"Get Your Kids To Eat Vegetables"

It may feel ages ago, but from May 2013 to January 2015, my mother lived with us in a 600 sq. ft. two bedroom apartment. She moved in when my daughter was 2 ½ months old, both for economical reasons and for relationship building reasons. Prior to this experience, my mom and I didn’t have the kind of best-friend relationship that some girls have with their mothers that I yearned for all my life. It was not uncommon for us to go weeks without talking to each other. Our rocky relationship was set aside when my husband and I decided to invite her to live with us. Those who know us only had a tiny inkling as to why she was living with us, but not the entire story.

My mom, like many women today, was/is a working woman. I was borne to her when she was near 40, after two boys and many years of working and believing that she’d never have any more kids. It is my personal belief that this factor contributed the most to our unstable relationship. So when Lily was born, I felt torn about leaving her to go back to work. Nonetheless, in today’s society, it becomes necessary for a woman to work in order to contribute to the household income. Hence, I went back and for a year and a half, my mother stayed with Lily during the day while hubby and I worked full time (and my husband had an extra job of going to school), and thus began a foray into the many eccentricities that only comes from living with a parent as an adult.

I’d like to think that along with an improved relationship, my mother also left behind a legacy of her recipes when she moved out earlier this year. When I was growing up, I saw her as the main chef in our family. My dad hardly cooked – it was unheard of for men to do so in my village, so it fell on her to make our meals. However, my mom is not the type of person who enjoys cooking very much. She let this fact be well known to me. Her ‘enjoyment’ from cooking only comes from providing sustenance for a group of people, not for herself. So when she lived with us, she cooked rarely, and I don’t blame her. You get tired from spending a whole day taking care of a baby. When she did cook, it was simple and quick meals, all paired with rice. We are a big rice-eating family. 

But on Sundays, it was different.

Sunday is her day to go to church, her day to relax. Because I always had Sundays off, I spent time with my daughter while she was free to do as she pleased. Ironically, she’d often cook dinner for us. After church, she’d stop by the grocery store and decide what to make that night, and for several hours in the afternoon, she’d hole herself up in our tiny kitchen and create these elaborate Vietnamese soups that involved at least 15 ingredients; or she’d ask us what we’d like to eat, and she’d make it. As you can see, I looked forward to Sundays very much.

It wasn’t until she was physically in our household and making her Vietnamese dishes that our eating habits changed, and I'm glad it did. During this time she introduced quite a few dishes to our family repertoire. My mom is not only a strict Catholic, but also a strict Vietnamese-food-only eater. Even though she munched on burgers, crackers and other random bits of American fare while she was working, she’d always default on Vietnamese food for her main sustenance. And because my husband and I are both fans of Vietnamese food already, we always ate her food with diligence and eagerness.

If there are two things that I’m grateful for the most from my mom’s food, it’s the fact that 1) she introduced Vietnamese food to my daughter at an early age. As soon as Lily was old enough to eat solids, she’d often feed her rice, with soy sauce, fish sauce, and her many rounds of soups and vegetables, and 2) she brought on the simplest pickled vegetable recipe that one could ever ask for – bok choy. 

Packed with many vitamins and nutrients, these dark leafy greens (also known as Chinese cabbage) can be cooked in many different ways – but the best way is by pickling it. Pickled bok boy is no doubt one of my top favorite foods growing up, and not surprisingly, my husband went crazy over it when it was introduced in our household. He asked my mom for the recipe, only to be responded with a vague "I don't have one." My mom is, and always have been very old school - she cooks by taste and looks, not by exact measurements. Eventually, through observation and taste, he got the recipe. These days, it’s not uncommon for Lily to gobble up a big portion of these guys along with her rice. It is best used as an accompaniment to a rice and meat dish.

Ly’s Pickled Bok Choy

Adapted from my mom 

INGREDIENTS

1-2 lbs. of bok choy (preferably ones with dark, leafy stems) or preferred vegetables

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

3 tbsp. vinegar

2-3 cups of water

A few slices of ginger

STEPS

Prep the vegetables – chop into small slices, roughly 1-2 inches in length

Combine all the ingredients (except for the vegetables) in a pot. Bring to a boil.

