Kung Pao Chicken

We have a local chinese restaraunt that is the most fantastic place.  It has been around in our community since my mother was a little girl.  Four generations of my family have eaten at this lovely little place.  It is not fancy, but the owners know the customers by name and often come to visit while you are waiting on your food.  The "new" owners came in over two decades ago.  It was one of the first restaraunts my hubby and I would go to when we were first dating.  The Eastern Garden is a piece of our community and our hearts.
Recently, the owner announced they would be closing the doors next summer.  We were so disappointed!  Their children have grown.  The youngest one is headed for college.  The owners are going to move so they can still live as a family while he attends college at a big university.
The last few times we went there I lamented how much I was going to miss them and their food.  I finally asked once what was in my favorite dish, Kung Pao Chicken.  The owner laughed and rattled off all the ingredients so fast I could hardly understand.  The next time, I went in with a pen and paper!  She never has measurements and her instructions are always so fast.  I wish I could just go in and watch them for a day! 
Each time we go in, I ask for another recipe.  Then I go home and experiment with it.  When we go back again, I ask her how I need to change it to get the flavor right.  I have gone home and played with the ingredients and measurements for the Kung Pao Chicken. This is pretty darn close to the Eastern Garden.
My family will miss the Eastern Garden when it is gone.  Over the next few months, we are going to try and go a little more often.  Once they have moved on to bigger and better things, I will make their recipes at home.  Everytime, I will think of the owners and how much they were a part of our community and our hearts.

Kung Pao Chicken

5 carrots
5 stalks celery
2 small zucchini
½ cup peanuts
2 chicken breast halves
3 cloves minced garlic
½ chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
½ tablespoon red pepper flakes (more if you want it spicier)
3 tablespoons Soy sauce
2 teaspoons Cornstarch
1 cup water
2 cups cooked rice

Mince and chop onion and garlic. Cut remaining vegetables into bite size pieces.

Cut chicken into small bite size pieces.

Fry chicken pieces in large frying pan with butter, garlic, and onion until chicken is cooked through.

Stir in red pepper flakes, peanuts, carrots, and celery. Cook this, stirring occasionally, for approximately 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the zuchini is softened a bit.

Stir together soy sauce, cold water, and cornstarch for sauce. Add into hot mixture and stir until sauce thickens.

Serve over cooked rice.

This makes enough for my family of 6 plus extra.