One of my good college friends works near a bar that she and her coworkers frequent on Thursdays and Fridays. The drinks and food aren’t that special, but they’re always in great company. (It’s the place I met my future Southie roomies!) Meeting with Steph and Ali on more than one occasion, we’ll order lettuce wraps to accompany our spirits. Seemingly simple, I decided to try my hand at making them. Instead of wraps, I deconstructed them to make transport and eating easier. The fresh ginger is brightly fresh with a sharp bite, while the edamame and water chestnuts add crunch and texture to Deconstructed Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
Ingredients (serves 6-8).
- 2 t light olive oil
- 1/4 onion sliced into thin 1″ strips
- 2 t minced garlic
- 1/3 c hoisin sauce (and extra to top)
- 1 T reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 T rice vinegar
- 1 T fresh ginger, finely chopped
- Sriracha to taste (and extra to top)
- 1 lb ground chicken, lean
- 1 can water chestnuts, diced
- 1/2 c shelled edamame (frozen)
- 2 c cauliflower (frozen), cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 head Boston bib, butter or red lettuce, chopped
- Sesame seeds to garnish
Directions.
- In wok or large skillet, sauté onion and garlic in oil over medium heat.
- Once translucent, add the ingredients of hoisin sauce through water chestnuts. Stir well until chicken is cooked, browned and crumbled.
- Meanwhile, while chicken cooks, thaw or defrost cauliflower and edamame. Mix into chicken mixture. Cook chicken and veggie mixture until warm throughout.
- Plate chopped lettuce. Spoon chicken veggie mixture over lettuce leaves like a salad. Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds and extra hoisin sauce/sriracha if desired.
- Enjoy!
Adapted from Damn Delicious‘s “PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps.”
