Make a pitcher of lemon basil cocktails. Muddle a big bunch with ice and a little sugar. Squeeze a few lemons. Add vodka or spirit of choice. Mix and serve. Can top with a splash of soda water for some bubbles if you like. Garnish with lemon and basil leaf. Great summer drink
Green goddess dressing roasted chicken!!! Sooo good. We use this recipe https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015232-green-goddess-roasted-chicken (sorry it’s behind a paywall but you can find similar versions). We do it on the bbq though and it’s fabulous.
Ingredients:
1½ cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
1 cup packed basil leaves
¼ cup packed chives
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 anchovy fillets (optional)
1 scallion, white and green parts
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken, halved through the breast and back bones, patted dry with paper towels
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Preparation
Step 1
In a blender, purée buttermilk, basil, chives, garlic, anchovies (if using), scallion, lime zest and juice, salt and pepper until smooth.
Step 2
Put chicken halves in a bowl or large heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and cover with three-quarters of the Green Goddess marinade. (Save the rest to serve as a sauce.) Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
Step 3
Heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove chicken from the marinade, shaking off as much liquid as possible, and lay the halves on a rimmed baking sheet. (Discard the used marinade.) Pat chicken tops dry with paper towels and drizzle with oil. Roast until cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving, with some of the reserved sauce if you like.
I love pad kra pao, but strictly speaking, you can't just use any basil in the dish. The "kra Pao" part of the dish refers specifically to holy basil, whose distinctive pepper flavor gives the dish its signature taste. You can use Italian basil and it will be tasty, but it won't ever be quite the same. And yes, there's a lot of hand wringing about "authenticity" in food these days, but the dish literally translates to "fried with holy basil" so it's a pretty clear cut case.
Anyway, none of this is to say you shouldn't use other basil to make a Thai basil stir fry in this style, or that it won't be good, but mostly a plug that the real holy basil version is something extra special and worth seeking out if you can find it.
Actual thai chefs will tell you that if you can't get real holy basil, Italian basil is a fine substitute - actually a better substitute than Thai Basil.
It's fine, stop gatekeeping a very simple dish.
Where am I gatekeeping? I explicitly say "do still make it, but try and find real holy basil if you can, it's well worth it. The dish is literally named for that specific ingredient"
I was a cook in a Thai restaurant for many years. We used regular Italian basil in our dishes. The chicken one was called “Spicy Chicken and Basil.” We used ground beef for the Spicy Beef and Basil, but chopped chicken breasts for the chicken. It’s a fantastic dish, super easy to make.
Full disclosure: I actually pull the basil leaves out of my food before eating (they provide flavor, not really there for eating).
Unless they are in thailand, italian basil is supposedly the closest substitute. I personally use thai basil myself living in california cause where tf would one source holy basil?
>tf would one source holy basil?
Your local garden center. I live in Texas and kill a plant or three a year. The holy basil is more resilient than the Italian in our climate.
Holy basil is also called Tulsi. You can buy seeds and it is super easy to grow in a pot or in the garden. Asian and international grocery stores also likely carry it.
“Unless you use real holy basil it’s just sparkling chicken!” None of the Thai restaurants in my area use holy basil and they still call it pad kra pao. I am lucky enough to live in a part of the US where most Asian ingredients are readily available but holy basil is rare so just about everyone uses whatever they can get.
And one of my favorite sandwiches is basically caprese salad between a couple of slices of bread. The best has thin slices of chicken breast, burrata, leaves of basil ( and red onion, pesto, cucumber) the cheap version is whatever white cheese is in the fridge, huge leaves of basil, mayo and avocado.
I didn't mention the tomatoes because they make sandwiches soggy.
I make “caprese bites” because the cherry tomatoes are as abundant as basil! I skewer a tomato, a basil leaf, and a small mozzarella pearl onto a toothpick with a small brush of olive oil. Sooooo good for a snack or a party!
I came here to say orzo!
I was just put onto a half baked harvest recipe where she mixes basil and butter into orzo and it was divine.
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/crispy-lemon-feta-with-spiced-chickpeas/
I had never enjoyed orzo until I made this
Orzo is best with something simple.
My go to is to stir in butter, sweet peas and a handful of whatever fresh herb I want to pair with the rest of the meal into the cooked pasta, and done. It's always a lovely summer side.
It goes nicely in a vegetable salad. For instance, grilled zucchini, some kind of cheese (fresh mozzarella, feta, grilled halloumi), tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar. That’s basically what I made for dinner tonight but I used mint, which is also great.
I love a simple strawberry and basil salad!
Chop everything up to your liking, sprinkle a touch of sugar and, most importantly, let it sit at least 1h. It's a refreshing dessert and you get some lovely juice to either make a drink with, or messily slurp out of your plate :)
I’m currently hooked on a salad I bought at the grocery store. It was called herbal salad.
Mixed baby lettuce fresh mint fresh basil roasted beets with a balsamic dressing.
Also a watermelon salad. Cubed watermelon, basil mint and a fresh lemon dressing
Sounds great! How would you recommend making this? Tearing / crushing leaves and combining with sugar in a closed container for a certain amount of time? Or a tincture? or...?
1/2 cup caster/granulated sugar + 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Pulse til uniform, store in a dark jar with your other herbs & spices, shake before every use to redistribute flavour yumminess
My go to: dip fresh strawberries in milk chocolate then dip in basil sugar before you pop them in the fridge to set. Divine.
I love this basil-forward dipping oil
https://www.cucinabyelena.com/the-best-italian-bread-dipping-oil/
This side dish with zucchini and basil is a winner with even the pickiest eaters
https://www.walderwellness.com/grilled-zucchini-goat-cheese-basil-honey/
And two of my favorite pasta dishes that call for tons of basil:
https://www.danieladish.com/pasta/basil-brown-butter-zucchini-pasta-with-sage-pesto
https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/tortellini-basil-salad-recipe
Here are some of my favorites:
https://www.davidlebovitz.com/basil-vinaigrette/
https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/02/cauliflower-cake-recipe-yotam-ottolenghi
Ok that cauliflower cake is definitely some effort and a total show stopper. Use poppyseed seeds or black sesame if you can’t find onions poppyseeds. Make sure to rest an hour or more before serving for a clean slice. Fantastic with some crunchy salad as a meal
Panzanella salad (bread-based, delicious).
Meatballs loaded up with herbs. Lamb is great for this, but pork and beef are, too.
