Tonight I made Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps from the America’s Test Kitchen Fast & Fresh Recipe Card Collections.  This is a book I have had for 3 years and I have never gotten to this recipe.  My husband and I are always up for trying new recipes and eating anything Asian.  If you came to our house you would find us eating asian food 5+ times a week.  We LOVE it.  This recipe did not upset.  We have had many varieties of lettuce wraps in the past, though this is nothing like the restaurant lettuce wraps we have had before, this was a sweet alternative to an all-time favorite.

As a side dish to this meal I decided a pork egg roll and edamame would be delicious.  I just buy frozen edamame and cook it and top it with sea salt.  This is a favorite as a quick vegetable to add to any of our asian inspired meals throughout the week.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Fast & Fresh Recipe Collection

1 head iceberg lettuce

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sambal oelek, chile garlic sauce

2 tablespoons water

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetableoil

1 pound ground chicken

salt and pepper

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 (8oz) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped fine

5 scallions, chopped

1/2 cup grated carrot

1. Remove 8 large, bowl-shaped leaves from head of lettuce; reserve remaining lettuce for another use.  Whisk hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sambal oelek and water together in measuring cup.  Combine garlic, ginger and 2 teaspoons of oil in small bowl.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Cook chicken, stirring to break up clumps, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and transfer into bowl.

3. Chop vegetables while the chicken is cooking.

4. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and heat until just smoking.  Add bell pepper, water chestnuts, scallions, and carrots and cook pepper until softens,a bout 3 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add garlic mixture, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add chicken and sauce and stir until thickened, about 30 seconds.  Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves and serve.

Sometimes a basic salad is all you need.

With this heat wave that seems to have hit the Northwest I always find it a challenge to make meal that aren’t too hot but that are also filling.

The reason I love salads so much is you almost always have a good variety of things in your fridge to throw into a salad.  I hit the jackpot for last nights salad since I had gone grocery shopping earlier.

While at the store yesterday I came  across a salad mix that was spinach and arugula, arugula being something I have never tried before.  I know, as a salad lover how have I never tried it before.

Since I had originally planned to make Thai Chicken Curry for dinner last night I had already taken some chicken out of the freezer.  So after a quick bake in the oven I had some great protein for our salad.

By adding mushrooms, red and yellow bell peppers and cilantro I had a great refreshing salad for dinner.  Now the real dilemma was deciding what sort of salad dressing to put on the salad.  I didn’t want anything too heavy so I went with my standard dressing, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

As Sean and i sit down to eat dinner in front of the fan we really enjoy that basic salad that you can rarely go wrong with.