Thai Basil Chicken (Whole 30 Compliant)

 Sindy gave me more Thai Basil and we're doing Whole 30 this month, so this is what we had! We served with cauliflower rice.

Avocado oil

1 cup diced red onion or shallots

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 thai chili, thinly sliced, seeds removed

1 pound boneless chicken, cut into 1/2" pieces

Sauce:

1/4  coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce

2 T fish sauce (Whole 30 compliant)

1/2 cup Thai basil leaves, torn

1. Prepare all ingredients before starting to cook the stir fry.

2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. When pan is hot but not smoking, add the avocado oil along with onion, garlic, and chilis. Stir frequently until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.

3. Add chicken to the pan and continue to stir fry over high heat until browned and just done, 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the sauce mixture to pan stirring constantly for 1-2 more minutes.

5. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the basil leaves.

Pad Krapow (Thai Basil Beef)

 My friend, Sindy, grows Thai basil and frequently shares her bounty with us. I love tearing into the leaves and smelling the fragrance. I made this tonight and Chay had seconds so its a keeper.

Sauce

1 T Dark Soy Sauce

1 T Lite Soy Sauce

2 T fish sauce

2 T brown sugar

1 T oyster sauce

1 T lime juice

1/2 t each of ground coriander, ground ginger, pepper

1 t Sambal Oelek

1 t toasted sesame oil

1 t cornstarch

Stir Fry

1 T vegetable oil

1 lb ground beef

6 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 jalapenos or serrano chili peppers or fresno chili pepper (Kenny and Chay aren't spicy food fans!)

1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 small red bell pepper, sliced

1 cup Thai basil leaves (no stems)

1. Whisk together Sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. (I used the cast iron skillet tonight because the wok died a few weeks ago. It worked great!)

3. Once the oil is hot, add the ground beef. Break up into large pieces and flatten against the pan. Cook undisturbed for about a 1 minute to sear. Flip meat and press flat against the pan and cook for another minute. Crumble meat into smaller pieces while continue to cook. Drain excess grease.

4. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, chilies and garlic and stir fry for 2 minutes.

5. Stir sauce to recombine and add to the skillet. Stir fry for another 2 minutes.

6. Add the basil and cook until meat is horoughly cooked and onions are slightly tender. 

7. Serve over rice and garnish with additional peppers or lime (optional).

Slow Cooker Coconut and Red Curry Beef

 Chay liked it!

Vegetable oil

2 lbs beef stew meet

1/2 cup beef stock

1/4 cup Thai red curry paste

2 T fish sauce

1 T brown sugar

1 sliced yellow or sweet onion

1 can full fat canned coconut milk

Green beans

Lime juice

1. Heat skillet over medium-high, add oil, and swirl to coat. Add beef and cook in batches to brown on all sides. Place beef in slow cooker. Add stock to skillet to loosen browned bits from bottom of skillet. Transfer mixture to skillet.

2. In slow cooker, add curry paste, fish sauce, sugar, onion, coconut milk and stir to combine. Add trimmed green beans. Cook for 6-8 hours.

3. After finishing cooking, add lime juice. 

Serve with brown rice.

Ginger Dressing

We have a Blackstone griddle and a favorite to make lately is hibachi. Noodles, rice, shrimp, chicken, steak etc. So we need Ginger Dressing.

1/2 onion

2 T lemon juice

1 T ginger

1 t garlic

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 t white vinegar

1/4 t sugar

Blend it all up in your Ninja or blender, food processor whatever.

Roasted Coconut Chicken

This one takes some time and ingredients you can't find just at your regular grocery store. But it was good!

2 long red chilies, one finely minced, the other whole

1 t grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 t coconut oil

Salt and Pepper

1 cup chopped cilantro

3 lb whole chicken 

2 cups chicken stock

1 lemongrass, white part only, bruised but whole

2 kaffir lime leaves

14 oz. canned light coconut milk

Baby potatoes

1 lime

2 t coconut sugar (I used brown sugar)

1 T fish sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

2. In small bowl, combine minced chili, ginger, garlic, oil, 1/2 of cilantro, salt and pepper and set to a side.

3. Rinse and pat the chicken dry. Starting from the neck end of the chicken, use a teaspoon upside down to loosen the skin from the meat across the surface of the chicken. 

4. Spoon the cilantro mixture between the meat and the skin. Use the spoon to spread it a bit, then to finish it off, use your hands on the skin to spread the mixture as far and evenly as you can. 

5. Place the chicken stock, lime leaves, lemongrass and the whole red chili into a dutch oven.

6. Place the chicken in the broth, cover and roast for 45 minutes. Remove lid, add the coconut milk and potatoes and roast for another 30 minutes.

7. Remove chicken from the broth and cover loosely with foil to rest for 5 minutes.

8. Skim excess fat off the surface of the broth.

9. Add the juice from the lime, sugar and fish sauce. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add remaining cilantro.

