#either way thank you ji li we are very grateful

[dailyayao]

[lumau]

I promised some more early, early day Froststorm snippets, so here we are. How long ago would this be? 50-ish years, maybe? There will be more, but I don’t have a title yet, as titles are my enemies :)

Ao Shun sank heavily into his arm chair and took in the scent of his wine before savoring it. He nodded approvingly and dismissed his servants for the night. Li Ming knew he was not meant to be inclluded and remained in his position, awaiting further orders. He had patiently stood aside, as the king’s aides undressed him from his formal robes and taken notes of further tasks Ao Shun kept running by him throughout the process. The king had to be tired after the marathon of meetings with the other monarchs during the last two days, although he didn’t show much of it. Li Ming himself was looking forward to his own bed and a good night's sleep after the journey.

“Brothers!” Ao Shun sighed, as the door closed behind the two other servants. He sagged a little lower in his chair, and took another sip of wine. “I love all my siblings dearly, but each in their own way makes me doubt that sentiment, whenever we’re all cooped up together.”

It was not proper for him to comment on that, even though he had been present during the meetings and was aware that the kings did not always see eye-to-eye in all matters. So Li Ming replied with a polite smile and allowed himself a small moment of pride. It set him apart from the other servants, even those close to the king, that Ao Shun entrusted him with some of his more personal thoughts and feelings. 

“Li Ming, your own brother has not graced us with his presence,” Ao Shun turned in his chair and shot him a measuring glance.

“Ren Shun had to excuse his absence due to other pressing obligations,” Li Ming replied, and mostly managed to not sound bitter at the mention of his brother. It was no surprise that Ren Shun had not wanted to meet him after their recent, heated discussion of certain topics, and therefore found an excuse to send another of Ao Ji’s assistants with him instead. Maybe it was better this way. He still wished he would see reason, though.

Ao Shun smiled knowingly and turned back to his glass. There was more visible exhaustion in his posture now, and it made Li Ming aware of the growing heaviness in his own limbs. 

“My lord, is there anything else I can do for you, or should I leave you to rest?” 

Ao Shun remained silent, seemingly lost in thought, staring ahead broodingly. Then he looked up and his face lit up a little.

“Yes. Li Ming, would you massage my shoulders? I won’t keep you much longer, but I don’t want to call anyone else in anymore.”

Li Ming obliged, grateful for the further acknowledgment in the king’s words. It was not the first time Ao Shun asked him for a massage after a long day, but he was pleased nevertheless that he allowed his company when he did not want to see his other servants. He observed his own slender fingers moving in practiced patterns, standing out starkly against the black of the king’s dressing gown. The silk was cool and soft under his touch, as he made sure to move along with the fabric. While the monarchs had personal servants to assist them with dressing and care procedures, it was out of the question for anyone to touch them directly outside of such strictly set boundaries. 

Li Ming could sense the muscles soften under his touch, the slight movement of Ao Shun’s deepening breath that made his shoulders rise and sink. The room was completely silent apart from the light patter of rain outside the windows, and he felt himself beginning to relax as well. His gaze lingered on the glow of the low lights on Ao Shun’s skin, and his neatly braided hair that fell over his shoulder, and he could not help to feel awed by his strong presence and beauty. It had to be his tired mind, that made his thoughts drift to other instances where he had recently felt… felt what exactly? An unexpected interest that went beyond his official function. The king’s direct attention, a sense of understanding…  A certain look he sometimes gave him. A brief touch of his hand against his shoulder when he passed by his desk. A softness in his voice, when he addressed him. Li Ming was very well aware of his position at court, of what it entailed and what it didn’t - something that Ren Shun seemed to be forgetting at times. But there was an intimacy to simply being in silence together with the king that was not lost on him.

Absent-mindedly, Li Ming’s fingers had slowed, not moving efficiently anymore, merely in light, caressing circles. He was suddenly ripped from his thoughts though, as Ao Shun reached over his shoulder and his hand closed around his wrist.

“Mhm, curious...” There was a small frown on Ao Shun’s face, as he turned towards Li Ming. “I have been wondering if your hands would feel cold to the touch. But they don’t.”

Li Ming swallowed, flustered by the personal attention. He did not know what to do, so he simply stayed still, frozen in place.

“My lord, I control my temperature. A cold touch is usually not appreciated,” he muttered.

