Spicy Thai Chicken Lettuce Tacos

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Have you ever had those days or weeks when you feel like you need to put the breaks on cooking, going out to eat and indulging in general? Who am I kidding? I know it happens to most of you lots of the time! It happens to me — I am having one of those moments right now.Dialling it back in the kitchen is the best cure of all. This recipe is one of my go tos when I need to reset, regroup and ground myself. It feels like self-care to me. If you need a little more bulk to this recipe, boil up some soba noodles, drizzle them with sesame oil, sprinkle with black pepper and green onion and a full meal is made.

Spicy Thai Chicken Lettuce Tacos

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Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ tbsp fish sauce or low sodium soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
  • 1 stalk of lemongrass, (about 1 Tbs. finely minced)*
  • 1 tsp red chili flakes
  • ½ tsp packed brown sugar (or honey)
  • ½ cup water
  • 1½ pounds minced chicken (I like a mix of dark and white meat)
  • 1 227-ml can water chestnuts drained and sliced in rounds
  • 2 green onions chopped in small rounds
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • A few tbsp minced cilantro
  • A few tbsp minced mint leaves
  • About 16-20 Boston lettuce leaves

Instructions
 

  • In a non-stick fry pan (large enough to hold the chicken later), mix together the fish sauce, soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos, minced lemongrass, red chili flakes, brown sugar and water.  
  • Bring it to a boil and simmer for a few minutes.  
  • Add the chicken and water chestnuts and mix it through.  
  • Using a wooden spoon or spatula, break the chicken into small pieces as it cooks.  Cook until it is no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes.  Remove from heat.
  • Sprinkle the green onions, lime juice, cilantro and mint. Stir.Spoon a generous amount into each lettuce leaf.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

*Cut the root end off the lemongrass and then cut the lemongrass where the white part meets the greener part (you only use the white part, discard the root end and the darker part.  Slice the lemongrass piece in half in the length and remove the outside two layers of the lemongrass, this part is too tough, discard.  Then chop the white part very finely.  You can freeze the rest of the lemongrass for another use, chopped or whole.