Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

(source)

If you have ever been to the chain PF Changs, than you know about the chicken lettuce wraps.  They are like their signature appetizer and I have been craving them lately.  Since we are trying to eat a little healthier too, I thought they would be a great meal for our Monday night because it involves lettuce, so it's got to be healthy, right?

This recipe was adapted from here at Food.com but, I changed somethings to fit what I had in my cabinet and our taste...

What you need:

• 3 tablespoons oil
• I had one package of ground chicken which worked much better than cutlets 
• 1 cup water chestnut (*look for a can from the Asian section)
• 3 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 4 -5 leaves iceberg lettuce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• splash of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon hot mustard
• 2 teaspoons water

How did I do it:

(chicken-personal photo)

 

Toss the oil in the pan and let it sizzle on medium for about 2 minutes.  Toss in ground chicken, but watch out for the splash.  I used my wok as a way to keep the splatter down, but it still was a little dangerous.  Move the chicken around so that it turns white throughout dish, helping it chop more as you go.  

(lettuce)

Throw in the minced water chestnuts (this is what gives it the crunch) and the onions, moving them around with the chicken. Next, hops in the garlic, and I added more because we love garlic.  The rest (minus the lettuce of course) can then be tossed in with a little pepper or crushed red pepper flakes if you like it a little hot.  The lettuce should be kept separate until the very end to keep it crisp.  You treat this meal as you would tacos.

(final product)

And we had chicken potstickers from Trader Joe's on the side, yummmy!  Super easy to make and well worth it.  Just toss them in a little oil in a pan until brown then 3 tablespoons of water and a lid for 5 minutes.

Do you try and re-create meals that you had out?