Take it off the stove and let it cool to room temperature. 

Add the veggies, including the ginger, and wait at least 24 hours before eating.

NOTE: The ginger is only added for flavor, not for eating.

Rain (Or A Lack Thereof)

[Taken Spring 2014, iPhone]

I came to the realization of two things lately--one, how long it has been since we last had a rainstorm. Sure, Mother Nature managed to muster a few drops sometime last week, but it was hardly enough to call 'rain'; and two, how it's been a while since I've taken out my DSLR for some photography practice. So I decided I had to change that.

However, while going through my extensive collection of photos on my hard drive, I came upon my Beach Trips folder, and was tempted to share some of the lovely blue-hued that brought back another time and memories. It wasn't until I looked out the window of my bathroom that I saw rain had indeed come, just as predicted in the weather forecast for today, and immediately I took out my 'fancy' camera and took some snapshots.

What I love about rain is how fresh it makes everything look outside. The air smells fresh. The birds are more prominent in my ears. The flowers and the vegetables in the garden get a little TLC.

Alright, enough of the boring weather talk. Here's some of what I took today

[Taken today, DSLR]

Well Preserved Traditions

My husband and I just celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary almost two weeks ago, and over a decade of being together. Throughout the 13 years that I’ve known him, he’s always been very open about trying new foods. For both of us, food is deeply rooted in our childhood upbringing, albeit different styles of cooking with different parents. He was born to very young parents, and with one being in the military, his childhood cuisine consisted of LOTS OF potatoes (mashed or otherwise), Hamburger Helper, hot dogs, and canned peas mixed with chili, i.e. lots of fattening foods, otherwise known as quick-and-easy boxed meals. These days, at the mention of Hamburger Helper, he shakes his head in disgust, and within a minute, he looks like he’s about to throw up. On the other hand, I grew up with much older parents--a father who rarely cooked, and a mother who doesn’t particularly enjoy cooking, but nonetheless she can cook some fantastic meals. For a long time, she made these little jelly dumplings by hand every morning, and would carry them in two large baskets propelled by strings and take them around our district to sell. It was tough, back breaking work, but she did it to ensure that we’d all survive.

With that said, you’d think that I’d be more exposed to food and therefore learn to cook at an earlier age, right? Wrong. My husband and I’s upbringings led us in opposite directions. Dameion learned to cook for himself when he was young – not surprisingly, one of the first things he learned to cook was mashed potatoes, something that didn’t come out of a box. As for me, I was not allowed in the kitchen very often by my mother, and with being fed good food all the time, I didn’t have a lot of motivation to learn to cook myself. This continued all the way into adulthood.

As a teenager, Dameion went to live with his dad, who believed in standard American fare, hence his teenage years involved A LOT of chicken patties and near-expired milk. It wasn’t until he became friends with a Chinese/Mien kid that he was introduced to the Asian culture and its food offerings. Then he met me shortly after, and from that point on, his palette changed completely.

To this day, we eat a lot more Asian foods than American ones. It’s not to say that we would reject steak and potatoes if offered, but we tend to digress towards Vietnamese or Chinese foods (sometimes Japanese, however they are hard to make). In our household, we have a collection of Asian cookbooks, as well as many other Asian-inspired recipes stored in his phone. Not to mention, we go over to my mom’s house quite often, and he’s been introduced to different dishes cooked in different ways. What I love about my husband is that he’s always willing to try new things. As in the past decade or so, Vietnamese food (pho, anyone?) has blossomed as a food culture in Portland, we’ve been eating Pho for years. These days, if my mom or sister-in-law offers him something that he’s never tried before, he’ll eat it.

When we’re not being spoiled by my family, he comes up with his own recipes. Over the years of cooking (and working in the food industry), he has come up with a variety of dishes, adapted to his own liking. One in particular is my favorite, which I’ve included the recipe below. It is a simple chicken recipe consisting of using chicken thighs with certain spices and sauces and letting it work for itself through simmering. This recipe is a collaboration of sweets, spices, and savory—served with rice, it makes a very fulfilling dinner.

