Week 25: P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Sometimes I just don't know what do cook. And it's weird. Because most of the time, I find myself reading through all of my food blogs, drooling over all of their kitchen creations, and itching to make some of my own. But when it comes time for me to actually choose something to make for my weekly dinner date with Abby, I find myself drawing a blank. That happened this week, and a special friend gave me the great idea to make lettuce wraps. Perfect!

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnuts
2/3 cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
leaves of iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar (we used Splenda!)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil (I didn't find this...so I didn't use it!)
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1-2 teaspoons garlic and red chili paste

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

DIRECTIONS

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 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.

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.

Saute chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes per side or done.

Remove chicken from the pan and cool.

Keep oil in the pan, and keep it hot.

As the chicken cools, mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.

Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.

When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.

With the pan still on high heat, add another tablespoon of vegetable oil

Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts, and mushrooms to the pan.

Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce "cups."

Top with the Special Sauce.