Ao Shun stood up from his chair and faced him, a little too close for general decency. He was still holding onto Li Ming’s wrist. 

“I see.” Ao Shun lifted Li Ming’s hand higher, as if to inspect it, and ran his thumb across his palm. “And if you are not masking yourself?”

Li Ming grew tense. He felt a blush creep onto his face. And where should he be looking? Ao Shun’s eyes were focussed directly on his, deep and dark like obsidian. There was a warm intensity in them that Li Ming had not seen there before. It made it impossible for him to hold his gaze, but he could not look away either.

“Show me.” Ao Shun’s smile grew wider. He raised Li Ming’s hand to gently lay it against his cheek.

Even if he had not wanted to, the sudden, intimate gesture let Li Ming’s control slip in surprise. Ao Shun’s skin grew warm under his fingers. Then, much too soon, the light pressure on his hand vanished as Ao Shun let go and took a step back.

“Quite pleasant. Thank you.”

Li Ming was still standing rooted to the spot, as the king turned away from him and stepped towards the door leading to his bedchamber. Before he left the room, Ao Shun looked back at him and smirked.

“Good night, Li Ming.”

[notchesandbullets]

Ryokuryuu’s Lifeline

Part 6: Pain

Your back collided harshly with cold stone as the officers tossed you around in the alley. Just like you predicted, it didn't take long for them to find you. They always hunted for unsuspecting women and children wandering around late at night.

Tch, what kind of sick person prays on innocent people...

You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, the skin coming away spotted with scarlet. Snarling, you launched yourself at the closest officer, and he fell down with a surprised shout. The other pulled you off of him, fist making contact with your jaw, almost knocking you out.

You blinked as the world around you spun.

Here we go...

Then, it all faded to black.

///

"Whatever it comes down to, I'll be right there with you. I promise."

Your determined voice pulsed through Yona's mind as she trekked up the hill to where her comrades were for the night, recalling what you had said to her the night Captain Gi-gan drew up the initial battle plans. Jae-ha had nodded off, and you both were exchanging hushed whispers, careful not to catch the attention of a certain hovering Thunder Beast. When you had first proposed the idea of going in undercover without telling anyone, she immediately was against it.

Yona didn't know what Yang Kum-ji had done to you personally, but she definitely didn't want to give him an opportunity to repeat it. You hastily rationalized your idea, knowing you didn't have a lot of time before Jae-ha woke up. The conversations the crew was engaged in rose in volume above yours, effectively concealing it from curious ears.

"I'm ready to face him. I've been running, but not anymore. If I can save one person from the fate that Jae-ha saved me from, then I'm going to do it."

Your tone left no room for argument, and Yona didn't have to ask to know that you didn't tell Jae-ha or the captain any of this. She would tell them tomorrow so that they would at least know about it before they started the infiltration.

Maybe they could dissuade you.

She glanced up to see Hak's dark figure leaning against the cliff. Yona stepped past him, but didn't get very far. She let out a shriek as he slammed her against the rock, pinning her with his arms on either side of her head.

"What can I do..." Yona looked up to see Hak's normally clear, cobalt eyes had darkened to obsidian. "...to stop you?"

"Hak..." Yona murmured.

"Do you know how dangerous it is to go to Kum-ji's place? You just did something reckless, didn't you?!" He shouted, gritting his teeth as he remembered the despair that filled him when Yona and the others were trapped in a cave in at Seiryuu's village.

He leaned his face into her shoulder, hoping to hide the fear in his eyes. "Sometimes... I want to tie you down."

Yona couldn't ignore his words as her heart shook, "Hak! M-Move aside!"

He didn't budge, despite her best attempts to create some kind distance between them and retain some of her usual color in her face. Eventually, she sighed and relented.

She needed him to hear her reasons for doing this, just like you had explained yours to her. "I used to think Kouka was an abundant country. I thought it was a country where people smiled and there was no conflict just like my father desired."

Yona paused, taking a second to formulate her thoughts into words. "But, the land of the Fire Tribe and Awa port haven't changed since my father's reign. Responsibility for the Fire Tribe and this town being the way they are also lies with me."

"Hak," He pulled back slightly to stare directly into her eyes, but Yona brushed off how her heart stuttered, intent on finishing. "Let me go. I am going to fight."

Her violet eyes burned with searing fire, and he let her pass, watching as the princess walked the rest of the way back towards camp. His heart was beating so violently, and he feared it would beat right out of his chest.