10. Serve the chicken with the broth. 

Banh Mi Rice Bowl

We are in the middle of this year's Whole 30, but due to COVID, I just can't bring myself to be as strict as I have in years past. If we can't go hang out at bars/restraunts, go to concerts, travel, I am not going to deprive myself of everything that is good. 

But this was a good compromise. I left out the sugar in the pickling juice, and it still tasted delicious. I used 1 T soy sauce and 1 T coconut aminos to add a little sweet instead of the brown sugar. I used brown rice instead of white, but if I was being strict Whole 30, I would use cauliflower rice. You could use the sauce as a marinade for a full pork tenderloin, too. Its adaptable!

For the pickled vegetables:

Shredded carrots

Red onion

Rice vinegar

Sugar

Salt

Mix together in a bowl and let sit for at least one hour.

For the rice bowl:

White, brown or cauliflower rice

Cucumber, thinly sliced or matchsticks

Green onion

Jalapeno slices

Cilantro

For the Sriracha mayo:

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1 T sriracha

1 t soy sauce

Mix together and let sit for about an hour.

For the pork:

Sesame Oil

1 lb ground pork (or thinly sliced pork tenderloin)

1 T soy sauce (or coconut aminos for Whole 30)

2 T fish sauce

2 T brown sugar (or see above for alternative)

1 T lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t ground ginger (or fresh)

Black pepper

2 t olive oil (leave out if not marinating)

1. If marinating, place ingredients in bag and marinate for at least 1 hour. 

2. Heat sesame oil in pan over high heat. Cook the pork (ground or slices) until brown. Pour the marinade over the pork and cook until reduced. 

Make Your Own Take Out Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry

My take on Beef and Broccoli take out. Ray and Chay requested more vegetables. Who replaced my kids? Serve with white rice.

For the beef

1/2 cup beef broth

3 T light soy sauce

3 T dark soy sauce

1 T toasted sesame oil

1 t brown sugar

1 t cornstarch

1 t dried onion powder

1/2 t dried garlic powder

1/4 t ground ginger

Pinch of Chinese 5-Spice powder

Minced garlic and fresh ginger

1 lb flank steak or beef round cut into strips across the grain (place in freezer for 30 minutes before slicing to make it easier to slice thin)

For the vegetables

1 T oil

Whatever vegetables you want, chopped (we use zucchini, carrots and broccoli)

1. Marinate the beef with the ingredients listed above in a medium bowl. Stir in the beef and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 

2. Heat the oil in a large wok over medium heat. Add the vegetables and stir fry until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the beef with the marinade to the hot pan and stir-fry until beef is just cooked, 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

4. Stir the vegetables back in and simmer for 30-60 seconds until sauce has thickened. 

Healthy Lettuce Wraps (like PF Chang’s, but not)

1 T olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground chicken (or turkey or pork)
1/2 cup shredded carrots (definitely buy pre-shredded from store)
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup coconut aminos
2 t sesame oil
1 t rice wine vinegar
1 T almond butter
2 t grated ginger
Hot sauce or pepper flakes
8 oz can water chestnuts, diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 head Bibb lettuce or romaine lettuce

Sauce:
1/4 cup coconut aminos
1 1/2 t sesame oil
1 t rice wine vinegar
Sesame seeds

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for a few minutes then add mushrooms for a few minutes more. Add garlic for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

2. Add ground chicken (or other meat) and cook until browned. Add carrots and stir until softened.

3. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup coconut aminos, 2 t sesame oil, 1 t rice wine vinegar, almond butter, ginger and pepper flakes or hot sauce. Whisk until smooth then pour over meat mixture. Stir until combined, then add chestnuts and green onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes then remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Whisk together sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

5. Serve by adding spoonfuls into center of lettuce leaf and drizzle with sauce.

Vietnamese Meatballs with Chili Sauce

These are some serious flavor bombs!

Meatballs

2 eggs

3 T fish sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T finely grated ginger

1/4 t crushed red peppers

3 scallions, finely chopped plus more for serving

2 t lime zest from 2 limes

3 T chopped cilantro, plus more for serving

3 T chopped fresh mint, plus more for serving

3/4 lb ground beef

3/4 lb ground pork

1 cup panko

1/2 cup chopped peanuts, for serving

Sauce

2 T Asian chili sauce, such as Sambal Oelek

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 T fish sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Combine eggs through mint in a large bowl. Add beef, pork and pinko.  Using hands, mix until evenly combined. Roll mixture into golf ball sized balls and arrange on baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes flipping once half way through the cooking time. 

3. Make the sauce by whisking the ingredients together in a medium ball.

4. Serve the balls drizzled with sauce and sprinkled with scallions, cilantro, mint and peanuts. 

Coconut Thai Chicken Zoodle Soup

1 T coconut oil
3 T red curry paste
1 t each: ground coriander and turmeric
3 chicken breasts, cut into 1-in pieces
2 cups chicken stock
3 T fish sauce
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 15 oz can coconut milk
Zucchini noodles
Lime juice
Cilantro

1. Add coconut oil and curry paste to medium sized pot over medium high heat. Let curry paste cook 2 minutes then add coriander and turmeric and cook one minute more.

