Thai Basil Chicken

INGREDIENTS

• 3 shallots, cut in thin slices
• 5 large garlic cloves roughly chopped
• 3–6 Fresno or Thai (spicier!) chilies, cut into thin rings
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or peanut oil
• 1 pound ground chicken (or sub ground turkey)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar or honey, or sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or GF Liquid Aminos
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 red bell pepper sliced in bite-sized strips
• 1 cup Thai basil leaves -or Holy Basil (Tulsi) if you can find it, regular basil will work too
• pinch of ground anise seeds if using regular basil (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If serving with rice, start that first.
2. Heat up a pan or wok to med-high heat.  Add oil and shallots, stir for 2 minutes.
3. Add garlic and hot peppers stir for 2 minutes more until shallots are lightly brown on the edges.  Scoop out into a bowl and set aside.
4. Without cleaning out the pan, add oil, turn the heat to high, add ground chicken, black pepper, and salt.  Stir fry a couple minutes until chicken is cooked and starting to brown.  Sprinkle coconut sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce over the chicken and stir until incorporated.  Add the red bell pepper and the shallot mixture.  Cook about a minute, just enough to warm.  Add basil leaves and turn the heat off.
5. Serve over jasmine rice.  Season with more soy sauce if desired.