"Tsk, even though I said I absolutely don't want her to go... I'm shaking with... excitement? I want to see the princess..." Hak grinned, eyes glowing with unspoken pride. "End this successfully."

He sat up in alarm as an anguished scream pierced the silent night air. Kija, Shin-ah, Yoon and Yona burst from the forest, startling Hak even more.

"What was that?!" Yona cried out as Kija panted beside her. It was obvious that he was the only one who had been asleep.

Shin-ah pointed to the pirate ship, "Ryokuryuu..."

They tore through the night, reaching the docks in record time.

"What's going on?!" Hak demanded, eyes widening as they landed on Jae-ha's shaking form, clutching a crumpled piece of paper in his hands and Captain Gi-gan glared at them.

"Shouldn't you know?" The captain retorted savagely.

Kija was bewildered. "What?"

Yona carefully went to Jae-ha's side, easing the paper from his grip and unfolding it.

She almost dropped it.

Scrawled in blurry ink, she made out the message.

Jae-ha,

I'm sorry, but I've got to do this. It's selfish for me to hide while others take on the same fate that you spared me from so long ago. I have to do my part too. Yona inspired me, but please don't be angry with her. She did know, I asked her not to tell you. I understand I'm a coward for not telling you this in person, I was afraid I'd lose my resolve if I faced you. I know you'll probably hate me after this, but I want to save them. I'll do anything to save them from the pain that Kum-ji will inflict on them. There was so much I wanted to say to you... I'm sorry I couldn't. Know that you meant everything to me, Jae-ha.

-Y/N

P.S. Keep a lookout for metallic green attached to a mast, Captain Gi-gan. That will indicate which ship Kum-ji is on. I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye, but perhaps Yona will be a better replacement for me. Thank you for all the lessons that you've taught me. I will treasure it forever.

"You idiot," Yona lifted her head as she heard Captain Gi-gan scoff brokenly. "As if anyone could ever replace you."

Jae-ha's violent sobs racked his body, shattering Yona's heart. He was bent over, head pressed against the wood, darkening it as endless tears fell from his eyes.

"I-I'm so sorry, Jae-ha!" Yona let out a cry, the reality of what you had done setting in, and the pain crashed over her in waves. She reached out to him, but Hak grabbed her by the arm, shoving her behind him protectively. There was no telling what the distraught Ryokuryuu would do in this state.

Je-ha didn't seem to hear Yona, all he could think about was you.

How he failed you.

How he couldn't keep you safe.

You went back, did you not care about him at all?

You meant everything to me, Jae-ha....

His body trembled as your soft voice echoed in his head, and he cried harder, teeth nearly cracking underneath the pressure as his jaw clenched in agony.  

Why?

Why did you do this to him?

Didn't you know how much it would hurt him?

"Jae-ha..." He faintly heard Captain Gi-gan's voice, but it seemed so far away. No one was there to calm him down.

You were gone.

Would he ever see you again?

"Jae-ha." Her voice was clearer this time.

"Y/N..." Looking up, Jae-ha thought he saw your concerned face, but as his vision cleared, he saw the captain peering down at him worriedly, unmistakable sadness etched in her eyes.

She wrapped her arms around him, embracing him tightly as Jae-ha sobbed into her shoulder for what seemed like hours until he finally stopped and she released him.

The deck was empty, he had no idea when everyone had left, but he was grateful for their absence for once.

"Jae-ha, we'll get her back." Captain Gi-gan stated fiercely.

His eyes were swimming with grief, regret and a whirlwind of other emotions she couldn't identify and the captain knew it was only a matter of time before he spiraled out of control. You were the only one who could keep him successfully grounded, just like he did for you, and as much as she despised the way you went about things, she understood why.

After all you had been through, there was no way you would be able to convince her, let alone Jae-ha, to let you go back to the man who had kept you chained to an alleyway.

Captain Gi-gan begrudgingly acknowledged the rationality in your plan, but that didn't mean she agreed with it.

There was a very high chance you wouldn't make it out alive and that was a possibility she was not willing to entertain.

Yona and Yoon were supposed to leave the day of the exchange taking place with the Kai Empire, which was scheduled to be tomorrow. By being there a whole 24 hours more than them, there was no telling what state you would be in once they found you.

If they found you.