2. Add chicken, chicken stock, fish sauce, and red onion and bring pot to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add coconut milk and heat through.

3. Add zucchini and let cook 2 minutes.

4. Top with lime and cilantro.

Chicken Fried Rice that lives up to Chay’s standards

Chay is very picky about his fried rice. He loves it. He could eat it every day for dinner as long as he had pizza for lunch. This one was a hit, except for the peas. He said to find better peas. Ok, I will work on that!

Tip: Don’t over sauce with the wet ingredients. It will make it mushy.

Tip 2: Using day old cooked rice is key. I used jasmine rice, cooked it the day before, broke up the pieces that stuck, and it was perfect.

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil and butter to taste. About a 2-3 T each
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 small onion, finely diced
Veggies, I used pre-sliced carrots and frozen peas (thawed)
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
4 cups dried day old rice
3 T soy sauce
2 t fish sauce
1 t sesame oil
1 t oyster sauce
Salt and pepper
Cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie but it wasn’t enough so add at least three chicken breasts, cooked)

1. Heat some of the oil oil and butter on high heat in wok until smoky hot. Toss in onions, carrots and peas and cook for a couple minutes. Add garlic and stir fry for a couple more minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover.

2. Add more oil and butter. Pour in beaten eggs. Scramble and add cooked chicken.

3. Stir in the rice while tossing until heated through, about two minutes.

4. Drizzle in soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Toss to combine everything evenly. Break up rice chunks. Add vegetable and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper.

Banh Mi Pork

2.5 lbs pork tenderloin
1 jalapeño
2 T ginger, grated
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar

1. Add pork to slow cooker

2. In a bowl, mix together jalapeño, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar

3. Pour over pork. Cook on low for 4 hours. Serve with cucumber salad.

Thai Cucumber Salad

Dressing
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 T sugar
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 red pepper flakes
Salt to taste

Salad (any veggies you want)
1 large cucumbers
Red onion
Shredded carrots
Jalapeño

1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl

2.  Peel and slice/chop veggies. Mix in a big bowl with the dressing. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and serve cold.

Thai Style Pork

2 lbs boneless pork loin, cut into four pieces

1 - 2 red bell peppers, julienned

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

2 T rice vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 t crushed red pepper or one chopped jalapeño 

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup chopped green onions

Chopped roasted peanuts

Lime wedges

1. Place pork through garlic in slow cooker. Cook on high for one hour; reduce heat to low and cook for six hours. Remove pork and shred/chop. Add peanut butter and shredded pork.

2. Serve over jasmine rice with onions, peanuts and lime juice.

Cilantro Lime Coconut Milk Rice

Serve with any Thai meal and you can't go wrong.

1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
1 Lime, zested
1 t fresh lime juice
4 t fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper

1. Rinse rice to reduce sticking.

2. In a small pot, mix rice, coconut milk, water, and pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer then cook partially covered on medium low heat until liquid is absorbed. Around 10-12 minutes.

3. Remove pan from heat and fluff. Stir in lime zest, lime juice and cilantro.

Gai Pad Krapow aka Thai Salmon with Red Chili and Basil

The sauce is traditionally served in Thailand as a stir fry with chicken or pork. Found this on Pinterest which is a fusion of sauce and salmon.

1 T peanut oil
1.75 lb salmon
1-2 red chilis, seeds removed, sliced thin
4 cloves garlic, sliced
3 T soy sauce
6 T oyster sauce
3 T fish sauce
3 t brown sugar
3/4 cup basil, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 395 degrees

2. Combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

3. Heat peanut oil over medium heat and add sliced garlic and red chilis. Cook for one minute.

4. Pour sauce over garlic and chilis and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add basil and cook additional one minute.

5. Place salmon skin side down in baking dish. Lightly salt and pepper.

6. Pour sauce mixture over salmon and place in oven. Bake for 7 minutes. Baste with sauce on sides of pan. Cook for additional 7 minutes.

Serve with Cilantro Lime Coconut Rice

Slow cooker chicken teriyaki

2 lbs. skinless chicken breasts
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 large chunk of ginger, minced
Ground pepper
1/4 cup water
3 T corn starch
Sliced onions and toasted sesame seeds

1. Add chicken to bottom of slow cooker.

2. In a bowl, whisk together garlic, onion, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and pepper. Pour mixture on top of chicken. Cover and cook 4-5 hours.

3. Remove chicken and shred. Transfer remaining sauce to saucepan.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch until dissolved. Pour cornstarch slurry into teriyaki mixture and whisk to combine. Bring mixture to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and pour over shredded chicken.

Serve with brown rice and steamed broccoli, and topped with scallions and toasted sesame seeds.