So Many Dishes

When I think of dishes that feature basil, I think of things like caprese salad or a basil-rich tomato sauce. I don’t usually think of stir fries, but basil was the star of last evening’s stir fry dinner.

Ken and I both spotted the recipe for ground turkey, asparagus, and basil stir-fry in the Washington Post last week. Our habit is to read WaPo on our Kindles during breakfast, then discuss what we read while we’re on our walk. I’m not sure which of us was the first to comment on this recipe, but we agreed that we would put it on this week’s menu. I’ve noticed that the newspaper tends to recycle old recipes; this was originally published in 2019 and was developed by former food editor Bonnie Benwick.

This is a pretty straightforward recipe. I made two minor changes, one for convenience and one out of necessity. The recipe calls for two tablespoons of apricot jam, but we have a jar of peach jam that we picked up on our trip to Georgia this summer, so I substituted that. The recipe also calls for one and one-half tablespoons of sesame oil. I keep my sesame oil in the refrigerator, because I don’t use it that quickly, and it has a tendency to go rancid. Alas, I forgot to take it out in time, so it was still mostly solid when I started to cook. I got about a half tablespoon from the bottle, then used canola oil for the rest. The sesame taste was still there, and Ken’s opinion was that this is the way to go.

As with any stir fry, preparation is the key. I had all the vegetables prepped, so cooking was a breeze. Cutting the carrots into matchsticks—not my favorite job—probably was the longest step.

The result was delicious. I served the dish over rice noodles, as suggested, and that was the perfect choice. I used the low end of the range of crushed red pepper flakes suggested, and I think I’ll use more next time. We both added a bit of sriracha when we ate the leftovers today for lunch. Best of all, not only was the basil prominent in the dish, the house smelled of basil all evening. In my book, that’s a good thing!

Ground Turkey, Asparagus, and Basil Stir-Fry

• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchsticks
• 4 scallions, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more as needed
• 1 pound thin asparagus, woody ends trimmed or snapped, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

In a wok or large skillet over medium heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the turkey, stirring to break up the meat, until barely a trace of pink is left, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the carrots and scallions and stir-fry until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, apricot jam, and crushed red pepper flakes; cook until the jam has melted and the mixture slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and stir-fry until crisp-tender and bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Scatter the basil chiffonnade over the stir-fry mixture and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately with rice noodles. 4 servings.

Happy eating!