LETTUCE WRAPS

This recipe is from the website: recipezaar.com

Chicken Lettuce Wraps Like Pf Changs - Copycat Recipe #178146

I LOVE PF Changs Lettuce Wraps, but we live a long distance from the nearest of their restaurants. When I start craving their lettuce wraps, I make this copycat recipe, and my husband says they are even better than Changs. You be the judge. They are a little work, but well worth the effort.

by BamaKathy

45 min | 30 min prep

SERVES 6

• 8 dried shiitake mushrooms or fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons water
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs ground chicken
• 5 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 green onions, minced
• 2 small dried chilies (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots, minced
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, minced
• 1 (2 ounce) package cellophane noodles, prepared according to package

Cooking Sauce

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 12 leaves iceberg lettuce, cups

1. (If you used dried mushrooms, cover mushrooms with boiling water, let stand 30 minutes then drain.) Cut and discard woody stems from mushrooms. Mince mushrooms. Set aside.
2. Mix all ingredients for cooking sauce in bowl, and set aside.
3. In medium bowl, combine cornstarch, sherry water, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and chicken. Stir to coat chicken thoroughly. Stir in 1 teaspoons oil and let sit 15 minutes to marinate.
4. Heat wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add 3 TBSP oil, then add chicken and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. Add 2 TBSP oil to pan. Add ginger, garlic, chilies(if desired. I leave these out), and onion; stir fry about a minute or so.
6. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir fry an additional 2 minutes.
7. Return chicken to pan. Add mixed cooking sauce to pan. Cook until thickened and hot. Break cooked cellophane noodles into small pieces, and cover bottom of serving dish with them. Then pour chicken mixture on top of noodles. Spoon into lettuce leaf and roll.

My personal "Healthier Version"

• The first thing I do is get the core out of the head of lettuce by grabbing with both hands, with the core side down. Bring it down hard against something like the counter or a solid table. The core should lift right out for you.
• Next, put into a deep bowl, run cool water into the head itself until the bowl is full and water covers the whole head. I throw in some ice cubes to make it nice and cold to crisp the lettuce better. Set that aside and start chopping!
• I started making these when I was losing weight and realized that veggies are really good in them. Today I used: red peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, zucchini, minced garlic, water chestnuts, a small amount of cooked rice and chicken.
• Dice all of it very small, 1/4 inch at the largest. Use the food processor if needed.
• **Stir fry all of the ingredients starting with the meat. As soon as it is cooking, start adding the veggies starting with the veggies that take longer to cook. I do this when stir frying anything so that it can all come out with some crunch left in the veggies.
• This will not take long so have your soy sauce ready to sprinkle in just before you take it off the heat. I use low salt soy sauce so that I can have more of the flavor without so much salt. There are also teriyaki sauces that would be good if you like that flavor combination. Some times when it is just me home, I have been known to add a little sweet & sour sauce to make it zingggg!

When the filling is ready, pull the head of lettuce in half starting at the hole where the core used to be.

• Scoop some filling up in a spoon and spread on your leaf ( I often double the leaves for more crunch)
• Roll it up and enjoy!!

Other Ideas:

• I use many different ingredients:
• Just about any vegetable can go into it.
• Besides chicken, I have also used beef, pork, chopped and ground.
• Instead of rice, I have used different Asian noodles, chopped up into small pieces.
• Try nuts chopped up in your food processor! If you like cashew chicken try that in the wrap form, peanuts and almonds are also yummy.

STIR FRYING:

If you have never stir fried, don't be afraid to try it! It isn't that hard and you will be surprised at how much you love it. I even do an Italian type stir fry that we put over the pasta with a light sauce drizzled over the top!

• A wok is nice, but the most important thing is that it is a heavier weight. I use my cast iron skillet quite often.
• The next thing is that, if you use an oil that has a higher smoking point, it will be a lot easier. I use peanut oil a lot. A little sesame oil added to the oil will give it a wonderful nutty flavor. When I am not going so Asian, like when I do the Italian stir fry, I use vergin olive oil. If you want heart healthy, use olive oil all the time. You do need to use high temperature to get the stir fry "yumminess" .
• Chop all of your ingredients
• Heat pan, add oil.
• When a piece of meat sizzles when it is put into the pan, go ahead nad add the rest of the meat. Stir constantly using a large shallow spoon, scoop or spatula. This is called stir fry and the difference is that the food is on the move in your pan all the time.
• When the meat looks about half done, start piling the vegetables in, starting with the ones that take longer to cook, such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower.

I hope this make sense. If it doesn't, feel free to ask questions, I won't be offended and my "editor" (daughter) is kind of busy these days.

This post is very long, so I will post the one using dehydrated foods in a couple of days! Guess the chille rellenos will have to wait until tomorrow, life still goes on!