Berry Basil Chicken Food

CREAMY BASIL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place one chicken breast onto a sheet of parchment paper, then fold the paper over the chicken. Use a rolling pin to pound the chicken breast to an even thickness of about 1". Set aside and repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. Season chicken on all sides with salt, pepper, and dried basil.
• Heat a 12" skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil, heat until it shimmers, then add the chicken breasts in a single layer. Sear 5 minutes until golden brown, then flip and sear on the other side 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken using tongs to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add the butter and heat until it melts then foams. Add shallot and saute, stirring frequently, until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, stir to toss with shallots, and saute 1 minute more.
• Add white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the chicken broth. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
• Add heavy cream and whisk for 30 seconds, until smooth. Add the parmesan cheese, a few tablespoons at a time, whisking in between until the sauce is smooth. Stir in the fresh basil leaves.
• Return chicken to the pan and simmer in the sauce until cooked through and the chicken reaches 165°F using an instant read thermometer, 5-7 minutes. Spoon sauce over the chicken and garnish with more fresh basil.

THAI CHILLI BASIL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put Sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix to combine.
• Heat oil in wok or pan over high heat.
• Add garlic and chilli and cook for 10 seconds. Don't inhale - the chilli will make you cough!
• Add the white part of the green onions and chicken and fry until cooked, around 2 minutes.
• Add Sauce and cook for 1 minute until the water reduces to make a thick glossy sauce.
• Toss through green part of green onions and basil leaves. Stir until just wilted, then serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

STRAWBERRY BASIL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Begin by heating a large skillet to medium heat.
• Prepare your chicken breasts: you may need to pound the breast to make them a bit thinner, mine were approximately 1 inch. While the skillet is heating up, marinate the chicken with garlic and balsamic vinegar.
• Add oil to the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side (until golden brown, but cooked through). Set aside.
• Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Toss together strawberries and basil. Top each chicken breast with strawberry mixture, and salt and pepper to taste. Add additional balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze* if desired. Serve immediately.

CREAMY BASIL CHICKEN AND ORZO

Steps:

• While chicken is still on the cutting board, pat it dry and season with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon paprika and ¼ teaspoon pepper; set aside.
• Melt butter in olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until hot. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken and broccoli and cook until most off the chicken is opaque (chicken will not be cooked through). Add orzo, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook an additional 1 1/2 minutes.
• Whisk 1 cup chicken broth with the cornstarch and add to the pot. Add remaining chicken broth and all remaining ingredients up to the "Add Later"/ cheeses.
• Cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until orzo is tender, stirring every couple minutes so the orzo doesn't burn on the bottom, and replacing the lid. Add additional broth if the orzo isn't done and most of the liquid is evaporated.
• Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted followed by mozzarella until melted. Stir in fresh basil. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper (I add ¼ teaspoon more of each). If desired, you can make the dish "saucier" by stirring in additional broth, milk or cream.

BASIL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put the rice into a medium pot and pour in 6 cups cold water. Put the pot over medium-high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the water is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. (Reserve 2 cups cooked rice for Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk recipe.)
• Remove the chicken breasts from the bone and slice into thin strips. (Reserve the bones and the legs, thighs, and wings for Round 2 Recipe Coconut Chicken Soup.) In a large wok or skillet over high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and stir-fry until it is almost completely cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions and peppers and cook until slightly softened but still crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the chile and garlic and cook 1 minute.
• To a bowl, add 2 tablespoons water, sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Stir and pour over the chicken and onions and cook for another minute. Add the basil and remove from the heat once it has wilted. Add the lime juice into the chicken mixture and stir. Serve hot over rice.

CHICKEN WITH BERRY WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, raspberries, merlot and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. , Meanwhile, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-7 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 170°., Serve with berry sauce; garnish with basil.

BLUEBERRY-BASIL LIMEADE

Steps:

• Place the sugar, basil sprigs and 1 cup of water into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring every so often, until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes.
• Discard the basil and pour the syrup into a pitcher. Stir in the lime juice and 4 cups of cold water. Add the blueberries and chill for at least 4 hours or until ready to serve.
• To serve, put some ice in a glass, pour over the limeade and garnish with basil leaves. To make into a cocktail, add ice to a rocks glass and top with 1 1/2 ounces gin. Top off with the limeade and garnish with basil.

PIQUANT CHICKEN WITH BASIL (OAMC)

Steps:

• Place chicken and remaining ingredients (except for fresh basil) in a large ziplock freezer bag.
• Remove as much air from the bag as possible then label and freeze.
• To serve, remove from fridge to thaw chicken overnight.
• Transfer package contents to an oven proof baking dish.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear.
• Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.

BERRY BASIL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients except the chicken breasts and the oil in a large nonaluminum bowl. Add the chicken, cover and set aside for one hour.
• Take the breasts out of the marinade and pat them dry. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is hot but not smoking. Brown the chicken breasts in the oil for 2 minutes on each side. Add the marinade and continue cooking the chicken in the liquid for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Arrange the breasts on a serving platter, garnish with the reserved basil leaves and spoon the sauce over the meat.