Thai Chicken Tacos

Okay, I was feeling pretty bad about my last meal. 

Especially since I double-checked my About Me section – and, yep, I had written about how I wanted to feed my family healthy food… and I’m pretty sure my butter-filled meal on Thursday did not count as healthy (though it was quite tasty!).

So, when I saw this recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens magazine, I had to give it a try.  (Also, maybe because we had all the ingredients [no grocery store trip = happy cook] and it looked super easy.)

The Recipe:

Thai Chicken Tacos, adapted from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, June 2011

1 lime

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces

1/4 c chopped cilantro

1/4 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T fish sauce

2 t reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 t hot chili sauce

2 T vegetable oil

flour tortillas

1 recipe Cabbage Slaw (see below)

1.  Juice one lime.  In bowl stir together chicken, cilantro, onion, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, and chili sauce.  Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

2.  In large skillet cook chicken mixture in hot oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked, stirring occasionally.

3.  Serve in tortillas topped with Cabbage Slaw.

Cabbage Slaw, also adapted from BH&G

2 c shredded cabbage

1/2 c shredded carrot

1/2 c sliced green onions

1/4 c sliced fresh cilantro

1/4 c coarsely chopped peanuts

1/4 c rice vinegar

1 T mayonnaise

Toss all ingredients together and serve.

Slaw!

The Results

I have to be completely honest with you all.  Hubby may have stepped in to take over help me out a bit.  I think I may have been going a little slow for him (possibly because I was also unloading the dishwasher and feeding the youngest at the same time – and instead of assisting with those tasks, he offered to help chop, go figure).  But anyhow, I did let him cut up my onions and raw chicken.  I’m weak, what can I say?

I did do everything else, though.  And the meal turned out so refreshing.  I am normally not a fan of cabbage or coleslaw, but this was tangy, tart, and very, very good.  Hubs thought it was a bit too tart and could use a dash of sugar, but I loved it just as it was.

The chicken was moist and flavorful (and you can never go wrong with cilantro in any dish, as least in my opinion).  It was a little scary grilling the chicken in the pan, as it splattered and spluttered quite a bit – in a way that I’d imagine wok-cooking to be like (though I am still very much against cooking in a wok due to a little PTSD from this little episode).  I survived with minimal injuries, though – and no false smoke detector alarms.  Yay!

Don't you just want to take a bite?

 Oh, and if I might suggest something to make the meal even more perfect: a vodka tonic with a twist of lime.  Just do it.  Trust me.

Mmmmm