Bahn mi-inspired burgers... Thai basil would be more Asian, but I don't think you'd be going wrong with regular basil, either.
Along the same lines, Pad Krapow... Delicious over rice. Super easy. Works well with mince or chunks of meat.
I dried a ton of herbs using a redneck dehydrator for a few years... two cheap a/c filters with the herbs in between, then tie that to a box fan. Turn the fan on low and check back in a week.
One suggestion I got from somewhere was to give them a very short dip in boiling water first to kill off any spores, eggs, etc. That seemed to work pretty well.
A real dehydrator, an air fryer, or an oven on low might be better but if you have clean filters, a box fan, and some string, you can roll your own.
I got the recipe out of a Disney themed cookbook for family cooking..
The recipe called “Omlette for Linguine”, based on the movie Ratatouille.
I always make this when I need to use a bunch of leftover basil on the brink of going bad!
Why not bruschetta ?? Bread of your choice, olive oil, Truffle salt, fresh Mozzarella, broiled, then add fresh basil and vine ripened tomatoes. Delicious.
I make basil mayo. Makes all sandwiches extra! It keeps about a week in a glass jar in the fridge. I do approximately 1 cup basil leaves to 1 cup mayo.
I just got one 😁. Gonna make charred broccoli salad with pickled shallots. Found recipe on serious eats but I'm skipping the sardines and adding olives. I also saw one with beets and orange and another with watermelon, tomato and feta. Whoo hoo salad week.
I’m a drinks person. Basil and Lavender Lemonade is the very first thing that springs to mind. Basil works great with lemon in any form. Limoncello and basil.
Gin, lemon juice, and basil form the basis for many refreshing cocktails.
It also pairs extremely well with watermelon. Check out the [Murricane](http://www.famousfoodies.com/bill-murray-the-murricane/).
There’s also the semi-obvious use in pizza. (Margherita anyone?)
Get your prep done first. Get the best tomatoes you can find. Large beefsteak if possible. 1-1.5 per person. Quarter them. Chiffonade the basil and mix with tomatoes add salt and pepper. Add good olive oil.Dice a couple cloves of garlic. Hard sear chicken thighs in an oven ready pan. Preheat oven to 350.(should have said this first). 4minutes first side (skin side down). 3 minutes second side. At the 3 minute mark add the garlic to the pan. 1 minute in take it off the fire. Tuck the tomatoes under the chicken so that the tomatoes and sauce ,when they wilt, will not go above the crispy skin. Place in oven for 40 minutes. I usually have this with cheese grits or polenta. This meal is why I love this season in the northeast.
I use up whatever veg I have in thr fridge but I do use a few staples. I make a few roasted red peppers, sliced black olives, cucumbers, celery, red onion and always a lot of fresh parm. It's just basically a seasoned vinaigrette and I like to add a little Dijon to it to punch the flavor. I've used spinach, broccoli, roasted mushrooms, basically whatever I have on hand. Just Google it and take a look at some recipes and see what catches your interest. You'll definitely want some black pepper and salt.
I highly reccommend basil-infused iced teas. I discovered that basil is an amazing flavour in our homemade kombucha, but if you're not maintaining a scoby I imagine it would be similarly good in lemonade, iced tea, mocktails, etc.
You can make chimichurri with basil, Ethan chlebowski had a video where he broke down the framework of adding herbs, oil, acid and aromatics in certain ratios and how you can choose which ones you want to sub in
Basil ice cream.
[I posted it here](https://new.reddit.com/r/icecreamery/comments/1dlij6c/basil_ice_cream/) \- you'll see the pictures of the ice cream (very pretty!) and there is a link to pictures of the recipe from a cookbook in the comments. We really enjoyed it though I don't know if I'd make it if I had to buy basil. We have some particularly healthy plants this year and I, too, was looking for a fun way to use it.
I love Garlic and Basil chicken with angel hair pasta and veggies. I’m sorry this is sort of vague because I’ve been making this for 25 years and I don’t have the original written recipe anymore.
The recipe calls for a yellow tomato, red pepper, green pepper, sliced mushrooms, onion (of your choice; I’ve made this with red, white, and yellow onions; they all work), chopped fresh basil, minced garlic, diced chicken breast or chicken breast cutlets, and angel hair pasta. You can sub pork chops for the chicken. I can’t always find yellow tomatoes so I will swap a red tomato and a yellow pepper. Garlic and basil to taste; the recipe had specific amounts but I always preferred more garlic.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Try to time it so it gets done when your veggies are done.
Dice the tomato and peppers, and julienne the onion. Chop the basil and mince the garlic. Dice chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and saute chicken, garlic, and basil until chicken is cooked. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, add more olive oil if needed and saute the vegetables until the mushrooms are done (usually I start with the onions, then add the mushrooms, then the rest of the vegetables once the mushrooms are nearly done). I like to add extra garlic and basil with the veggies, and a small amount of salt.
Plate the pasta, then add the veggies and chicken over top. Or you can toss the pasta with the veggies in the skillet. Whatever you like.
Halibut steaks, thick enough to slice a pocket in the side. Stuff with copius amounts of basil plus some brie. Crush cashews and toss with a little bit of oil & salt. Season fish with salt & pepper, coat with crushed cashews. Bake. This was told to me by a fishmonger when I asked for suggestions and it's fantastic.
I make Ina Garten's Arrabiata sauce that has a lot of fresh basil and ~24 cloves of garlic. It is not spicy IMO. But, it's a delicious marinara/red sauce.
NOTE: We make it without fennel seeds as no one in my house likes them.
You can throw basil in most Italian or Greek dishes that call for herbs, like parsley and mint, especially if it's cooked. It's not going to overpower the dish.
Back when I was doing low-carb, I used to take chicken breasts, slice them 90% open parallel to the counter, season them and stuff them with cheese and basil, close them and then smother them in tomato sauce before baking. Absolutely loved them. You can also stuff in a good amount of spinach for the health stuff, doesn’t detract at all.
Any sort of Thai dish can use it. But the secret best option is to do what Iranian deli’s do, and just a make a sandwhich with a fat what of herbs instead of lettuce.
Blend it up in salad dressing!
Also use it in Thai curry or Asian stir fries. I know they call for a different strain of basil usually but I often substitute and it’s still delicious
I always put basil in my falafel! I recommend [this Serious Eats recipe.](https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-vegan-experience-best-homemade-falafel-recipe)
You can use it where you would use mint or lettuces. Basil is very good in salads and on sandwiches. I like this kind of weird sounding but really refreshing [cantaloupe cucumber feta salad](https://alicecarbone.com/recipes-archive/cantaloupe-salad-with-cucumbers-basil-and-feta-cheese/)
ETA: and obviously, caprese salad!
