Thai Mango Basil Stir Fry

I am lucky to live in a town that has a few Thai restaurants that know how to handle gluten issues. One of them has a short list of what I can order and the others will convert just about anything to GF (basically they sub GF Fish Sauce for soy sauce). It works and I can enjoy some tasty Thai food.

One of my favorite dishes is Mango-Basil Stir-Fry. I was intrigued the first time I read the description on the menu. It promised to be flavorful, spicy and sweet. I was up for something unique to I gave it a try. I was not disappointed. The flavors exploded in layers upon my tongue. It has Thai basil, mint and cilantro to round out the salty from the fish sauce, the sweet-tart from the mango and the savory green flavor from the broccoli. It was amazing. It brought broccoli to a new level of tasty for me.

But, I wanted to make it at home. I like to cook for myself and even though I have never gotten sick eating at this venue, there is always a chance...

Then, my January/February issue of Eating Well landed in my mailbox. At what to my amazed eyes should appear? A recipe for:

Thai Chicken & Mango Stir-Fry

From EatingWell: January/February 2010

No adaptations necessary; it is GF as long as you use GF Fish sauce. Thank you Eating Well!

Both ripe and underripe mango work well in this chicken and vegetable stir-fry. If the mangoes you have are less ripe, use 2 teaspoons brown sugar. If they’re ripe and sweet, just use 1 teaspoon or omit the brown sugar altogether.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon GF fish sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 1 pound chicken breast or tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1-2 fresh small red or green chile peppers, stemmed and sliced, or 1/2-3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I have used a jalapeno pepper with great success)
  
• 4 cups bite-size broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 mangoes, peeled and diced
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, preferably Thai
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine fish sauce, lime juice, cornstarch and brown sugar to taste in a small bowl.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add chicken; cook, stirring, until just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil, garlic, ginger and chiles (or crushed red pepper) to the pan. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add broccoli and water; cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add mangoes and scallions; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the reserved sauce and chicken; cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in cilantro, basil and mint. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Oh my gosh, this is so good. Now go make it and see for yourself. Enjoy!



Be sure to stop by the Gluten Free Homemaker for the weekly "What can I eat that's gluten free?" carnival. You will find lots of good eatin' there.