"We're going to get her back." She reminded him firmly, just as much for his sake as it was for her. "Jae-ha, you've got to fight for her."

That snapped something inside of him, and in a heartbeat, he was on his feet, a murderous look in his eyes. Fury blazed from within him and threatened to scorch any living thing that got too close.

"Captain," Green hair obscured her view of his eyes, but if she was able to see it, she would see the unhinged anger and desperation flashing in them. "I might not be able to hold myself back this time. I am going to kill him and anyone else who gets in my way." He warned.

She sighed, "She wouldn't want us to do that, but I'm not sure I can hold back either."

They had taken you away from her again, even if you went willingly to stop them.

Yang Kum-ji was going to pay for the girls that he had stolen from their homes, but he was going to pay a million times over if he so much as breathed on you.

Y/N... Captain Gi-gan closed her eyes in unusual desperation as Jae-ha stomped below deck, presumably to take his anger out on something. The normally calm and collected captain was gone and in her place was a worried and brokenhearted mother.

Hold on. We're coming.

[flutecattle9-blog]

Chicken and Basil Wontons

This wonton filling is proudly—if improbably—fashioned after san bei ji or Three Cup Chicken. This is one of the ultimate dishes from Taiwan, and one I love enough to try to twist into different forms any day. It starts with a deeply satisfying blend of soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine (the eponymous “three cups”), and it’s splashed with copious aromatics—garlic, ginger and basil. I wanted to get its zingy, herbal flavors inside a wonton for a refreshing filling based on chicken (since I didn’t feel like going out of my way to get ground pork).

Dumplings and wontons are perfect vessels for any beloved flavor profile, as I’ve found. And Three Cup Chicken is so good that it doesn’t even need to have chicken—braised squid or clams are classic renditions in Taiwan (included as recipes in The Food of Taiwan). Eggplant, mushrooms and other firm veggies braise very nicely in these flavors, too. Wings, also, turn out great. But I was hankering for wontons after the Brooklyn-based noodle and dumpling skin company, Twin Marquis, asked me to sit in on an upcoming video shoot with the Brooklyn chef, Lien Li of Bricolage. She’s going to be making wontons—and I can’t wait to see what she does.

Ginger, Thai basil and garlic are essential ingredients in Three Cup Chicken—used liberally

Minced or ground chicken chicken is marinated with grated garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine

My mom makes wontons just about every time I come over for dinner, nowadays. Growing up, it was something that we’d make from time to time for an occasion, like a holiday, or for guests and relatives coming over for dinner. Due to their smaller size, they can be a bit more time-consuming to make than dumplings, but you don’t have to make a huge batch. I didn’t this time, although they turned out so tasty that I wish I had a few more to freeze for later. But with just 1 pound of chicken, I made about 45 wontons—you can eat them as a part of a meal, a snack, or as a whole big bowl of them alone.

A small dab of filling is placed in the lower half of the skin

To make the filling, you can always get ground chicken. But I decided to finely chop some boneless chicken thighs, for a bit more of a chunky texture. (This was time-consuming, but you could also opt for a food processor to pulse it a few times, instead.) Then I drenched it with grated ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine, the classic Three Cup Chicken ingredients. Finally, plenty of chopped fresh Thai basil and a couple chopped scallions were added, and the filling was done.

The skin is folded to seal around the sides, and about a half-inch to an inch below the top

There are a few ways to fold wontons, but in this recipe, I’ll show you the way I’ve been doing it lately (thanks to the admonitions of my mom, as heard in this episode of the Why We Eat What We Eat podcast). It requires some dexterity and you should always opt to under-stuff rather than overstuff the wrapper, because if it’s overstuffed it’s likely to burst before or during cooking. And you’ll lose the juices and flavors to the water.

Twist the bottom edges backwards and pinch to close

These wontons are great served in a soup. But you can always serve them straight up, topped with sauces and garnishes like more fresh basil and scallions. Drizzle them with hot sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, or whathaveyou.

Once you get the hang of making wontons, you can let your own imagination fly. With all the fresh herbs I’ve been getting this spring and early summer from my own plants and my CSA, I’m thinking more greens can fit into just about anything.