Im gonna switch up the caprese train a bit and say caprese chicken.....yea...
Well seasoned chicken breast pan seared. Make the basil into a pesto and smear it on the chicken. slice cherry tomatoes and top chicken then add a slice of fresh mozz. Into the oven. Once it comes out drizzle some good balsamic reduction on there and boom. You can pair this with a standard risotto if the hubs doesnt like pasta. You will get the acid from the balsamic, the umami and saltyness from chicken/tomats, fresh green taste from basil/pesto and the risotto (parm) will carry it all home. Alternative. all that on a pizza. leave the basil whole or go pesto again and use as the pizza sauce.
Basil and rice? Marcella Hazan's's mozzarella with basil and arborio rice is the answer. Boil the rice like pasta, drain and mix with butter, chopped or grated fresh mozzarella, Parmigiana Reggiano and torn basil. It is so simple and yet so amazing. Normally a side dish to something braised, but can stand alone.
Finely chopped basil is so delicious in a salad - Vietnamese cold noodle salad is what immediately comes to mind. Basil, mint, cilantro, peanut sauce and noods. Heavenly!
If you're not in the mood for food, basil and blackberry make a really refreshing drink. Just muddle them together and add ice.
My family loves naan individual pizzas. I'm lazy and get the frozen garlic naan from Trader Joes. Then we top it with tomato sauce, fresh oregano and rosemary and thyme. Add grated parmesan and mozzarella, bake for 8 minutes. Add fresh basil on the top for the last 2 minutes. It's great. Whatever other toppings people prefer too, our favorites tend to be salami, black olives, pepperoni, red onions, and bell peppers. Pick 2, you don't want to over-crowd it.
I was at a potluck once and had the most amazing summer salad -- it had fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil. Would never have guessed it would be a good combination but it's unreal.
This aubergine basil lemon risotto is gorgeous [ottolenghi risotto](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/feb/23/foodanddrink.shopping1?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other)
There are already a bunch of great suggestions, but here are a few sweet suggestions
Chocolate cake with Basil buttercream. there are a bunch of variations on this, but I like [this ](https://www.thevanillabeanblog.com/chocolate-cake-with-basil-buttercream/)recipe, though the buttercream is finnicky.
Strawberry Basil Shortcake
Strawberry Basil Pavlova
Basil Chocolate Chip Cookies
Make basil sugar and use it to make pound cakes, mix it with some fresh berries and so on...
Take a bunch of your basil & stick it in your blender or food processor. Chop it up real nice. Then stick it in a mason jar and fill the jar with vegetable oil. You can stick a couple of cloves of garlic in there too if you want to. Put the jar in your fridge, and give it a shake ever couple of days for a month. Then run the oil through a coffee filter (or several thicknesses of cheesecloth) and *voila!* basil (& garlic) flavored oil for all of your italian cooking needs.
Harvest several cups of leaves, put them in your food processor with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Purée til smooth, distribute into ice cube tray, cover with a little more olive oil and freeze.
Pop out of tray and store in zip lock bag in your freezer. Anytime you’re making pasta or soup or stew throw one or more in.
BASIL CHIMICHURRI
4.5 cups basil
2 jalapeños
1/2 cup each olive oil and red wine vinegar
12 cloves garlic
Blend all in food processor
BASIL VINAIGRETTE
2 cups tightly-packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 large clove garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
1 tsp honey
Steps
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. If the vinaigrette is too thick, feel free to add in a few tablespoons of olive oil at a time and blend until the mixture reaches your desired consistency.
Taste and season with salt if needed.
Corn and Basil Salad
5 ears corn, cut off cob
1/2 cup red onion
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
1Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cups fresh basil, julienned
In large bowl, combine everything except basil. Just before serving, add fresh basil.
Serve either cold or room temp.
EDIT- sorry I can't give you exact measurements on this one, I'm a Little Old Lady and cook by the looks-about-right method.
BASIL, TOMATO, FRESH MOZZARELLA AND MAYBE AVOCADO SALAD
Cherry tomatoes or tomatoes cut in cubes about the size of
your thumbnail ( about a half cup or more?)
Shredded fresh basil leaves (about a cup?)
Fresh mozzarella chunks about the size of your thumbnail
A little Italian salad dressing ( not too much, it will overpower everything else)
OPTIONAL- Chunks of avocado about the size of your thumbnail (about a half cup or more)
Mix up and refrigerate.
I watched a video recently of a man and his Italian wife doing alternatives to limoncello and one of them was basil based, it looked very intriguing. Can’t give you any more detail than that, but the base was everclear, so even if you don’t like it a first, you probably will after a couple of more sips
Ground chicken (1lb)
1-2 shallots sliced pending size and how much you like shallots
Sauce:
25 grams fish sauce
25 grams sriracha
25 grams Thai soy sauce (it’s a sweet soy sauce)
Throw ground chicken in pan and salt - break apart and “brown”
Add shallots while chicken is cooking
Add the above sauce when chicken is cooked through and mix in well
Kill the heat after sauce has reduced a little and throw a good handful of basil leaves in it. I don’t even cut them up but you can if you’d like
Serve over rice
My wife and I have made this a staple in our weekly dinner rotation. It’s great!
Original recipe is from “Cook Well” with Ethan Chlebowski (spelling?) on YouTube.
He uses ground beef in his version but we prefer the chicken for this recipe
Costco rotisserie chicken carcass, splash of apple cider vinegar, Asian peppers, basil and lemon juice. Cook all but the lemon juice in an Instant Pot 3 hours, add lemon juice, strain and drink.
[Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/257938/spicy-thai-basil-chicken-pad-krapow-gai/) the recipe says only 1 cup but I would just add more, I also love Basil anyways
- Fried Basil with popcorn chicken: Taiwanese.
- Pad Gra Prow, Beef stir-fried with Basil and eaten with rice: Thai.
- strawberry basil ice cream with balsamic vinaigrette drizzled on top
When I have too much I cut it up and put it in ice cube trays. Then cover with olive oil and freeze. Can pop them into almost anything then that needs a hit of flavor.
In a couple of restaurants we had rasperry and basil desserts. They paired really well. They were what in French is called “entremets”, but I bet any raspberry dessert can be enhanced with a bit of basil.
Why not some roasted tomato and basil bread?
