Basil Chicken in Coconut Sauce

If the phrase "you are what you eat" is true, then in the summer months, you might as well call me Basil. I can't wait until the weather is warm enough for me to get my basil plants going, and I always do 8-10. I love a big crop of the stuff. The smell just makes me happy! So, when skimming Pinterest and cooking blogs for ideas, my attention is easily grabbed any time the word basil is involved.

This Better Homes and Gardens recipe is a winner.  The list of ingredients may look long, but it's largely a bunch of spices that you probably have on hand already. If you like Thai flavors and coconut, you'll love this dish! We devoured it.

In other news, I am still working on a blog post to recap our Napa/San Francisco vacation. I'm sorting through 600 photos and lots of tips on our favorite places. Stay tuned for that!!

Basil Chicken in Coconut Sauce
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, depending on your taste, seeded and chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 Tablespoons fresh basil
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
Cooked Rice (I use Jasmine Rice)
Lime wedges (optional)

Pretty spices!

1. In a small bowl, combine the spices. Add the chicken pieces to a large plastic bag and sprinkle the spice mixture over. Toss so the spices cover all of the chicken. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. You could also do this earlier and keep in the fridge until you are ready to cook. 
2. Start your rice.
3. Dice the onion, garlic, and jalapenos. Grate the ginger and set aside.
4. Cook the onions, garlic, and jalapeno in a large saute pan with one tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 2 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Transfer the mixture to a plate.
5. Add more olive oil if needed, and cook half of the chicken until brown on both sides. Take out of the pan and cook the other half.
6. Mix together coconut milk and cornstarch.
7. Add the coconut milk to the pan and cook until it begins to thicken. Make sure that it comes up to a bubble.
8. Add the chicken and vegetables back to the pan, adding the basil and ginger. Check for seasoning, add more salt and pepper as needed.
9. Serve with rice and additional basil. I also added some lime wedges to the plates.

Enjoy!