This was the second of 3 ideas I found for use of chicken breast on www.BonAppetit.com. It's loosely based on the great Thai soup Tom Kha Gai. I know! Easy and ready in under an hour. As with every recipe, I didn't fuss much with exact ingredients. I had red bell pepper instead of jalapenos and no snap peas but it was great anyway. And c'mon isn't it so great to eat well on a normal night that has no business being special? I already had everything to make this except the fresh basil that set me back $1.69 at the corner market.
Like a squirrel I store nuts. I wait for some of these specialty items to go on sale and will buy them randomly. The pantry stuff, like coconut milk and fish sauce. I notice when the grocery stores need to reduce their overstock of these less popular items, the discounts are deep. And to grab one during a regular run doesn't hurt the budget. So when the urge hits and you get a wild hair, it's all there and free and ready. And it's even better because you know you were smart about it.