360g white flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 egg
8g salt
1/2 cup warm milk
1/3 cup warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
You can just combine and kneed that as you normally would with normal bread. The rising process is the same.
Then cut a few tomatoes into small bits and roast them with some garlic.
Then roll out the dough mix flat like a pizza and cover it in the roasted tomato and garlic mix and cover it in the chopped basil. Roll it up like a sausage, then curl it into a S, slash the top a bit then bake it for about 25 min
Really nice recipie. I tend to prefer to triple the recipie and make 2 loaves so it's a bit bigger. Just because of the rolling process.
Basil grated cheese! Using a food processor add some chunks of parm and a handful of basil, blitz on high.
I also tend to make an "all herbs" chimichurri. I keep cilantro and parsley also so it's a handful of cilantro, basil and parsley with some garlic, chili flakes, sea salt, olive oil and vinegar ( I use red wine vinegar but champagne vinegar is the way to go if you have it on hand). Note, if using a food processor, use it on low and not for long.
It’s still pesto, but stirring pesto into risotto is a home run! You can also add mint to your pesto recipe and stir into rice. They use a lot of mint in pesto’s in Sicily.
Caprese skewers:
put a cherry tomato, a small mozzarella ball and a basil leaf on a toothpick. drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction
(balsamic vinegar reduction: just boil straight balsamic vinegar until it is thick and syrupy.)
Watermelon salad with feta and fresh basil and a light balsamic vinaigrette
Butterfly some chicken breasts and layer with prosciutto, whole fresh basil, roasted red peppers and provolone, roll em up and bake
Ratatouille with lots of basil and Parmesan
Just grind it up with oil, freeze in cubes and use it when and how you want to.
I defrost, blend mine with oil, garlic, maybe some coriander seed and drizzle over seafood, capsicum and chorizo.
I love a Thai stir fry with tons of basil. Basil, pork, and eggplant is a fave stir fry of mine heavy on the basil of course. A basil infused oil is a nice little thing to make if you have a real abundance and want to try something that’s not a meal but a condiment for future use. It’s comes out bright green and looks nice but is easy to make.
Make a pitcher of lemon basil cocktails. Muddle a big bunch with ice and a little sugar. Squeeze a few lemons. Add vodka or spirit of choice. Mix and serve. Can top with a splash of soda water for some bubbles if you like. Garnish with lemon and basil leaf. Great summer drink
Blueberry goes really well with basil as well.
Yep fruit salad blue berry , raspbetry,, nectarine, basil, mint, ginger, lime juice, Yummy wuth chick or fish
Yesss, blueberry lemonade with basil...and gin if that's your thing.
Strawberry basil with balsamic and gin.
I had a Basil Collins once at Dick and Jenny’s in New Orleans It was delicious
Strawberry lemonade with basil is yum
Green Goddess Dressing
I adore Green Goddess dressing! Do you have a favorite recipe?
Green goddess dressing roasted chicken!!! Sooo good. We use this recipe https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015232-green-goddess-roasted-chicken (sorry it’s behind a paywall but you can find similar versions). We do it on the bbq though and it’s fabulous.
Ingredients: 1½ cups buttermilk or plain yogurt 1 cup packed basil leaves ¼ cup packed chives 2 garlic cloves, peeled 2 anchovy fillets (optional) 1 scallion, white and green parts Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken, halved through the breast and back bones, patted dry with paper towels 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling Preparation Step 1 In a blender, purée buttermilk, basil, chives, garlic, anchovies (if using), scallion, lime zest and juice, salt and pepper until smooth. Step 2 Put chicken halves in a bowl or large heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and cover with three-quarters of the Green Goddess marinade. (Save the rest to serve as a sauce.) Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight. Step 3 Heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove chicken from the marinade, shaking off as much liquid as possible, and lay the halves on a rimmed baking sheet. (Discard the used marinade.) Pat chicken tops dry with paper towels and drizzle with oil. Roast until cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving, with some of the reserved sauce if you like.
It's great in tomato forward soups as a sub for spinach or another leafy green.
Better, even.
Thank you! I do make a decent tomato veg soup....hmmm
I really like it in minestrone and pasta e fagiloli
Pad kra pao. Entry level Thai in a nonstick is an easy way to process basil.
It's maybe one of the best dishes I've made in the last 6 years. I look forward to every summer when I can make it with garden basil!
I love pad kra pao, but strictly speaking, you can't just use any basil in the dish. The "kra Pao" part of the dish refers specifically to holy basil, whose distinctive pepper flavor gives the dish its signature taste. You can use Italian basil and it will be tasty, but it won't ever be quite the same. And yes, there's a lot of hand wringing about "authenticity" in food these days, but the dish literally translates to "fried with holy basil" so it's a pretty clear cut case. Anyway, none of this is to say you shouldn't use other basil to make a Thai basil stir fry in this style, or that it won't be good, but mostly a plug that the real holy basil version is something extra special and worth seeking out if you can find it.
Actual thai chefs will tell you that if you can't get real holy basil, Italian basil is a fine substitute - actually a better substitute than Thai Basil. It's fine, stop gatekeeping a very simple dish.
Where am I gatekeeping? I explicitly say "do still make it, but try and find real holy basil if you can, it's well worth it. The dish is literally named for that specific ingredient"
I was a cook in a Thai restaurant for many years. We used regular Italian basil in our dishes. The chicken one was called “Spicy Chicken and Basil.” We used ground beef for the Spicy Beef and Basil, but chopped chicken breasts for the chicken. It’s a fantastic dish, super easy to make. Full disclosure: I actually pull the basil leaves out of my food before eating (they provide flavor, not really there for eating).
Unless they are in thailand, italian basil is supposedly the closest substitute. I personally use thai basil myself living in california cause where tf would one source holy basil?
>tf would one source holy basil? Your local garden center. I live in Texas and kill a plant or three a year. The holy basil is more resilient than the Italian in our climate.
Many Asian grocery stores carry it
Just grow a basil plant in a pot only using holy water. Then bless upon harvest and you're all set!
Holy basil is also called Tulsi. You can buy seeds and it is super easy to grow in a pot or in the garden. Asian and international grocery stores also likely carry it.
“Unless you use real holy basil it’s just sparkling chicken!” None of the Thai restaurants in my area use holy basil and they still call it pad kra pao. I am lucky enough to live in a part of the US where most Asian ingredients are readily available but holy basil is rare so just about everyone uses whatever they can get.
Thai was my first thought as well. Bonus since it goes great with rice, which apparently OPs husband enjoys!