Dameion's five-spice chicken thighs*

Adapted from a random, unknown Chinese cookbook

Dameion's five-spice chicken thighs*
Adapted from a random, unknown Chinese cookbook

INGREDIENTS

5 teaspoons olive oil
5 chicken thighs
1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice*
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
Sliced green onions
Eight mushrooms* cut into slices 

DIRECTIONS

In a heavy bottom pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 8-10 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. In a small bowl, whisk water, brown sugar, orange juice, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, pepper flakes and five-spice powder. Pour over chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30-35 minutes or until chicken is tender, turning chicken occasionally. Keeping chicken in pot cut it with shears into chunks add mushrooms to skillet and cook for 1min. Sprinkle with green onions. Serve with rice. 

NOTES:

*You can use any type of mushrooms that you’d like; we typically use white since they are more economical, however this time we used crimini and they were also quite delicious.

*As far as tools are concerned, very little is needed except for either a 12-inch frying pan or a small Dutch oven. Both will cook the chicken quite nicely.

*Substitute OJ for lemon juice if you don’t have it, but we’ve found that orange juice works the best in this recipe.

*Optional: serve with a dash of sriracha and a few slices of cucumber.

It's cherry season !!

I thought I'd start a series of "Friday Inspirations" - things to look forward to this summer/fall/whenever...

Everywhere I go, I see cherries in the stores...and they're CHEAP. As you can tell, this is my Friday inspiration (taken about a month ago).

HAPPY FRIDAY. 'Nuff said.

Anniversary, Part II

Last weekend, in addition to hiking in the Gorge, my husband and I first stopped by a well-known, local restaurant for breakfast. I had first heard of Tasty N Sons wayyyy back - I don't remember when - but it was probably through a magazine, since they are well known for their prime location (in the up-and-coming neighborhood of N Williams Ave in Portland) coupled with their food and ambiance, it's considered to be a "hot spot."

So, of course, for a special occasion such as an anniversary, I corralled my husband to this place for a little munch before our hike. We arrived right before 10:00 a.m. (they opened at 9:00) and little did we know the place was already PACKED...before 10:00! It must've been because it's the weekend...regardless, we had to put our name on a waiting list to be called. The wait wasn't too bad - about 20 minutes - and another 20-ish minutes before we got our food. Both our tummies were growling by that time. Needless to say, when the food arrived, we devoured it quickly.

The Hangtown Fry (Saturday special)

Auntie Paula's french toast

For someone with a sweet tooth like me, Auntie Paula's french toast fits the bill perfectly. I felt like they overdid the fruit jam, but it was still one of the most delicious french toasts I've had in a long time. I can't speak for my husband - he had the Hangtown Fry - but after a small sample from his plate, I also thought it was delicious.

For more of this 'tasty' restaurant, check out my Flickr page here.

My Daughter

Lily Quynh, at 28 months she is full of spark & personality. She has an obsession with Mickey Mouse Christmas movies, playing the Endless ABC game, likes to swim (slowly), eat cucumbers & tomatoes, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and ice cream. She likes to brag about what she's currently doing at the moment - "Mommy, train!" (playing with trains) and has a penchant for saying "Hi daddy" randomly.

Oneonta Gorge

Oneonta Gorge is a place that my husband and I have passed through many times in the past. Hiking is something that we used to do quite often before we had a baby. We loved the feeling of being out in nature, smelling the fresh air, inhaling the scent of Douglas firs, shrubs, and most of all - the peace and quiet. It is, if anything, a form of meditation.

I feel fortunate to live in a place where the nearest place to hike is only half an hour's drive away. The Gorge offers tremendous, sweeping views - an opportunity to get away and still be close enough to the city. It was only fitting that for our seventh wedding anniversary (!) that we decided to go hiking. Coincidentally, the day after I saw on the cover of Portland Monthly magazine featured a picture of Oneonta Falls, plus an online article about great places to visit this summer in/around Portland (see #5).

To sum up the Oneonta Falls hike, it is by far one of the hardest - if not the hardest - hike I've ever been on, but it is definitely one of the prettiest. Next to Angel's Rest, it provides ample opportunity for pictures...that is, if you can manage to keep your camera dry after dunking your feet and treading the water up to your waist to get to the waterfall. But first, you have to get over this giant log jam...