Chicken and Basil Wontons (makes about 45 wontons, or 4 servings)

1 lb boneless chicken thighs (or substitute 1 lb ground chicken) 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 1 Tablespoon sesame oil 1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine (or substitute with dry sake) 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground white or black pepper 2 cloves garlic, grated 2-inch knob ginger, peeled and grated ½ bunch fresh Thai basil, leaves trimmed of stems and finely sliced 2 scallions, chopped 1 package square, yellow wonton wrappers

options for garnish: the remaining half-bunch of Thai basil 1-2 scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped soy sauce your favorite chili sauce chili oil sesame oil rice vinegar

Finely chop the chicken into small pieces about the size of a pea (alternately, you can chop into larger chunks, and pulse a few times in the food processor, stopping to scrape down the sides often). Combine the chicken with the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, salt, pepper, grated garlic and ginger and chopped herbs. (Mixture can be chilled up to a day ahead).

To make a wonton, place about ½ teaspoon of the filling horizontally along the lower half of a wrapper. Dip your finger in water and trace the sides of the wrapper to wet it; wet a line just above the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom edge over the filling and seal along the sides, and at the top, leaving about a half-inch of wrapper at the top edge (see photos above). Be sure to seal the edges securely shut, and try to squeeze out any air pockets. Wet the corners of both bottom edges of the wrapper, and twist them backwards to meet. Pinch where they meet to seal the wrapper there. Repeat with the rest of the filling and wrappers. (See also photos and instructions in this post.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the wontons, working in batches if necessary so as not to overcrowd, and boil for 5 minutes. Remove wontons gently with a slotted spoon and transfer to serving bowls. Top with optional garnishes and serve immediately.

Cost Calculator (for 4 servings)

1 lb boneless chicken thighs: $6.00 1 Tb soy sauce: $0.10 1 Tb sesame oil: $0.20 1 Tb rice wine: $0.10 2 cloves garlic: $0.20 2-inch piece ginger: $0.20 1 package wonton wrappers: $3.00 1 bunch Thai basil: $3.00 2-3 scallions: $0.50

Total: $13.30

Health Factor

Five brownie points: This is a lighter take on wontons, if you’re used to the average ground pork filling. Since I used boneless chicken thighs, they come with a good amount of fat for flavor, but it’s not too greasy. And adding lots of fresh, green basil boosts your vitamin intake, so add plenty.

Green Factor

Five maple leaves: Opting for chicken pieces that you either chop, mince or process yourself rather than ground chicken (or any meat) gives you more control over the texture. But it can also more easy to find from the suppliers you like—like those that are organic, humanely raised, or small local farms. Right now is also a great time of year to start your own herb garden, and I may have to add Thai basil to my small collection of pots; it’s a good time of year to find herbs at markets, too. Source: http://noteatingoutinny.com/2018/06/13/chicken-and-basil-wontons/

[drylip0-blog]

Chicken and Basil Wontons

This wonton filling is proudly—if improbably—fashioned after san bei ji or Three Cup Chicken. This is one of the ultimate dishes from Taiwan, and one I love enough to try to twist into different forms any day. It starts with a deeply satisfying blend of soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine (the eponymous “three cups”), and it’s splashed with copious aromatics—garlic, ginger and basil. I wanted to get its zingy, herbal flavors inside a wonton for a refreshing filling based on chicken (since I didn’t feel like going out of my way to get ground pork).

Dumplings and wontons are perfect vessels for any beloved flavor profile, as I’ve found. And Three Cup Chicken is so good that it doesn’t even need to have chicken—braised squid or clams are classic renditions in Taiwan (included as recipes in The Food of Taiwan). Eggplant, mushrooms and other firm veggies braise very nicely in these flavors, too. Wings, also, turn out great. But I was hankering for wontons after the Brooklyn-based noodle and dumpling skin company, Twin Marquis, asked me to sit in on an upcoming video shoot with the Brooklyn chef, Lien Li of Bricolage. She’s going to be making wontons—and I can’t wait to see what she does.

Ginger, Thai basil and garlic are essential ingredients in Three Cup Chicken—used liberally

Minced or ground chicken chicken is marinated with grated garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine

My mom makes wontons just about every time I come over for dinner, nowadays. Growing up, it was something that we’d make from time to time for an occasion, like a holiday, or for guests and relatives coming over for dinner. Due to their smaller size, they can be a bit more time-consuming to make than dumplings, but you don’t have to make a huge batch. I didn’t this time, although they turned out so tasty that I wish I had a few more to freeze for later. But with just 1 pound of chicken, I made about 45 wontons—you can eat them as a part of a meal, a snack, or as a whole big bowl of them alone.

