When the thermometer plunges, there’s absolutely nothing better than a soul-satisfying meal to warm up. Having an arsenal of quick and comforting recipes (like this stir fry, for example) makes coming in from the cold a mini-celebration.
These days, it’s not uncommon to get a text from Tess asking what she should make for dinner. Now that it’s cold outside and getting dark early, most weeknights she has a warm, cozy meal on her mind (that also doesn’t take a lot time). The simple solution is stir frys and one one-pot recipes. Fortunately, we have some standouts in our line-up!
One fam favorite is a savory Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake loaded with flavor and heat from a generous amount of cayenne pepper. An added bonus is that it’s just as good the next day. This meal is a mouthful of yum! Another newer go-to is 25 Minute Black Pepper Jalapeno Basil Chicken Stir Fry. This saucy stir fry delivers flavors which are both spicy and sweet. Either recipe, whether a quick stovetop or one pot oven-baked, is guaranteed to chase away the chill.
P.S. This Campbell’s commercial from 1993 reminded us of this same “warm meal on a cold night” feeling 😉
25 Minute Black Pepper Jalapeno Basil Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground tumeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1-2 teaspoons black pepper
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce *we love Tamari it's GF
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, if desired, and sliced
- 1 medium shallot, sliced
- 1 cup fresh Thai or regular basil, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, cornstarch, turmeric, ginger, and black pepper.
- In a glass jar, combine the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce (if using) and 1/4 cup water.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, jalapeños, and shallots, cook 2-3 minutes, until the peppers are charring. Stir in the chicken, tossing to combine with the peppers, cook 2 minutes.
- Pour in the honey/soy sauce mix. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce coats the chicken, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.
- Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of coconut lemongrass rice (recipe in notes). Top with plenty of fresh basil.