NOTE TO SELF: Avoid going hiking on a Saturday in the middle of summer, for you will be exposed to a thousand other cars and no luck at finding a spot, not to mention, a higher likelihood of getting a parking ticket (yep, we did).

The Nature of Work

I’ve had a couple of days to recoup – that is, get over my whiny, I-hate-the-heat-and-I-hate-the-job-market way of thinking. What truly brought me back to life was the promise of this heat wave ending. I rejoice in the well of late 70s to early 80s heat. It makes me less likely to whine about things. I swear, the heat does something crazy to the mind—but all blame aside, I’ve given more thought as to whether or not the subject of work should’ve been brought up, and I decided that it should. Coincidentally, I read an article about the nature of work from The Atlantic magazine recently. It took me several days (that’s what happens when you have a kid), but I finally finished it this morning. And boy oh boy – it may be a long article, but it’s definitely worth reading. The author, Derek Thompson, explored the concept of work extensively, and given the nature of today’s ever-changing-fast-paced lifestyle and technological advancements, he made it a point to say that the value of work, psychologically speaking, is diminishing. To not give away the whole contents of the article, I’d like to note that this article is an eye-opener.

There’s a particular section about the artistic industry – the term “cultural workers” were coined, and it was stated that people who create things, mostly artwork – paintings, metalwork, photos, etc. do play an important role in the future of work. For a long time, teaching art & music in schools have been diminishing. In high school, my choir teacher was also the band director – a job common in today’s times as well. It is quite sad to see that as time goes by, pursuing artistic work has dwindled in favor of more science and technology-related subjects. It’s not to say that science and math isn’t important, because it is VERY important, for we can thank those engineers, scientists and mathematicians of today for the changes that have made our lives better.

From the New Yorker

Still, I wish that public schools would place more emphasis on letting kids pursue art, or rather create things. In Asian cultures where I grew up in, parents almost always want their children to become a doctor or a lawyer, professions that brings in a lot of monetary benefits and financial stability, so the kids tend to develop extrinsic motivation versus intrinsic motivation. Take, for example, the promise of working in a high rise development in a large metropolitan area with the salary to match – that is, extrinsic motivators. These kids are less likely to pursue photography, or sculpture or theater, because it is seen as career paths that doesn’t produce the best of incomes. Yes, that may be true, especially for a lot of “artists” out there, it can be YEARS (sometimes posthumously) before one can sell a piece of art for thousands or millions, or it can take a writer 7 years to get his book series on the market (for example:Jeff Kinney, creator of Diary of a Wimpy Kid), it is notable that these professions that offer a lot of extrinsic rewards often do not result in a lot of personal fulfillment.

Of course, it’s not to say that we should all quit our day jobs, or pack our bags and move to a place that would allow us to pursue our interests more. But some of us have a different calling than others. It took me a long time to realize that I was interested in taking pictures, rather than just admiring them; that when I look at a picture that I really like, I’d think to myself, “Wow I did that!” It feels good. In college, I started off by majoring in apparel design. Then with the insistence of my mother (who fits the mold of the typical Asian parent – wanting their kid to do something more financially stable), I changed it to business administration. And although I really enjoyed the subjects I studied in business school – since I knew it would be useful to know if I ever started my own business one day – I still wished that I had pursued art a little bit sooner. Perhaps then I wouldn’t have been so confused as to what to do after college, and it wouldn’t have taken me so long to figure out what I’d really like to do.

For me, I believe that it is much more rewarding to see something that you made by hand come into fruition as a tangible product right in front of your eyes than to look at a computer screen and see your company’s profits go up, for it may be awhile before you can reap in percentage of the profits. For a writer, this may mean holding a copy of a book she wrote; for a carpenter, this means seeing a piece of furniture displayed in a client’s home. The reward is there in front of your eyes—you can see it, you can touch it, and admire it. I doubt that you can really take a number from your computer screen or report binder and really digest in its significance tactfully.