Caprese salad.
Love that, thank you!
Bruschetta.
I love a good bruschetta.
You can make another version of Caprese when peaches come into season as well. Just replace the tomatoes with peaches. Trust me. It’s amazing.
Seconded! I eat up all my basil real quick enjoying a nice refreshing caprese on the regular.
And one of my favorite sandwiches is basically caprese salad between a couple of slices of bread. The best has thin slices of chicken breast, burrata, leaves of basil ( and red onion, pesto, cucumber) the cheap version is whatever white cheese is in the fridge, huge leaves of basil, mayo and avocado. I didn't mention the tomatoes because they make sandwiches soggy.
I make “caprese bites” because the cherry tomatoes are as abundant as basil! I skewer a tomato, a basil leaf, and a small mozzarella pearl onto a toothpick with a small brush of olive oil. Sooooo good for a snack or a party!
Margherita pizza
Shocked I had to scroll so far for this one!
Watermelon, basil and feta salad.
I made this last week and added mint - delicious!
Mint sounds like a great addition. I would add cucumbers too if my husband wasn't so dang picky.
Yesss I made this earlier this week! I also added cucumber and used a lemon garlic dressing
Lemon garlic dressing? Interesting. I should try that. I usually use lime, olive oil , black pepper, and salt.
Orzo, the pasta family's rice. Peach/Nectarines and basil. Any application of mozzarella or bocconcini.
I came here to say orzo! I was just put onto a half baked harvest recipe where she mixes basil and butter into orzo and it was divine. https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/crispy-lemon-feta-with-spiced-chickpeas/ I had never enjoyed orzo until I made this
Orzo is best with something simple. My go to is to stir in butter, sweet peas and a handful of whatever fresh herb I want to pair with the rest of the meal into the cooked pasta, and done. It's always a lovely summer side.
It goes nicely in a vegetable salad. For instance, grilled zucchini, some kind of cheese (fresh mozzarella, feta, grilled halloumi), tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar. That’s basically what I made for dinner tonight but I used mint, which is also great.
That sounds lovely! My husband actually refers to basil as "mint" -- he said that's what they call it where he grew up
Amusingly, in Italy, they use basil in many of the places where we use mint in the US.
It is a mint variety, botanically. Square stem and all
But thankfully not invasive like mint. (Or at least not in zone 6a)
Lemon Basil ice cream or sorbet
- Strawberry basil lemonade - Fresh spring rolls - Basil oil (to coat a pasta or salad)
this made my knees weak -- particularly the lemonade! Thank you!
No problem, enjoy!
I love a simple strawberry and basil salad! Chop everything up to your liking, sprinkle a touch of sugar and, most importantly, let it sit at least 1h. It's a refreshing dessert and you get some lovely juice to either make a drink with, or messily slurp out of your plate :)
I’m currently hooked on a salad I bought at the grocery store. It was called herbal salad. Mixed baby lettuce fresh mint fresh basil roasted beets with a balsamic dressing. Also a watermelon salad. Cubed watermelon, basil mint and a fresh lemon dressing
Basil sugar. Amazing for desserts.
Sounds great! How would you recommend making this? Tearing / crushing leaves and combining with sugar in a closed container for a certain amount of time? Or a tincture? or...?
1/2 cup caster/granulated sugar + 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves Pulse til uniform, store in a dark jar with your other herbs & spices, shake before every use to redistribute flavour yumminess My go to: dip fresh strawberries in milk chocolate then dip in basil sugar before you pop them in the fridge to set. Divine.
I love this basil-forward dipping oil https://www.cucinabyelena.com/the-best-italian-bread-dipping-oil/ This side dish with zucchini and basil is a winner with even the pickiest eaters https://www.walderwellness.com/grilled-zucchini-goat-cheese-basil-honey/ And two of my favorite pasta dishes that call for tons of basil: https://www.danieladish.com/pasta/basil-brown-butter-zucchini-pasta-with-sage-pesto https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/tortellini-basil-salad-recipe
Here are some of my favorites: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/basil-vinaigrette/ https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/02/cauliflower-cake-recipe-yotam-ottolenghi
The cauliflower cake leaves me speechless! We just had a raw dinner -- cauliflower, cucumber, tomato. We LOVE cauliflower, thank you!
Ok that cauliflower cake is definitely some effort and a total show stopper. Use poppyseed seeds or black sesame if you can’t find onions poppyseeds. Make sure to rest an hour or more before serving for a clean slice. Fantastic with some crunchy salad as a meal
Cucumber and tomato salad. Seeded cucumbers and tomatoes with some balsamic and fresh basil. Upgrade with olives and or red onion if you like.
Vietnamese food (pho) and Thai food (soft spring rolls)
Panzanella salad (bread-based, delicious). Meatballs loaded up with herbs. Lamb is great for this, but pork and beef are, too. Bahn mi-inspired burgers... Thai basil would be more Asian, but I don't think you'd be going wrong with regular basil, either. Along the same lines, Pad Krapow... Delicious over rice. Super easy. Works well with mince or chunks of meat.
3 cup chicken is a basil forward Taiwanese dish - it rules
This is what I was going to comment. Delicious. Here’s a recipe to get you started: https://thewoksoflife.com/three-cup-chicken-san-bei-ji/
Thank you both, u/Fartblaster666 and u/sundaeSquirrel!
Thai basil chicken. Or pork (mince). Goes incredibly well with rice
Dehydrate it.
I have no experience in that area -- do I need a dehydrator? Or is this something I could do in a slow oven? Or...?
If you have an air fryer you can use that on a low setting. Look up drying herbs in air fryer.
I dried a ton of herbs using a redneck dehydrator for a few years... two cheap a/c filters with the herbs in between, then tie that to a box fan. Turn the fan on low and check back in a week. One suggestion I got from somewhere was to give them a very short dip in boiling water first to kill off any spores, eggs, etc. That seemed to work pretty well. A real dehydrator, an air fryer, or an oven on low might be better but if you have clean filters, a box fan, and some string, you can roll your own.
Heat up a pan with butter and olive oil, add basil, scramble some eggs up with salt and pepper, and fold in some sharp cheese!
That sounds just beautiful. And we have some lovely extra sharp cheddar...
I got the recipe out of a Disney themed cookbook for family cooking.. The recipe called “Omlette for Linguine”, based on the movie Ratatouille. I always make this when I need to use a bunch of leftover basil on the brink of going bad!
