Chicken Lettuce Wraps

So I’m getting ready to leave the office last night & I think, “What do I want to make for dinner tonight?” And like a flash, it hits me – CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS! You know the ones like they make at P.F. Chang's with that delicious “Special Sauce” that they mix to your heat preference at the table.  Then you get to pour it on top of your tasty wraps.  (I'm ALL about condiments!)  Anyhoo, I’ve never made lettuce wraps before, but I’ve eaten plenty, so I decided with the help of a quick Google search that this would be the night to try.

When I saw this recipe I knew it was just what I was looking for! And with just a few modifications I had in mind it was perfect.  The original recipe was from Todd Wilbur and Top Secret Recipes. Here I’ve posted it with a couple changes.

If you’ve got a food processor, you’re going to want to pull it out for this one! It will make your life sooo much easier! If you don’t, improvise and get to chopping cause this is too tasty to miss! Enjoy!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
2 Tlbs oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, still raw & roughly cut into cubes
1 cup water chestnut
1 cup mushroom
3 Tlbs chopped onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 carrot peeled & finely grated
1/4 cup roughly chopped peanuts
4 - 5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tlbs soy sauce
2 Tlbs rice wine vinegar
2 Tlbs ketchup
1 Tlbs lemon juice
1/8 tsp sesame oil
1 Tlbs hot mustard
2 tsp hot water
1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 – 2 tsp red chili paste

Stir Fry Sauce
2 Tlbs soy sauce
2 Tlbs brown sugar
1/2 Tlbs rice wine vinegar

Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.

Combine the hot water with the hot mustard.  Add garlic and chili paste, mix and set this aside as well.  Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps. (I used it all and didn't find it too spicy.)

Put mushrooms, water chestnuts and onions in food processor, pulse until chopped.  Remove and set aside.  Then put your raw chicken in the food processor and pulse until ground.

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.  Add chicken and saute.  While cooking, prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.  When Chicken is almost done, add veggies and stir fry sauce and cook for a couple more minutes.  At the very end add grated carrot and mix well.

Transfer mixture to a serving dish and top with chopped peanuts and one chopped green onion.

Serve with the lettuce"cups", a side of brown rice, and the "Special Sauce"on the side.  Enjoy!