Scenes From the Weekend (And Other Thoughts)

This morning, I sat down and Googled "seasonal affective disorder" hoping to self-diagnose as something I might possibly have. I've been in a funk lately, and have been using the weather as a culprit. I didn't know how to deal with the heat - how tired it makes me feel - other than to stay inside and try to stay hydrated. (Unfortunately, this almost always results in drinking more coffee, which might be my problem right there).  

This weekend, I felt like I was even more out of it. For one, I wore my shirt inside out to visit my husband at his work. Then I sat around and moped about how I had yet to hear back from a job that I interviewed for mid-last week. Finally, I started another round of hacking coughs, an addition to the already sporadic coughs that have been hibernating in my body for many weeks now.

Of course, good things DID happen: I went to see the 4th of July fireworks show at Tom McCall Waterfront Park with my husband, niece & nephew. I also introduced my relatives to their first experience at IKEA. And yet - come Monday, I was still feeling the blues. And I'm not one of those people who's ever experienced true depression before - only sporadic spurts of blues here and there - I consider myself lucky, but every once in awhile, when things don't go your way, you start to feel anxious, impatient, and unsure of yourself.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - I've been in a funk about how hard it has been for me to get a decent job in the past few years, how depressing it is to look at LinkedIn and saw that my old school mates and co-workers have moved onto better things, and wonder why I haven't gotten there yet. Of course, let's be real here - your online persona is only a glossy version of yourself. I know that even someone who has what I'd call a "dream job" may not be happy. But damn - it feels like everybody else is already caught up and reached a home run while I have yet to step up to the bat. I have this bad habit of dissecting myself after interviews - should I have said that? Oh no, I forgot to mention this...and that.. or overall, I'd say to myself, "I have good writing skills. I can form a sentence. I can do basic math. I can communicate with people. I have a college degree. I can learn things quick. So WHY won't anybody hire me?!?!"

For a long time, I didn't know what to do with myself. In fact, it took me awhile to even start this blog, especially this post. It is really hard for me to put myself out there. Self promotion is not something that I can do well. It's literally a fear of mine. After college, I played around with different things - started a food blog thinking that I'd teach myself to be a better baker, and although I have gotten slightly better at baking, I have yet reached a place where I feel confident I can work in a bakery by myself. At the time, I thought I was only into food photography. Then I dabbled into other things, writing here and there, worked basic jobs to pay the bills. As I got closer to my thirties, I thought to myself, I really have to get somewhere in my career. That ol' saying, "Pick something and do it really, really well" is so obvious, but it took me awhile to figure out what that "thing" is.

Which brings me back to this blog business - I knew that the term 'blogging' has been around for quite some time, and people have started blogs since the early 2000s, but I didn't find a lot of interesting blogs with intuitive writings until the late 2000s. Although the bloggers I've been following has achieved great success through their online presence, I found it difficult to really find my niche and focus on that. But then I thought, what's the point? Who's even gonna read it? Is anybody looking at it at all? That's how I felt like this weekend. Besides, I don't even feel right saying the word 'blog' - I feel that my place is more of a journal rather than a blog. 

So even though I didn't find anything that would truly diagnose me as having SAD (seasonal affective disorder), I decided that I wanted to keep growing this blog. Even if nobody is even reading this, even if nobody made it this far into this post, I still want a place to nurture what I'm really into - that is, photography & writing. Sure, I may be all over the place, but I'm slooowwwlllyyy getting myself caught in less places. I want people to know me, and how I see the world.

Besides Googling random, unwarranted diseases, I also sat down this morning to get my dose of Instagram. I didn't mean to. I was looking for inspirational quotes to get me out of the funk; instead, I saw many pictures on Instagram that brought me back to life - these are the people whom I admire the most and their pictures really capture ME as a person & the places I'd like to be in. So I gathered up their posts and created the collage above.