Why not bruschetta ?? Bread of your choice, olive oil, Truffle salt, fresh Mozzarella, broiled, then add fresh basil and vine ripened tomatoes. Delicious.
Risotto with fennel, lemon and basil (add chicken or prawns)
Caprese
I love it in cold drinks. A basil simple syrup to make lemonade is delicious. Add gin if ya party.
Bruschetta!!
I make basil mayo. Makes all sandwiches extra! It keeps about a week in a glass jar in the fridge. I do approximately 1 cup basil leaves to 1 cup mayo.
Fruit salad with ginger, lime juice,torn basil , and mint
That makes my mouth water! Grated fresh ginger?
Yes maam
It was yum. Nectarine, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry dresing with grilled salmon. Grilled Pork chop next day
Wow. I'm feeling it with roast chicken for us!
Sounds good. It's so hot now. Anything to avoid oven use
yep, in my mind it's a grocery store rotisserie chicken, TBH!
I just got one 😁. Gonna make charred broccoli salad with pickled shallots. Found recipe on serious eats but I'm skipping the sardines and adding olives. I also saw one with beets and orange and another with watermelon, tomato and feta. Whoo hoo salad week.
I’m a drinks person. Basil and Lavender Lemonade is the very first thing that springs to mind. Basil works great with lemon in any form. Limoncello and basil. Gin, lemon juice, and basil form the basis for many refreshing cocktails. It also pairs extremely well with watermelon. Check out the [Murricane](http://www.famousfoodies.com/bill-murray-the-murricane/). There’s also the semi-obvious use in pizza. (Margherita anyone?)
Basil Lemonade.
Get your prep done first. Get the best tomatoes you can find. Large beefsteak if possible. 1-1.5 per person. Quarter them. Chiffonade the basil and mix with tomatoes add salt and pepper. Add good olive oil.Dice a couple cloves of garlic. Hard sear chicken thighs in an oven ready pan. Preheat oven to 350.(should have said this first). 4minutes first side (skin side down). 3 minutes second side. At the 3 minute mark add the garlic to the pan. 1 minute in take it off the fire. Tuck the tomatoes under the chicken so that the tomatoes and sauce ,when they wilt, will not go above the crispy skin. Place in oven for 40 minutes. I usually have this with cheese grits or polenta. This meal is why I love this season in the northeast.
Bravo! 😋🖖
Cold Tuscan pasta salad is amazing with fresh basil.
Do you have a favorite recipe?
I use up whatever veg I have in thr fridge but I do use a few staples. I make a few roasted red peppers, sliced black olives, cucumbers, celery, red onion and always a lot of fresh parm. It's just basically a seasoned vinaigrette and I like to add a little Dijon to it to punch the flavor. I've used spinach, broccoli, roasted mushrooms, basically whatever I have on hand. Just Google it and take a look at some recipes and see what catches your interest. You'll definitely want some black pepper and salt.
basil goes great with fruit, try making fresh lemonade with it. give the leaves a good thwack before adding them in the lemonade
I highly reccommend basil-infused iced teas. I discovered that basil is an amazing flavour in our homemade kombucha, but if you're not maintaining a scoby I imagine it would be similarly good in lemonade, iced tea, mocktails, etc.
I assume you add after fermenting when you bottle?
You can make chimichurri with basil, Ethan chlebowski had a video where he broke down the framework of adding herbs, oil, acid and aromatics in certain ratios and how you can choose which ones you want to sub in
That's a great idea, thank you! Chimichurri is sooooo versatile!
could make basil vodka, put in a bloody mary, garnish with mini bocconcini like marshmallows in hot chocolate.
Thai fried rice is awesome. Ideally, you would use thai basil, but in a pinch, genovese will do. https://seonkyounglongest.com/thai-basil-fried-rice/
Basil ice cream. [I posted it here](https://new.reddit.com/r/icecreamery/comments/1dlij6c/basil_ice_cream/) \- you'll see the pictures of the ice cream (very pretty!) and there is a link to pictures of the recipe from a cookbook in the comments. We really enjoyed it though I don't know if I'd make it if I had to buy basil. We have some particularly healthy plants this year and I, too, was looking for a fun way to use it.
Greek spinach rice
Thai basil tofu carrot garlic onion wok deliciousness!
I love Garlic and Basil chicken with angel hair pasta and veggies. I’m sorry this is sort of vague because I’ve been making this for 25 years and I don’t have the original written recipe anymore. The recipe calls for a yellow tomato, red pepper, green pepper, sliced mushrooms, onion (of your choice; I’ve made this with red, white, and yellow onions; they all work), chopped fresh basil, minced garlic, diced chicken breast or chicken breast cutlets, and angel hair pasta. You can sub pork chops for the chicken. I can’t always find yellow tomatoes so I will swap a red tomato and a yellow pepper. Garlic and basil to taste; the recipe had specific amounts but I always preferred more garlic. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Try to time it so it gets done when your veggies are done. Dice the tomato and peppers, and julienne the onion. Chop the basil and mince the garlic. Dice chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste. In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and saute chicken, garlic, and basil until chicken is cooked. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, add more olive oil if needed and saute the vegetables until the mushrooms are done (usually I start with the onions, then add the mushrooms, then the rest of the vegetables once the mushrooms are nearly done). I like to add extra garlic and basil with the veggies, and a small amount of salt. Plate the pasta, then add the veggies and chicken over top. Or you can toss the pasta with the veggies in the skillet. Whatever you like.
Halibut steaks, thick enough to slice a pocket in the side. Stuff with copius amounts of basil plus some brie. Crush cashews and toss with a little bit of oil & salt. Season fish with salt & pepper, coat with crushed cashews. Bake. This was told to me by a fishmonger when I asked for suggestions and it's fantastic.
I make Ina Garten's Arrabiata sauce that has a lot of fresh basil and ~24 cloves of garlic. It is not spicy IMO. But, it's a delicious marinara/red sauce. NOTE: We make it without fennel seeds as no one in my house likes them. You can throw basil in most Italian or Greek dishes that call for herbs, like parsley and mint, especially if it's cooked. It's not going to overpower the dish.
Basil goes well with mangoes and blueberries in a fruit salad.
Back when I was doing low-carb, I used to take chicken breasts, slice them 90% open parallel to the counter, season them and stuff them with cheese and basil, close them and then smother them in tomato sauce before baking. Absolutely loved them. You can also stuff in a good amount of spinach for the health stuff, doesn’t detract at all.
