When missing something Important....

Improvise!

In order to make lettuce wraps....you need one important ingredient. Hello, LETTUCE? Er...well, lettuce LEAVES, not the torn up stuff prewashed in a bag (like what I had). Nothing like a few lettuce leaves going to keep me from making my copycat PF Chang's dish!

I also noticed that the recipe said to make 3 different sauces. The pouring sauce, the flavorings for the chicken stir fry and more stir fry sauce for the veggies. BAH! I hardly think all these 3 sauces are going to REALLY compliment each other, especially when some of the same ingredients were being used and ALL of those flavors would be eventually in one lettuce leaf, heading for my taste buds? Again, BAH.


This is my recipe/process:

Copycat Chicken Lettuce Bowl

Sauce:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 warm water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. ketchup (I had only the spicy/tabasco ketchup- worked fine)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (I had only lime on hand)
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp corn starch (save for later)

4 chicken boneless breasts (I always have some already cooked for fast easy meals)
*1/2 cup mushrooms (I soaked some dried ones in warm water)
*Bag of broccoli slaw
*Carrots slices (I used some a handful of the baby carrots I had)
*Half an onion in large chunks
1-2 eggs scrambled

*What I listed above is what I had on hand. Make your recipe to your liking by making the stir-fry veggie combo you LIKE!

1. Prepare above sauce (except for corn starch)and have ready in bowl.

2. In your hot cooking vessel, scramble your egg and put aside.

3.Put a little oil in your pot and start stir-frying your veggies. Now I added some of the sauce....about 1/2 of the bowl. While my veggies were cooking I cubed up my chicken. (You certainly can use fresh chicken and saute them in the oil before your veggies.)

What you see here is the carrots, onions, mushrooms, cubed chicken and 1/2 of the sauce. Now would be a good time to add your corn starch to the remainder in the bowl.






4. Once your veggies are tender crisp, chicken is heated through/cooked add your broccoli slaw and the rest of your sauce. (I hope you have this in your markets...It's great. You would find it where your bagged lettuce/coleslaw is in your grocery.) Stir to coat and when thickened.... turn off heat.





5. Place your lettuce bed in bowl. Pile on your chicken/veggie mixture and put your scramble eggs on top. Garnish with green onions and/or toasted almonds.



Don't forget your chopsticks!!














Planning Ahead for your food holidays....

February 23, 2009 National Banana Bread Day
February 24, 2009 National Tortilla Chip Day
February 25, 2009 National Chocolate-Covered Peanuts and Clam Chowder Day
February 26, 2009 National Pistachio Day
February 27, 2009 National Chocolate Cake, Kahlua and Strawberry Day
February 28, 2009 National Chocolate Souffle Day
March 1, 2009 Nothing! Can you believe it? Someone call the presses, no food was designated on this day. Any suggestions?