More dissection, clockwise from top left:

1. A good cup of coffee next to a beautiful bag is how I like to start my week too. As if it isn't already obvious, coffee is something that I MUST have every morning.
2. Reading a book on a big picnic blanket is what I call a perfect summer afternoon...when the weather isn't already 90+ degrees, that is :-)
3. Pike Place in Seattle is truly magical. I have fond memories of going there for my honeymoon in Seattle and a few more trips after that. IF possible, I'd like to live within walking distance of this place in the future, so I can get first dibs on fresh meat, fruit & veggies (not to mention, awesome ginger beer from Rachel's Ginger Beer!)
4. Having a vast green landscape with a swing for reading or playing is also a dream of mine. It makes for perfect afternoons. I am truly in awe of Jennie Prince.
5. Colorful summer fruits makes a great snack. When it gets hot, all I want to do is eat fruit and drink water.
6. I am a huge fan of Nicole's blog, and even more jealous of her travels. This one, I believe, she is in Copenhagen - one of the many places in Europe that I'd like to visit someday. The architecture alone is enough to make me drool.
7. Noodles, chopsticks, and chilies are part of my common language. Growing up in a Vietnamese household, I've had my share of noodles and salads, and I couldn't be happier. Limes & ginger are also great accompaniment to a lot of Southeast Asian dishes.
8. Ahhh...calligraphy. I feel like the art of writing nicely has dwindled over the years. Gone are the days where people were forced to write a paper by hand. Everything is typed or spoken into a smart phone nowadays, I wish I can play a role in recapturing the art of writing well. Someday, with more disposable income, I plan on learning calligraphy for sure...(and because the phrase on the picture is really the inspiration for this post).

Chicken Pomodoro

Friday night's dinner is still dancing around in my stomach. It's a full chorus, with its arms spread out singing HALLELUJAH. It beckons my name. Slow Cooker Revolution, you are a genius. 

But let's be real here - I am no chef. In our little family, my husband is the cook. He makes dinner most nights (okay, just about every night) whereas I am the after dinner clean-up crew. I can make a mean Double Dutch Mac &cheese with Swiss Chard from Bon Appetit, and fried rice, not to mention, I can fry an egg to perfection and make rice at just the right consistency with a very small margin of error. See a pattern there? Anything that involves the word "egg" "rice" or "pasta noodle" or "fried" I can do well. Heck, I can even bust out my whisks and mixing bowls for some good ol' cakes & baked goods. But as far as making whole meals, like a thanksgiving turkey or lasagna from scratch? That's up to the good ol' hubster. 

Which brings me to another point - when you cook dinner a lot, you kind of get tired of searching around for recipes & ideas on what to make. So you turn to the Internet...or in his case, his wife. Good ol' wifey here suggested browsing through the Slow Cooker Revolution that I own, sitting on the top shelf of our bookcase, eagerly waiting to be used. Now, if you don't own this book - you are absolutely crazy and you must run out to the nearest Barnes & Noble and buy one right now. It will save your life, just like it saved the day for us the other night. 

Packed with simple recipes and clear cut instructions- not to mention, scrumptious mouth-watering pictures, this book is my Bible for quick dinners in a slow cooker. I love cookbooks with pretty pictures, and this one is no exception. For someone who rarely cooks, I often browse the pages of this cookbook to gain inspiration. It's the kind of place you go to when you have a few ingredients in your fridge and you wonder what you can make with it, while at the same time not in the mood to turn on the stove. The 90+ weather we've been having lately makes cooking from the book a breeze. (Haha, I had to). 

The end result: a marriage of creamy goodness on top of tender chicken breasts. We threw on a bed of baby lettuces from a Trader Joe's and sprinkled on a few dashes of Parmesan...and dinner is served!!* Even better: the summer's late sunset makes it an ideal lighting situation for me to snap up a few photos before we gobbled away. Even my daughter was a fan of the chicken. 

Chicken Pomodoro

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 2-3 hours on low

Slow cooker size: 5 ½ to 7 quarts

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup tomato paste

4 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Salt & pepper

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/3 cup heavy cream

4 (6-8 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

STEPS

Microwave onion, tomato paste, garlic, oil, oregano, ¼ tsp. salt, and pepper flakes in a bowl, stirring occasionally until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Whisk in cream. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle in slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 2-3 hours on low.

2.       Sprinkle chicken with Parmesan, cover, and cook on high until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

3.       Transfer chicken to serving dish and sprinkle with 2 tbsp. basil. Stir remaining 2 tbsp. basil into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chicken.

**Next time, I vow to put a little more effort into making a salad.