Easy Asian-Inspired Lettuce Wraps

With the weather warming, it's a great time to start lightening up your menu selections.  The hotter it is outside, the more I crave fresh dishes that don't weigh heavily on my stomach.  I want to eat dinner then be able to ride my bike or go for a walk.

This recipe is a great way to lighten things up.  It isn't a fussy recipe, either.  You can prep all the ingredients ahead of time so all you have to do is cook them.

You'll need:

3 skinless chicken breasts
1 red pepper
1 package of mushrooms
1/3 c. peanuts
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. Thai sweet chili sauce (such as Mae Ploy)
1 head of baby Romaine lettuce
2 scallions
optional: thinly sliced jalapeno peppers or cilantro

Yield: four to five servings


To prep ahead of time, use kitchen shears to quickly cut the chicken into small pieces.  To expedite the process, I cut the chicken into long strips, then cut the strips across to make small, chopped pieces.  Dice the red pepper and mushrooms.  Place the peanuts in a Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin or heavy serving spoon.  Cut the scallions crosswise on the diagonal into diamond-shaped slices.

Prepped ingredients ready to cook.

Be sure to wash each leaf of baby Romaine lettuce.  My favorite is the Costco baby Romaine.  It is always very fresh and keeps a long time.  Each petite leaf is perfect.  Pat dry.

If everything is washed and chopped ahead of time, you can have this dinner ready in less than 20 minutes.  To prepare the wraps, place a wok or heavy skillet on the stove and heat to medium high.  Wait for the pan to be hot before adding the chicken.  When you add a hot droplet of water to the pan, it should sizzle.  Once pan is hot, spray pan with non-stick spray and add the chicken.  Keep the chicken moving in the pan so it doesn't stick.  Once the chicken is no longer translucent, reduce the heat to medium and add the soy sauce, pepper, and mushrooms.  Cook for two minutes before adding the Thai sweet chili sauce and peanuts. Cook an additional minute and taste to adjust seasonings and moisture level.  For more sauce, add more Thai sweet chili.  If you prefer less crunch to your vegetables (I like mine lively!), cook to desired softness.

If someone in your household isn't a fan of soy sauce or has a reduced sodium diet, mix the soy sauce and sweet chili sauce in a small bowl and reserve.  Serve on the side of the wraps so sauce can be added to individual wraps.

To serve, spoon chicken mixture into a bowl and top with sliced scallions.  Place bowl on a larger plate and arrange lettuce leaves around the bowl.  Be sure to include a spoon for adding the chicken to the lettuce.  I like to make a plate for each person, but you can also make a large serving platter size presentation to share.

If you like more heat, add thinly sliced jalapeno or Serrano peppers before serving.  If you like more herbaceous freshness, include fresh cilantro leaves for garnishing.

The finished Asian-inspired Lettuce Wraps.