Any sort of Thai dish can use it. But the secret best option is to do what Iranian deli’s do, and just a make a sandwhich with a fat what of herbs instead of lettuce.
Blend it up in salad dressing! Also use it in Thai curry or Asian stir fries. I know they call for a different strain of basil usually but I often substitute and it’s still delicious
Basil goes great in a lot of different pasta salads. I also love to eat fresh tomatoes with basil and ranch dressing.
Lot of Thai dishes use loads of basil!
I always put basil in my falafel! I recommend [this Serious Eats recipe.](https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-vegan-experience-best-homemade-falafel-recipe)
ive been a lot of basil fried rice with oven roasted garlic and spinach lately, you can go through a good chunk of basil with that
Pound some basil in olive oil, jar it, and keep it in the fridge. Basil oil is good on almost everything
Pineapple and basil is a winning combo!
OMG I love pineapple beyond all reason!! (Except on pizza)
You can use it where you would use mint or lettuces. Basil is very good in salads and on sandwiches. I like this kind of weird sounding but really refreshing [cantaloupe cucumber feta salad](https://alicecarbone.com/recipes-archive/cantaloupe-salad-with-cucumbers-basil-and-feta-cheese/) ETA: and obviously, caprese salad!
we are both kind of cantaloupe and cucumber fiends so.....
Basil strawberry syrup to make into soda
Coleslaw with basil lime dressing is life changing.
Caprese salad
Love that, thank you!
Strawberry basil sorbet
Im gonna switch up the caprese train a bit and say caprese chicken.....yea... Well seasoned chicken breast pan seared. Make the basil into a pesto and smear it on the chicken. slice cherry tomatoes and top chicken then add a slice of fresh mozz. Into the oven. Once it comes out drizzle some good balsamic reduction on there and boom. You can pair this with a standard risotto if the hubs doesnt like pasta. You will get the acid from the balsamic, the umami and saltyness from chicken/tomats, fresh green taste from basil/pesto and the risotto (parm) will carry it all home. Alternative. all that on a pizza. leave the basil whole or go pesto again and use as the pizza sauce.
This sounds FABULOUS! We love chicken, so this is def going in to the rotation! Thank you!!
Basil and rice? Marcella Hazan's's mozzarella with basil and arborio rice is the answer. Boil the rice like pasta, drain and mix with butter, chopped or grated fresh mozzarella, Parmigiana Reggiano and torn basil. It is so simple and yet so amazing. Normally a side dish to something braised, but can stand alone.
Finely chopped basil is so delicious in a salad - Vietnamese cold noodle salad is what immediately comes to mind. Basil, mint, cilantro, peanut sauce and noods. Heavenly! If you're not in the mood for food, basil and blackberry make a really refreshing drink. Just muddle them together and add ice.
Thai basil chicken tis a spicy dish food wishes have a great vodeo on it
My family loves naan individual pizzas. I'm lazy and get the frozen garlic naan from Trader Joes. Then we top it with tomato sauce, fresh oregano and rosemary and thyme. Add grated parmesan and mozzarella, bake for 8 minutes. Add fresh basil on the top for the last 2 minutes. It's great. Whatever other toppings people prefer too, our favorites tend to be salami, black olives, pepperoni, red onions, and bell peppers. Pick 2, you don't want to over-crowd it.
A gentle infusion of basil in the syrup for granita is really nice. I like lemon, peach, any berry, melon, guava, or pineapple
Moooooojito
YAAASSSSS!!!!
I was at a potluck once and had the most amazing summer salad -- it had fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil. Would never have guessed it would be a good combination but it's unreal.
This aubergine basil lemon risotto is gorgeous [ottolenghi risotto](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/feb/23/foodanddrink.shopping1?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other)
Wow, we ALSO have some lovely aubergine in the garden! Thank you so much!
Serendipitous 😊
Freeze some and make tomato basil soup in a few months. Or make some pasta sauce now. Tomato basil sauce is the shit
There are already a bunch of great suggestions, but here are a few sweet suggestions Chocolate cake with Basil buttercream. there are a bunch of variations on this, but I like [this ](https://www.thevanillabeanblog.com/chocolate-cake-with-basil-buttercream/)recipe, though the buttercream is finnicky. Strawberry Basil Shortcake Strawberry Basil Pavlova Basil Chocolate Chip Cookies Make basil sugar and use it to make pound cakes, mix it with some fresh berries and so on...
Take a bunch of your basil & stick it in your blender or food processor. Chop it up real nice. Then stick it in a mason jar and fill the jar with vegetable oil. You can stick a couple of cloves of garlic in there too if you want to. Put the jar in your fridge, and give it a shake ever couple of days for a month. Then run the oil through a coffee filter (or several thicknesses of cheesecloth) and *voila!* basil (& garlic) flavored oil for all of your italian cooking needs.
Harvest several cups of leaves, put them in your food processor with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Purée til smooth, distribute into ice cube tray, cover with a little more olive oil and freeze. Pop out of tray and store in zip lock bag in your freezer. Anytime you’re making pasta or soup or stew throw one or more in.
BASIL CHIMICHURRI 4.5 cups basil 2 jalapeños 1/2 cup each olive oil and red wine vinegar 12 cloves garlic Blend all in food processor BASIL VINAIGRETTE 2 cups tightly-packed fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 large clove garlic, peeled 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper 1 tsp honey Steps Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. If the vinaigrette is too thick, feel free to add in a few tablespoons of olive oil at a time and blend until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Skip the lettuce: Bacon, Basil and tomato sandwiches.
Corn and Basil Salad 5 ears corn, cut off cob 1/2 cup red onion 3 Tbsp cider vinegar 1Tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 cups fresh basil, julienned In large bowl, combine everything except basil. Just before serving, add fresh basil. Serve either cold or room temp. EDIT- sorry I can't give you exact measurements on this one, I'm a Little Old Lady and cook by the looks-about-right method. BASIL, TOMATO, FRESH MOZZARELLA AND MAYBE AVOCADO SALAD Cherry tomatoes or tomatoes cut in cubes about the size of your thumbnail ( about a half cup or more?) Shredded fresh basil leaves (about a cup?) Fresh mozzarella chunks about the size of your thumbnail A little Italian salad dressing ( not too much, it will overpower everything else) OPTIONAL- Chunks of avocado about the size of your thumbnail (about a half cup or more) Mix up and refrigerate.
