Because all of us enjoy eating out sometimes, I wanted to point out that any dish you love to order in a restaurant can be successfully duplicated at home (with a little internet research and experimentation, that is). Home versions of favorite restaurant foods are almost always much more healthy--and definitely cheaper. With this in mind, this week I’m offering my personal no-fail recipe for Chicken Lettuce Wraps inspired by those served at P. F. Chang’s China Bistro. You may not be familiar with some of the ingredients (neither was I a few years ago), but they can all be found in the Asian Food section at any of our local grocery stores.
Also, I wanted to mention that I have made it a tradition to plan something special for my family to eat over General Conference Weekend which, although usually quite labor intensive, is appreciated and looked forward to, since we only have it occasionally. I always make enough that we can enjoy it both Saturday and Sunday between conference sessions, and I get most of the prep work done on Friday so I can be ready to watch conference with the fam. Some of our past favorites include: Real Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs, Café Rio Sweet Pork or Grilled Chicken Salad, Make-Your-Own Individual Baked Pasta or Stir Fry Bowls (with many choices of meat, veggies, and sauces pre-prepared and ready for people to create their individual favorites—then pop in the oven or toss in the Wok). So if the family will be together for conference, rather it’s just the two of you, the kids and/or grandkids, or a gathering of any number of relatives or friends, it’s fun to make the special bi-yearly weekends in April and October occasions to remember.
Filling:
2 pounds raw chicken (boneless breasts or thighs) ground in food processor or chopped very small with a sharp knife
1 pound mushrooms, diced
2 small cans whole water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 bunches green onions, sliced
3 large cloves garlic, grated or diced fine
Sesame oil for browning
Chinese Rice Noodles or Sticks
Sauce:
½ cup Hoisin Sauce
½ cup Oyster Sauce
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
Pinch of Ground Ginger
Mix together well in a small bowl. Set aside.
Do the rice sticks next. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 400 degrees. Break the rice sticks apart and throw them in a very few at a time. They will puff within seconds (if they don’t, you’re either putting too many in, or the oil is the wrong temp)—remove them immediately and drain on paper towels a few at a time. Set aside. Note: You won’t need the whole bag—no more than half. Save for next time.
For the lettuce, buy two nice heads of lettuce at least a day before. As soon as you bring it home from the store, wash and drain well upside down, then crisp up in covered tupperwares in fridge. The day of serving, slice 1/3 to 1/2 of the head off (opposite core end) and separate carefully out into little bowls/cups. Make sure they’re nice and dry. Put away the rest of the lettuce for another use. Keep lettuce cups in fridge to keep cool until ready to serve.
Saute chicken in about 2 Tablespoons sesame oil---sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until done. Add mushrooms and cook briefly until soft—drain off any liquid. Add garlic and cook another minute. Mix in prepared sauce and green onions. Cook a minute or two. Add water chestnuts last. Remove from heat and keep warm.
Place rice sticks on a large platter and spoon chicken filling mixture over the top. Put out lettuce and let everyone make their own servings at the table, wrapping around the meat mixture like a burrito, with chicken and rice sticks on each wrap. This can be used as an appetizer or a main dish.
*Originally distributed March 2013
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