine at dinner and then enjoyed her portion the following night (she's a carbaholic, you know).

Lighter Creamy Garlic Pasta
Stephanie Cooks

1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
1/2 pound angel hair
1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano or parmesan
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced basil

Heat the oil, garlic, and butter in a large, deep skillet. Stir frequently. After 1-2 minutes add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, and milk. Bring the broth to a boil. Add the angel hair and allow it to cook according to packaging directions. Off heat, add the cheese, parsley and basil, stirring well. Serve immediately.

Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

So you may have realized we're trying to lose weight and be healthier overall. That can be very, very difficult when you love to eat. Thankfully a magazine like Cooking Light exists. A few months ago I won a subscription from my friend Heather over at Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks and once the subscription runs out I'll definitely be renewing it on my own. What a fantastic magazine. The recipes are things I love to make but healthier, like this Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese. Bacon (and we aren't talking turkey bacon here) and creamy cheese sauce? Sign me up!


As soon as SP heard it was from Cooking Light he was skeptical, but after one bite he was hooked. I loved it as well, especially the subtle onion flavor from the scallions. The bacon added great flavor, but since you're only using two pieces it isn't overwhelming (or that unhealthy). I decided to cook the broccoli with the pasta instead of steaming it separately and even though I thought we had rigatoni in the pantry we didn't, so I subbed rotini. I was skeptical about this being enough food for 4 hungry people, but with a side salad it's a great meal. I reheated the leftovers the next day for lunch and the creaminess was lost, which can happen with stovetop mac and cheese.

I can't wait to make this again, and again, and again. Mac and cheese with less guilt? Yes, please!

Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Slightly Modified from Cooking Light

8 ounces uncooked rigatoni
3 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 ounces reduced-fat American cheese, cut into pieces
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup packed)

Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Add the broccoli 4 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Drain and keep warm.

Wipe pan with paper towels, and return to medium heat. Melt butter in pan. Sprinkle flour over melted butter; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add milk to the flour mixture in pan, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thick, and remove from heat. Add American cheese; stir until smooth. Stir in sliced green onions and the remaining ingredients. Stir in broccoli and pasta; serve immediately.

Recipe Swap Roundup - Noodle Swap

A few months ago I was running out of ideas for the recipe swaps, so I turned to the ladies who take part in the swaps for ideas. One of my favorite suggestions was noodles, the idea being it could be a recipe from any cuisine as long as it contained noodles. I couldn't wait to see what the ladies came up with.

Chrissy loves pasta and these Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells were a home run in her house:


Heather enjoyed her Linguini with Tex-Mex Pepper Cream Sauce, a nice change of pace from the usual pasta sauces:


Nicole was concerned that her Spicy Sesame-Soy Rice Noodles with Tofu and Edamame would be bland, but it was flavorful and healthy to boot:


Kate had a trip down memory lane with her Lazy Lasagna Bake:


Nichole isn't a fan of Tuna Noodle Casserole, but her husband was more than happy to eat all the leftovers:


Dawn had her recipe for Bacon Ranch Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes bookmarked to make for awhile so she was happy to have a chance to try this delicious dish:


Kristina loves meat so she was a little concerned with her veggie-heavy Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables, but it turned out to be delicious:


Jey doesn't eat a lot of pasta at home so her Sesame Noodle Salad was a special, and delicious, treat:


Carrie was initially hesitant to try her Spicy Thai Noodles because her family doesn't like spicy food, but then she realized she could control the level of spice and ended up really liking these:


Mary Ellen thought the flavor was a little flat in her Cajun Mac n Cheese:


Jaida loved the flavors in her Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad, especially the Craisins:


My recipe for Spicy Thai Noodles is a great canvas for any veggies you need to use up:


Nicole had my recipe for Cold Sesame Noodles and really enjoyed the creamy, peanut butter flavor:


Christina loved her Cajun Chicken Pasta, a fast, easy and delicious recipe that was healthy as well:


Ashley's husband can't eat mushrooms but she just left them on the side when she made her Stuffed Mushroom Pasta:

Weekly Menu - Week of June 3, 2012

June. How the heck is it June? I feel like we are now officially in the throes of summer even though there's technically three more weeks of spring left. The weather is warm, although it hasn't been particularly sunny lately.

Sunday - Cilantro-Lime Salmon Burgers, fries

Monday - Grilled steak, Lighter Creamy Garlic Pasta, grilled asparagus

Tuesday - Hoagies

Wednesday - Spicy Basil Chicken, rice

Thursday - Swedish Meatballs over Egg Noodles

Friday - Homemade pizza

Recipe Swap: Spicy Thai Noodles

The theme for this recipe swap is Noodles. The recipe could be any cuisine as long as it included noodles. I was excited when I got Nichole's recipe for Spicy Thai Noodles. I'm trying to incorporate more veggies into my diet and these noodles are the perfect canvas for any veggies you need to use up.

I planned this meal for when SP was going to be out, since it doesn't include meat and I didn't want to add any, so I cut it in half. It made two perfect portions, but I did think the lack of meat made it less filling. Some egg rolls or wontons would go great with these noodles.


I added sliced onion to the veggies and subbed Sriracha for the red pepper flakes since I thought the garlic in the sauce would go well. I also realized as I was getting ready to cook that I didn't have any peanuts in the house. We think Baby Girl might have a peanut allergy so even though I keep peanut butter on hand I don't buy peanuts. The crunch and flavor would go really well, so don't leave them out.

Spicy Thai Noodles
Slightly Modified from The Cookaholic Wife

1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
10-12 asparagus spears, stems removed
1/2 cup matchstick carrots
1/2 onion, sliced
1/4 cup peanuts
1/2 lb thin spaghetti
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2-1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Green onions, for garnish

Heat the sesame oil and vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, asparagus, carrots, onions and peanuts. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the honey and soy sauce then add the Sriracha.

When the noodles are done, add them to the bowl with the honey and soy sauce and toss to coat. Add the vegetables to the bowl and toss to coat. Serve in bowls garnished with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.