The Betty Crocker Project : Thai Chicken with Basil & Lemonade

This weekend we had a Shannon invasion!

Dan's parents and little sister came down from Boston and NYC to hang out at the beach, watch some soccer, and celebrate his dad's birthday/retirement/belated Father's Day--a perfect-storm celebration with the Virginia Shannons.

Yes, the US team is out of the World Cup, and that was a bummer. But you have to admit Ghana's keeper is talented. I mean, it would be really hard to think of another man dressed in head-to-toe periwinkle who kicks that much ass.

Saturday in Virginia was hot. Not really living on the Sun hot; more like Mercury, or that binary star they thought was a moon around Mercury until the 70s. So I thought it would be a good idea to skip the oven. We pulled out the rice cooker and scanned the "20 minutes or less" section of Betty's Big Red for something kinda light and healthy. The thing I didn't expect was the steam from the wok.

Yeah, I kinda cooked myself making this, but it was so worth it! We paired it with Betty's Lemonade recipe and it had a lovely dinner with some loved ones... after I drank about 4 glasses of icy lemonade. Sigh - what a world.

Thai Chicken with Basil

• 1 Package Gardein Chicken Fillets (You can use your favorite fake chicken: Match, Morningstar, May Wah, whatever. You'll want around 2 cups.)
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 Cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1 Tablespoon Jalapeno Chili (diced)
• 2 Tablespoons Braggs
• 2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 2 Teaspoons Agave Nectar
• 1 Can Baby Corn (drained)
• 1 Can Water Cheasnuts (sliced and drained)
• 1 Can Bamboo Shoots (sliced and drained)
• 1 Cup Fresh Pea Pods or Sugar Snap Peas
• 2 Teaspoons of Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves (chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Mint Leaves (chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons Peanuts (roasted and unsalted)
• 2-3 Cups Brown Rice (cooked)

Cut your Fake Chicken into Strips.

In your neglected little wok, heat the Olive and Sesame Oils at a Medium heat. Toss in Fake Chicken and Pea Pods and continue to toss. When the Chicken begins to brown and the Pea Pods begin to get tender, toss in the Garlic and Chilis for about 5 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except Basil and Mint, and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the Fake Chicken is a golden brown. It's called stir fry because you keep stirring it; so keep tossing the mix while it's cooking to get an even sauce and coating. Before you serve, stir in the Basil and Mint.

Serve over the Brown Rice and a tall glass of something cold.

Something cold:

Betty's Lemonade

• 3 Cups Water
• 1 Cup Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• Mint Leaves for garnish

In a large pitcher, stir Water, Lemon Juice and Sugar until the Sugar is dissolved. Toss in a lot of ice and some Mint leaves for a little extra.