Thai Style Evil Jungle Princess

This has long been my favorite to get at Thai restaurants! I was thrilled when I found this recipe and tried it out right away! It was so good! The kids were licking not only their plates, but the serving bowl by the end of dinner. I didn't make it too spicy - between a 1 and 2 but next time I might make it a bit spicier so I can have leftovers! ;)

Thai Style Evil Jungle Princess

1 TBSP olive oil (or Peanut)
6 garlic cloves peeled and minced
1 1/2 stalks lemongrass chopped into 1" - 4" pieces (variety is fun!)
4 TBSP lime zest (or 6 Kaffir lime leaves, softened in warm water)
4 8 oz chicken breasts, skinned and sliced into pieces
1 C coconut milk
1 C chicken broth
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp sugar
10-12 fresh mint leaves, chopped
4 TBSP fish sauce (I left this out, since I had none... I just added a small amount of salt toward the end of cooking)
2 tsp cayenne pepper - or to taste
6 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 C finely chopped red cabbage
1 C finely chopped Chinese cabbage (or regular - that is what we used!)
1 2/3 enoki mushrooms (I didn't use these but might next time!)

Cooked Rice if desired

Heat the oil in a large skillet or Wok and add the garlic. Cook until oil is infused with garlic and add the lemongrass, lime zest, and chicken. Stir fry chicken until no longer pink. Add coconut milk, chicken stock, and chili powder and stir fry until chicken turns white and sauce has cooked down into a coating cream. Stir in the sugar, mint leaves, and fish sauce. Add your cayenne, keeping in mind that how much you add will determine the 1-5 heat factor. I would say that 1 1/2 tsp was about a 1.5 on the heat scale. A little spicy, but still fine for kids. Stir in lemon to suit your taste.

Put the sliced cabbage and mushrooms into a hot skillet with a little chicken broth or water (just enough to cause steam) and allow to heat through (I did 8 minutes or so)

Serve the cabbage over rice (if desired) and top it all with the evil jungle princess! YUM!!!

***NOTE - towards the end I wanted it a little saucier so I added more coconut milk (about 1/2 cup) so it was a little thinner... but still awesome and it went farther that way! Woooo hooooo;)