Asian-ish Thai-ish Chicken Lettuce Wraps With Peanut Sauce

Crazy cravings for Thai food and/or Lettuce Wraps at P. F. Chang's...and NO time to get anywhere(!)...led to today's recipe. It's an Asian fusion kinda, Thai kinda...well, I don't know which actual kinda mish mash of Asian culture the rest of the wrap could be ascribed to - all I do know is that the wraps scratched every Asian itch we had. 
 
Despite the fact that there are several parts to this recipe, don't be intimidated by the length of the recipe. Each component is easy to do and can be whipped up ahead of time. When you're ready for dinner, warm the filling and dinner is ready for YOU! 

Asian-ish Thai-ish Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

                                  With Peanut Sauce

 

Filling:

• 2 chicken breasts, minced in the food processor - don't overprocess into a paste! (method: cube still slightly frozen chicken and process in short pulses until it's a coarse, nice sized mince)
• 2 green onions, sliced well into the green
• 1 carrot, peeled, julienned
• 3/4 ounce Mei Fun rice noodles, crushed
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 water chestnuts, finely chopped
• 2 T soy sauce - or wheat free tamari if gluten is an issue
• 1 T chili oil
• 2 t. sesame oil 

 

• 2 T. rice wine vinegar
• 2 T. sugar
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 t. grated fresh ginger + the juice that accumulates under the grater
• 3 T. wheat free tamari
• 1 t. chili oil
• 1 t. dark sesame oil

• 1T peanut oil

Salad:

• 6 T. shredded carrot
• 4 T. thinly sliced green onion
• 4 T. finely diced seedless cucumber
• 2 very small cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T. thinly slivered red bell pepper
• 2 T. cilantro, minced
• reserved marinade from above
• 2 (or so - taste before adding more) T water

Sauce:

• 3 T. lime juice
• 2 t. fish sauce
• 2 t. soy sauce or wheat free tamari if gluten is an issue
• 1 t. sesame oil
• 2 t. sugar
• 2 t. water
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 T peanut butter

Garnish:

• finely chopped dry roasted peanuts
• finely chopped cilantro

• Bibb, small Romaine or leaf lettuce leaves - you know, small and flexible lettuce!

Marinade: Make marinade for chicken of rice wine vinegar through dark sesame oil. Stir well. Set aside 2 T. of the marinade and add the minced chicken to the remaining marinade. Refrigerate a couple of hours or so - overnight even.
 
Filling: Heat peanut oil in skillet. When it's good and hot, chicken by batches and brown. Remove each batch to a plate as it's done. When all the chicken is done, return it - and ALL the juices - to the skillet and add water chestnuts, noodles, green onion and carrot. Add the rest of the filling ingredients, stir well and taste - adjust seasonings as necessary. 
 
Salad: In a medium bowl, toss together the shredded carrot, green onion, cucumber, garlic, red pepper and cilantro. Add reserved marinade mixed with water - taste the sauce and adjust as necessary. Set aside.
 
Sauce: Whisk the sauce ingredients well - taste & adjust. Set aside.
 
To serve: Plate a pile of lettuce leaves, a bowl of chicken, the shredded salad and the sauce. On a lettuce leaf, put a spoon of filling, a spoon of salad, drizzle with sauce and garnish with peanuts and cilantro. Roll and enjoy!

Apple, Bacon & Pecan Chicken Salad with Maple Pecan Vinaigette

The PLAN part of Dinner Plan-it came into play for this recipe! Grilling or BBQing in our house always means throwing on a little extra for later in the week.  Who doesn't love a quick meal that can be assembled at the last minute, doesn't look and feel like plain old leftovers and is absolutely delish?!  

That Spatchcocked Chicken that was posted recently?  Yep, part of the plan for this salad. Tuesday's dinner of fire-roasted poblano pepper burgers and corn on the cob were planned into the salad, too.  What luck!  I had an extra avocado from Poblano Burger Night, too.  The plan was coming together!

All that was needed was to saute the bacon and toast the pecans right in the same pan, arrange the salad, whisk up a quick and easy vinaigrette and dinner isn't just a plan, it's on the table quick as a wink.  Here's how to do it.

 Apple, Bacon & Pecan Chicken Salad 

with Maple Pecan Vinaigrette

Serves 2

• 2 cups spinach
• 2 cups romaine lettuce leaves, mixed red & green
• 1/2 cup pecans, whole
• 3 slices bacon, thick sliced, 12" across, fried crisp
• 1 Apple, Gala or other crisp & pretty one
• fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons bleu cheese, crumbles
• 1 chicken breast, roasted, sliced across the grain
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1 poblano pepper, roasted, blackened skin removed and seeded - sliced

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup, grade B - it has more flavor!
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Saute bacon until crisp; remove with slotted spoon & drain.  Saute the pecans in the bacon fat.  Remove.
 
On two plates, arrange 1/2 the spinach & half the Romaine on each plate.  Top with apple slices in a sunburst.  Arrange slices of avocado and roasted poblano pepper alternately; squeeze lemon juice over both.  Arrange 1/2 the chicken slices around the salad.  Sprinkle with bacon & pecans.  Mound bleu cheese in the center and drizzle with the vinaigrette.
 
Vinaigrette:  Mix olive oil, balsamic, maple syrup, granulated garlic, pepper & salt.  Whisk well.


NOTE: You don't have to do an arranged salad...make it easier and chop the chicken, apples, veggies, etc. and mix lightly together.  Top lettuce and spinach with the mixture and drizzle with dressing.  Easy!


Instead of apple, try grilled peaches, pears, mango or even orange slices!

Grilled Caesar Romaine

Here's a question for you....have you tried grilling your salad yet?  What?!  Yep. Last year I saw - and tried - a recipe for a grilled romaine salad with bacon, balsamic vinegar reduction and blue cheese and fell in love with salad all over again!  It reminded me of an old time wilted lettuce salad - only better.  

After a long trip back from Michigan on Sunday, we wanted a simple dinner - steaks on the grill won out!  What the hell, as long as the grill is hot, why not try the same technique on another salad favorite?  How about Caesar salad?  I whipped up a quick Caesar dressing with lemon, garlic, dry mustard and olive oil, then sauteed some garlic croutons and coarsely grated some good parm over the top.  The experiment was not only a success, it was delicious!

Grilled Caesar Romaine

• 1 head romaine lettuce - split in half lengthwise, cut side sprayed lightly with olive oil 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice, more if you like it tarter
• 1 t. dry mustard - I use Coleman's
• 1/2 C. olive oil
• Parmigiano Reggiano, grated fresh to taste

• 2 slices bread - your favorite, in my case it's gluten-free, cut into small cubes
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced  

Whisk the 2 cloves minced garlic, Worcestershire, lemon juice, mustard and olive oil until emulsified.  Set aside.


In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the bread cubes and garlic until crisp and golden. Set aside.

On a hot grill, put the romaine cut side down and grill just until beautiful grill marks appear.  Remove to a plate.

To serve, drizzle dressing lightly over each grilled romaine half, sprinkle with croutons and lightly grate the parm over each.  Serve!