Basil, Chili and Garlic Chicken by Rachael Ray

Last night, I went to my friend, Karla's, house and cooked dinner for them. I purchased the Everyday Magazine by Rachael Ray. I love this Magazine!

Here's the recipe I cooked:

Basil, Chili and Garlic Chicken

2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/2 pound thin Asian rice noodles or vermicelli pasta
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion, plus 1 cup finely chopped onion
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup water with the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and crushed red pepper. Stir to dissolve the sugar; set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rice noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside. 3. While the noodles are cooking, heat a wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons oil, then the sliced and chopped onion, and garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant and softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat for about 1 minute. Working in 2 batches if necessary, spread the chicken in a single layer in the pan without crowding and cook, undisturbed, until the edges change color, about 1 minute. Turn and continue cooking, tossing now and then, until lightly browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the reserved sauce and onion mixture and cook, tossing occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and evenly coated, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat and add the basil, tossing until slightly wilted. Serve the chicken over the noodles.

Here are the things I did with the recipe:

I talked to a friend who cooks lots of ethic food (she is our little international cooking expert in our circle of friends) who told me not to buy fish sauce. She told me since you only use the fish sauce in very small doses, do not buy it b/c it goes bad quickly. So, I doubled the soy sauce---or you can use chicken broth instead. Instead of using 4 teaspoons of sugar I used only used 2 teaspoons. I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. I did use the rice noodles (which were wonderful), and I tossed the noodles in with the chicken & sauce mixture! It was awesome. Thanks Rachael Ray. Also, I did not find this dish to be as spicy as I wanted it, so next time I will add a little more crushed peppers. Karla's husband said he thought peanuts or cashews would be great in the dish, but I am definitely not a fan of nuts in my Asian food.

ENJOY!