Yesterday was a fun day, away from pool, boat, or beach – a rarity these days. The girls and I had spent the morning picking strawberries in some pretty extreme heat. Piper was standing in the strawberry fields not helping at all, little beads of sweat just covering her nose, eating the biggest berries Shea and I were putting into the baskets. The girls were happy to come home and run through the sprinklers before enjoying a few hours inside, away from the heat.
Meanwhile, Mark was out on a 30 mile (!) bike ride. I opted for an indoor bike ride while catching up with Roland Garros (all my faves are out so I’m a little less interested) before taking a stab at Crock Pot Mac and Cheese to take to a friend’s. I wasn’t so sure it would turn out, but it was a hit!
We were out late at our friend’s and the girls were doing really well playing with all sorts of kids until about 8:45pm when Piper started screaming in response to something Shea did — as in, she was probably provoked but…it was time. Needless to say, we made a quick exit. With a usual bedtime of 8:30pm, we had stretched beyond our limits.
Plus, we were all pretty whipped from the heat and fun. I was craving an hour of brainless TV time AND snuggling up with my book club book of the month, Malibu Rising. It’s SO good, I don’t want to put it down!
So, per usual, the weekends whip by…but I’m more on top of it than usual – laundry is mostly done and the blog is going up before dinnertime. I even have Mark in the kitchen cleaning and hulling strawberries. WINNING! It seems only fair since I take on dinner duty (and picked the strawberries!), right!?
Speaking of dinner – my sister-in-law sent this recipe to us recently and I knew it looked familiar. We’ve had it before, and so I re-made it but with a few tweaks. I opted to cut out some of the sodium and 50% more cashews because doing so is not only delicious, but also increases the chances of my kids eating the dish exponentially. This is a meal worthy of going on repeat – sooooo good and loved by ALL!
Better Than Takeout Sweet Thai Basil Chicken
This quick and easy meal is packed with flavor and fun cashew crunch texture -- a dish the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 lb ground chicken breast
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger or ginger paste
- 2 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, chopped
- 3/4 (3 oz) cup raw cashews
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 Tbsp chili paste (sambal oelek)
- 1 cup fresh basil, roughly torn
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, roughly torn
- 3 cups cooked rice
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and sprinkle with the black pepper. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, breaking into a crumble as it cooks, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger; stir well and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
- Add the bell peppers, cashews, soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, and chili paste; stir well and cook for 5-7 minutes or until sauce has reduced and veggies are crisp-tender.
- Stir in the basil and mint; remove from heat and serve over hot rice.
Notes
Recipe ever so slightly adapted from Half Baked Harvest
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 cup chicken & pepper mixture + 3/4 cup cooked riceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 582Total Fat: 14.8gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 1021mgCarbohydrates: 65.3gFiber: 3.3gSugar: 19.0gProtein: 36.3g
Craving similar flavors? Me too, always.
- Thai Chicken with Spicy “Peanut” Sauce
- 30-Minute Thai Green Curry Tofu
- Thai Tofu Veggie Bowls
- 20 Minute Spicy Thai Noodles
- Spicy Thai Shrimp Bowls
Weekly Menu: June 13th – 17th
- Sunday: leftovers / Mom’s Night Out w/ friends
- Monday: Quinoa, Burrata and Peach Bowl with Pesto Vinaigrette
- Tuesday: Jerk Chicken Bowls with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice
- Wednesday: shrimp skewers with baked potatoes and grilled vegetables
- Thursday: family date night w/ friends
Be well,