A small dab of filling is placed in the lower half of the skin

To make the filling, you can always get ground chicken. But I decided to finely chop some boneless chicken thighs, for a bit more of a chunky texture. (This was time-consuming, but you could also opt for a food processor to pulse it a few times, instead.) Then I drenched it with grated ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine, the classic Three Cup Chicken ingredients. Finally, plenty of chopped fresh Thai basil and a couple chopped scallions were added, and the filling was done.

The skin is folded to seal around the sides, and about a half-inch to an inch below the top

There are a few ways to fold wontons, but in this recipe, I’ll show you the way I’ve been doing it lately (thanks to the admonitions of my mom, as heard in this episode of the Why We Eat What We Eat podcast). It requires some dexterity and you should always opt to under-stuff rather than overstuff the wrapper, because if it’s overstuffed it’s likely to burst before or during cooking. And you’ll lose the juices and flavors to the water.

Twist the bottom edges backwards and pinch to close

These wontons are great served in a soup. But you can always serve them straight up, topped with sauces and garnishes like more fresh basil and scallions. Drizzle them with hot sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, or whathaveyou.

Once you get the hang of making wontons, you can let your own imagination fly. With all the fresh herbs I’ve been getting this spring and early summer from my own plants and my CSA, I’m thinking more greens can fit into just about anything.

Chicken and Basil Wontons (makes about 45 wontons, or 4 servings)

1 lb boneless chicken thighs (or substitute 1 lb ground chicken) 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 1 Tablespoon sesame oil 1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine (or substitute with dry sake) 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground white or black pepper 2 cloves garlic, grated 2-inch knob ginger, peeled and grated ½ bunch fresh Thai basil, leaves trimmed of stems and finely sliced 2 scallions, chopped 1 package square, yellow wonton wrappers

options for garnish: the remaining half-bunch of Thai basil 1-2 scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped soy sauce your favorite chili sauce chili oil sesame oil rice vinegar

Finely chop the chicken into small pieces about the size of a pea (alternately, you can chop into larger chunks, and pulse a few times in the food processor, stopping to scrape down the sides often). Combine the chicken with the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, salt, pepper, grated garlic and ginger and chopped herbs. (Mixture can be chilled up to a day ahead).

To make a wonton, place about ½ teaspoon of the filling horizontally along the lower half of a wrapper. Dip your finger in water and trace the sides of the wrapper to wet it; wet a line just above the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom edge over the filling and seal along the sides, and at the top, leaving about a half-inch of wrapper at the top edge (see photos above). Be sure to seal the edges securely shut, and try to squeeze out any air pockets. Wet the corners of both bottom edges of the wrapper, and twist them backwards to meet. Pinch where they meet to seal the wrapper there. Repeat with the rest of the filling and wrappers. (See also photos and instructions in this post.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the wontons, working in batches if necessary so as not to overcrowd, and boil for 5 minutes. Remove wontons gently with a slotted spoon and transfer to serving bowls. Top with optional garnishes and serve immediately.

Cost Calculator (for 4 servings)

1 lb boneless chicken thighs: $6.00 1 Tb soy sauce: $0.10 1 Tb sesame oil: $0.20 1 Tb rice wine: $0.10 2 cloves garlic: $0.20 2-inch piece ginger: $0.20 1 package wonton wrappers: $3.00 1 bunch Thai basil: $3.00 2-3 scallions: $0.50

Total: $13.30

Health Factor

Five brownie points: This is a lighter take on wontons, if you’re used to the average ground pork filling. Since I used boneless chicken thighs, they come with a good amount of fat for flavor, but it’s not too greasy. And adding lots of fresh, green basil boosts your vitamin intake, so add plenty.

Green Factor

Five maple leaves: Opting for chicken pieces that you either chop, mince or process yourself rather than ground chicken (or any meat) gives you more control over the texture. But it can also more easy to find from the suppliers you like—like those that are organic, humanely raised, or small local farms. Right now is also a great time of year to start your own herb garden, and I may have to add Thai basil to my small collection of pots; it’s a good time of year to find herbs at markets, too.

Source: http://noteatingoutinny.com/2018/06/13/chicken-and-basil-wontons/