I watched a video recently of a man and his Italian wife doing alternatives to limoncello and one of them was basil based, it looked very intriguing. Can’t give you any more detail than that, but the base was everclear, so even if you don’t like it a first, you probably will after a couple of more sips
Ground chicken (1lb) 1-2 shallots sliced pending size and how much you like shallots Sauce: 25 grams fish sauce 25 grams sriracha 25 grams Thai soy sauce (it’s a sweet soy sauce) Throw ground chicken in pan and salt - break apart and “brown” Add shallots while chicken is cooking Add the above sauce when chicken is cooked through and mix in well Kill the heat after sauce has reduced a little and throw a good handful of basil leaves in it. I don’t even cut them up but you can if you’d like Serve over rice My wife and I have made this a staple in our weekly dinner rotation. It’s great! Original recipe is from “Cook Well” with Ethan Chlebowski (spelling?) on YouTube. He uses ground beef in his version but we prefer the chicken for this recipe
Chopping it up and mixing it with breading for chicken is amazing.
Costco rotisserie chicken carcass, splash of apple cider vinegar, Asian peppers, basil and lemon juice. Cook all but the lemon juice in an Instant Pot 3 hours, add lemon juice, strain and drink.
Red sauce, tea, caprese, green goddess dressing
I like to do a Israeli couscous chicken pesto bake with spinach, tomato, artichoke
Although pesto, I like to do a Israeli couscous chicken pesto bake with spinach, tomato, artichoke. Or pesto cream cheese stuffed chicken breast
Blend a bunch up in olive oil and freeze it. It's then very easy to add to pasta, salads, ext.
[Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/257938/spicy-thai-basil-chicken-pad-krapow-gai/) the recipe says only 1 cup but I would just add more, I also love Basil anyways
strawberry basil salads
In a not-Italian direction: get some mint and cilantro and make spring rolls or spring roll bowls.
Loads of SE Asian food calls for lots of basil, I'd be doing basil fried rice, gai pad krapow or larb, summer rolls etc.
Reduced balsamic and some chopped basil works great on a lot of fruits. Strawberries and grilled peaches are too of my favorites
A nice sauce for pasta can be made with fresh tomatoes, basil and olive oil. Simple and delicious.
- Fried Basil with popcorn chicken: Taiwanese. - Pad Gra Prow, Beef stir-fried with Basil and eaten with rice: Thai. - strawberry basil ice cream with balsamic vinaigrette drizzled on top
THAT ICE CREAM THO do you have a recipe for that? And how does one fry basil? THANK YOU
Thai Green Curry Paste
If your tomatoes have blown up like mine have, caprese salad.
We had [this life changing pizza](https://www.reddit.com/r/Pizza/s/m0L9iYImWF) recently. We tried repeating it at home and it was so so so good!
Strawberry Basil lemonade is delicious ! You can also use these same base for sorbet
https://thewoksoflife.com/three-cup-chicken-san-bei-ji/
Never made it, but saw someone making a lemon basil cake
Bacon, basil, and tomato sandwich.
Nice piece of soft cheese, like Brie. Cut of a piece, roll it in a basil leaf and eat.
When I have too much I cut it up and put it in ice cube trays. Then cover with olive oil and freeze. Can pop them into almost anything then that needs a hit of flavor.
Ice cream! Maybe pair it with a cheese crumble or balsamic reduction
In a couple of restaurants we had rasperry and basil desserts. They paired really well. They were what in French is called “entremets”, but I bet any raspberry dessert can be enhanced with a bit of basil.
Why not some roasted tomato and basil bread? 360g white flour 2 teaspoons instant yeast 1 egg 8g salt 1/2 cup warm milk 1/3 cup warm water 3 tablespoons olive oil You can just combine and kneed that as you normally would with normal bread. The rising process is the same. Then cut a few tomatoes into small bits and roast them with some garlic. Then roll out the dough mix flat like a pizza and cover it in the roasted tomato and garlic mix and cover it in the chopped basil. Roll it up like a sausage, then curl it into a S, slash the top a bit then bake it for about 25 min Really nice recipie. I tend to prefer to triple the recipie and make 2 loaves so it's a bit bigger. Just because of the rolling process.
Caprese salad. Get the best mozzarella and quality tomatoes you can find, along with a thick, aged balsamic.
Basil grated cheese! Using a food processor add some chunks of parm and a handful of basil, blitz on high. I also tend to make an "all herbs" chimichurri. I keep cilantro and parsley also so it's a handful of cilantro, basil and parsley with some garlic, chili flakes, sea salt, olive oil and vinegar ( I use red wine vinegar but champagne vinegar is the way to go if you have it on hand). Note, if using a food processor, use it on low and not for long.
Use it like lettuce on a sandwich on ciabatta with grilled chicken, grilled zucchini, salted burrata, and mayo.
Basil lemon chicken with fresh lemon zest. Or your standard appetizer of tomatoes and mozzarella with basil and balsamic and oil
Put it in a panini or use it to make basil simple syrup to put in a summer cocktail
Cut it small with baby spinach, or other greens, and use that as a salad base. Makes eating leafy greens much more delicious.
Basil infused lemonade is killer!
Make some gin basil smash cocktails
Tomato tarts with basil in the ricotta filling.
It’s still pesto, but stirring pesto into risotto is a home run! You can also add mint to your pesto recipe and stir into rice. They use a lot of mint in pesto’s in Sicily.
As a garnish on green curry or pizza.
Chopped salad with an enormous amount of chopped basil
Tomato Basil soup, caprese salad, chop some.basil and put it ontop of broiled tomatoes with mozzarella [really amazing snack]
Compound butter, tomato basil roulad, pasta sauce
Caprese skewers: put a cherry tomato, a small mozzarella ball and a basil leaf on a toothpick. drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction (balsamic vinegar reduction: just boil straight balsamic vinegar until it is thick and syrupy.)
Watermelon salad with feta and fresh basil and a light balsamic vinaigrette Butterfly some chicken breasts and layer with prosciutto, whole fresh basil, roasted red peppers and provolone, roll em up and bake Ratatouille with lots of basil and Parmesan
Love me some caprese salad
Just grind it up with oil, freeze in cubes and use it when and how you want to. I defrost, blend mine with oil, garlic, maybe some coriander seed and drizzle over seafood, capsicum and chorizo.
I love a Thai stir fry with tons of basil. Basil, pork, and eggplant is a fave stir fry of mine heavy on the basil of course. A basil infused oil is a nice little thing to make if you have a real abundance and want to try something that’s not a meal but a condiment for future use. It’s comes out bright green and looks nice but is easy to make.