Recipe Swap: Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

It's another Recipe Swap Friday, hosted by Sarah of A Taste of Home Cooking!! I had to sit out of the last round because, as you all have seen, my posting presence has been...lacking...lately and I just couldn't commit. But life seems to have leveled out a bit...again..and I'm slowly working my way back up to mulitple posts in a week. It's the little things, right? Ha!

When I received this recipe for Kung Pao Chicken Tacos from Nichole of A Cookaholic Wife, I had to chuckle a bit. I had this on my menu to make for weeks and for one reason or another it kept getting pushed back a week until I finally just took it off. So, I was glad to finally be able to make it!! And now, of course, I feel like a doofus for putting it off for so long because they were deeelicious!! And dangerous. Being able to make yummy Asian food at home could get me into trouble. J wasn't around for dinner this particular night, so he just got a picture of it instead. I'm such a nice girlfriend ;)

Add this to your Taco Tuesday must-makes, and check out the other great swap recipes below!!

Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

As seen on A Cookaholic Wife, via Cooking Light, October 2012

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
• 3 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 1/4 cup + 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch, divided
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sambal oelek (chile paste)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped
• 3/4 cup celery, diced
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1/3 cup green onions, sliced
• lime wedges

Preparation

1. Place the chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. After the chicken is coated with soy sauce, add 1/4 cup of cornstarch to the ziplock and shake to coat the chicken well.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of canola oil and add the chicken to the pan cook for 3 minutes on each side until cooked thoroughly, about 6-7 minutes total (this can be done in batches). Add the celery and peanuts during the last couple of minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sambal oelek in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until smooth and microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes until slightly thick, stirring twice. Remove from the microwave and stir in the garlic.
4. Pour the sauce over the chicken, celery, and peanuts, and stir to coat all of the chicken.
5. Cook the corn tortillas for a few minutes on each side on a griddle pan over medium-high heat or under a broiler until slightly blistered.
6. To assemble, place a couple of spoonfuls of the chicken mixture into the center of each tortilla and top with green onions, red bell pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice.