Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I have been wanting to try a chicken lettuce wrap recipe for a while now, so today I decided to just do it! I got the recipe off the Food Network website, with a few changes by me! Tim really liked them!
I labeled them Appetizers but you can totally do it for lunch or dinner served with a bowl of rice.
It seems like a lot of ingredients and prep but it's actually very easy. I will also attach the link to the original recipe. The original called for noodle but I didn't add them.

CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS
Serves 4
About 1 hour total prep and cook time

For the Chicken:
1 large egg white
1 Tblsp cornstarch
1 Tblsp Chinese rice wine or dry Sherry(I used the Sherry and cream sherry at that and it still turned out yummy)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
Whisk the egg white, cornstarch and rice wine in a large bowl. Add the diced and toss to coat well. Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least half an hour while prepare the other stuff.

For the Stir Fry Sauce
2 Tblsp Oyster sauce
1 Tblsp Hoisin sauce (I didn't have any oyster sauce, so I used the hoisin for the amount of the oyster sauce as well, you might need to add just a little more salt but other than that it still tasted good.)
1 Tblsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tblsp Chinese rice wine or sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons Cornstarch
Whisk  the Oyster sauce, Hoisin, soy sauce,  rice wine and sesame oil in a bowl, then whisk in the cornstarch until it is dissolved. Set aside.
I wanted more kick so I added 1 tsp of sweet chili sauce to the mix

For the Stir Fry
4 Tblsp Peanut oil(or canola oil)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon peeled ginger, minced
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
4-6 scallions(green onions) large slices
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 pound shitake mushrooms, stemmed and diced( the shitake mushrooms were kind of expensive so I substituted the baby bella's also called Cremini mushrooms. Take the stems off and dice them)
1/2 cup water chestnuts, diced
Small lettuce leaves(butter or Boston lettuce works well, but also whatever lettuce you like)

Directions:
To make the stir fry: Heat 2 Tblsp peanut or canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate. add the remaining 2 Tblsp oil to the skillet; when really hot, almost smoking, stir in the garlic, ginger and jalapeno, then ad the 1/2 tsp salt and the 1/4 tsp sugar and stir fry 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, water chestnuts and scallion piece and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Add the stir fry sauce and and chicken and cook for a minute.

Spoon mixture into washed and stemmed lettuce leaves and enjoy!
To Garnish you can shred some carrots and top the lettuce cups with some shredded carrots.

I am back!!!

So I do not have a recipe to post yet but I had this delicious appetizer in Hawaii that I want to try to make. It was a piece of garlic toast with a slice of grilled eggplant and zucchini on it, topped with Parmesan that was toasted on top then drizzles with a balsamic dressing. It was so tasty! I also made dinner for the first time in two months =D

Recipe number two!

Chicken breast with bacon and sherry vinegar

5 slices bacon chopped

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

salt and pepper

2 shallots, minced

1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, ( ok this was weird because i could not find this in any stores so i called Erin. i think i used a little bit more on the sherry side.)

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes, Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and pour of all but tablespoons fat from skillet.

2. Spread flour in shallow dish. pat chicken dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. cook chicken in fat in skillet until golden brown about 4 minutes per side transfer to plate.

3. add shallots to empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 1 minute. stir in 1/3 cup vinegar and simmer until syrupy, about 1 minute. add broth, honey and chicken and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. transfer chicken to platter and tent with foil.

4. Continue to simmer sauce until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. off heat, whisk in butter and remaining vinegar. pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle with bacon. Serve

Ok now for the real food

These three recipes are from the cook book called The Best Simple recipes. they all take about 30 to 35 minutes to cook.
The first one:
Chicken with Pesto-Mushroom Cream Sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken

salt and pepper

3 table spoons of oil

10 ounces of mushrooms sliced thin

garlic cloves minced

1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup basil pesto

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 table spoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. cook chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with foil

2. Add remaining oil to skillet and cook mushrooms until browned, about 5 minutes. stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cream, broth, and chicken in to skillet, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a boil. reduced heat to low cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

3. transfer chicken to serving platter and tent with foil. return skillet to high heat and simmer until sauce s thickened, about 5 minutes. Off heat stir in pesto and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve.

This goes great with rice, potatoes, coucous.

So busy Cooking

To Start with if you are borded and need something to do. Make giant gummy bears. it is so easy and fun. http://www.pimpthatsnack.com/project/366/1
just follow the recipe and be amaze. Also use lots of oil it will help.

The Grilled Cheese Sandwich

OK so Eileen introduce Taber and I to this wonderful cheese. it has an Irish ale mixed in with the cheddar. well don't try to make it into a grilled cheese sandwich. it is way too strong.

Chicken Wraps

These are yummy and easy to make. It's nice light meal that can be used for lunch or dinner as well as makes for a good summer dish, since you don't have to turn on the oven =D I made these for dinner for Tim and I tonight and thought I should share the recipe!

CHICKEN WRAPS
Serves 3-4
12 oz Shredded Chicken, or 2 chicken breast
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tblsp pesto
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 shallot
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp thyme
2 Tblsp white wine
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded Romaine
4-5 tortillas
Place your chicken breast in a sauce pan and fill with water to cover the chicken. Bring the chicken to a simmer and simmer until the chicken breast is cooked all the way through. Once chicken is cooked pull out of water and pat dry. Using a fork shred the chicken by running the fork along the grain of the chicken, put the shredded chicken into a bowl and set aside.

Blend all the other ingredients (except lettuce and tortillas) in a blender or food processor until nice and smooth. Pour the dressing over the shredded chicken and mix well.

Warm you tortillas and place some of the shredded chicken in the tortilla, top with shredded romaine lettuce and roll up. Voila!

Note; If I am making this for just Tim and I usually half the recipe and use one chicken breast. It should make enough to fill 3 tortillas

Variations
Sundried Tomato pesto. Substitute sundried tomatoes in place of pesto or add along with the pesto, both are good.
If you don't have either pesto or sundried tomatoes add 2 tsp balsamic vinegar. I usually add the balsamic vinegar to the recipe anyways since I like the way it taste.
Have fun with the recipe! I never follow it exactly so play around with ingredients you like!