Thai Chicken Tacos + Pineapple Slaw

For a long time I got the backlash about trying to do any type of taco other than good old fashioned ground beef, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese. And while a staple in our household, I tend to be a little more adventurous, lets just say, than my counterpart in the taco department.

This taco recipe, single-handedly, initiated Taco Tuesday in our house.

I am finally allowed to try fun and exciting taco recipes.

There's something about the saltiness of the peanut butter, the sweetness from the pineapple, and the heat from jalapenos that compliments each other in the most delicious of ways, leaving very little leftovers.

The best way to start is with the marinade, but this could just as easily be made with left over chicken - as long as it was either minimally seasoned or similar flavors. If you plan to marinate - cut up your chicken into bite sized pieces and place into either a plastic bag or a bowl. Combine 1 teaspoon of cumin, paprika, dried minced onion and minced garlic. Add in a pinch of red pepper flakes (omit if you don't like the heat.) Finally add 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 1/2 teaspoon sriracha and 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice to the bag. Give it a good shake, and place into the refrigerator. A minimum of 20 minutes will do the trick, but the longer it can sit, the better.

Next lets prep the slaw. The best part about this slaw, is the flexibility of veggies. You literally can shred or chop what you prefer and all flavors blend perfectly. In this recipe I chose to go with chopped broccoli, shredded carrots, and green onion. I've made it with peppers, tomatoes, and sprouts, but you could just as easily throw in cucumber, kale, or red onion. I work with what I have - and what we both like, to make this recipe work quickly for an amazing weeknight meal.

Dice up your veggies of choice - and throw in a bowl with 1 cup of chopped pineapple - proportionally, I like having the ratio be about 50% pineapple, and the rest veggies, but that can be altered as well. Season with a little salt, pepper, sesame seeds and minced ginger. Lastly, 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice. I also like to put in 1/3 cup of chopped jalapenos [like I haven't stressed it enough, we love the heat in this house! But feel free to omit if you don't.] Place in the fridge if you aren't ready to start cooking.

Once its time to eat - take slaw and marinating chicken out of the fridge. I like my tortillas warmed, so I'll turn my oven on to 200 degrees and let them warm up while I cook the chicken. When I say this meal is done in 20 minutes or less, it isn't a joke. Bring a saute pan to medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, take the chicken only out of the baggie or bowl and brown in pan. When the chicken is nearly cooked all the way through and brown, pour the remaining marinade over, and lower the heat. You'll want this to simmer, and slightly reduce, coating each piece of chicken thoroughly. At this, let the chicken hang out for a few minutes simmering, and you can prep whatever else it is you like on your tacos - I like some sort of a greens blend, avocado's if they're ripe and the slaw.

After about 5 minutes of simmering, take a big scoop of peanut butter (about 1/4 cup) and stir completely into the sauce of the chicken. I usually lower the heat even more at this point, and let it finish cooking low and slow. If your sauce needs some thickening, either turn the heat up a little bit, or add 1 teaspoon flour. After another 5 minutes, your chicken should be complete and ready to serve.

Build those tacos and top with slaw!