Lettuce Wraps

Copycat Recipe: PF Chang’s Lettuce Wrap Recipe
yum!

from http://www.wasabimon.com/


Recipe for dipping and pouring sauce
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup hot water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup or canned tomato sauce
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Recipe for stir-fry sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar (not packed tightly)
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Recipe for stir-fried chicken
1 teaspoon hot water
1 tablespoon nice dijon mustard (use the good stuff, it will make a difference)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into half-inch cubes”
1 – 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained and minced
1/2 cup minced mushrooms (minced to the same size as the water chestnuts)
1/2 yellow onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 large leaves of iceberg lettuce

Method for Pouring Sauce Recipe
1.In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup hot water. Blend in soy sauce or tamari, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and dark sesame oil. Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator until the rest of the dish is ready.

Method for Stir-Fry Sauce Recipe
1.In a small bowl, combine soy sauce or tamari, brown sugar, and rice vinegar. Mix well and set aside.

Method for Stir-Fried Chicken Recipe
1.In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon hot water, dijon mustard and minced garlic and set this aside.
2.In a wok or large frying pan over high heat, combine olive oil and sesame oil. Heat until it shimmers, about one minute. Add chicken chunks and stir fry until entirely cooked through, about five minutes. Remove from the chicken pan and allow to cool, but reserve the oil in the wok or pan, keeping it hot over a low flame.
3.Take the pan or wok that you cooked the chicken in (with the still warming oil) and turn it up to medium-high heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, wait one minute, and then add the garlic, onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, cooked chicken, and the stir-fry sauce. Cook everything, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms have cooked through and are tender, about four minutes. Remove from pan and place in a serving dish.
4.Add mustard/garlic mixture that you set aside to the pouring sauce, 1/2 a teaspoon at time to taste.
5.Serve the entire lettuce wrap recipe in a nice, big serving tray, complete with stir-fry and iceberg lettuce leaves, and pouring sauce in small bowls. Wrap the stir-fry in lettuce leaves, then top with pouring sauce

Risotto and Crispy Risotto Cakes

So, to add to the side dishes. I love risotto. This is such a good recipe. It has so much flavor that I love it. Things to know, risotto does more than the traditional double of normal rice. It pretty much triples and makes a ton. The problem is, you cannot reheat risotto. Bummer. So, to fix that problem, you can make these amazing crispy risotto cakes. (I just made them and forgot pictures!!!) They are so good and make a fun appetizer or side dish a few days later.

Risotto

Americas Test Kitchen

· 3 ½ cups chicken broth

· 3 cups water

· 4 t unsalted butter

· 1 onion, minced

· 2 cups Arborio rice

· 1 cup dry white wine

· 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Bring the broth and water to a simmer in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. Cover and keep the broth water over the lowest possible heat.

2. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and ½ t salt cook until lightly browned, about 9 minutes

3. Stir in the rice and cook until the edges begin to become translucent, about 3 minutes.

4. Add in the white wine stirring frequently until it is absorbed. Add 3 cups of the broth and simmer. Stir occasionally until it is absorbed, about 11 minutes

5. Continue in similar fashion adding ½ cup broth at a time, stir frequently until it is absorbed. The rice is done when it is cook through but somewhat firm in the center, about 11 more minutes. You may not use all the broth.

6. Stir in the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Crispy Risotto Cakes

Americas Test Kitchen

· Leftover risotto

· 2 T shredded mozerella, provolone or fontina cheese for every 1 cup of risotto

· 1 large egg for every 1 cup risotto

· Pinch cayenne pepper for every 1 cup risotto

· ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs for every 1 cup risotto

· Vegetable Oil

· Lemon Wedges

1. Use ½ cup risotto per cake.

2. Use a food processor to make fine bread crumbs.

3. Beat the egg and cayenne in a shallow dish.

4. Shape risotto into a round flat cake approximately 3 inches round.

5. Place 1 T cheese in the center and mold the risotto around the cheese so that none is exposed. Thinner cakes are better.

6. Heat ½ inch deep oil in a skillet until shimmering.

7. Coat the cakes in egg and then press in breadcrumbs

8. Fry the cakes until golden brown about 3 minutes per side.

9. Serve with lemon wedges.

Calling all Recipes

Our first official Recipe Roll Call.
Here's how it goes....
A topic is posted and then the goal is for everyone to contribute at least one of their favorite recipes that fits the topic. Thus, expanding our current selection.

First topic: Side Dishes...
These are the hardest for me. I get so caught up in my two or three go to's and I need some variety. So, please add your favorites!

Posting

We would love to have anybody contribute. If you would like, let Linnae know. I am the administrator and can change the access privileges. Also, when posting take note of the labels that are already created and add whichever ones fit your post. I have been trying to the following categories on posts
1-the course: main dish, side dish, breakfast, or bread.
2-the main ingredient: beef, chicken, pasta
2-the category: italian, mexican, chinese, ect.
3-some extra notes: healthy (speaks for itself), family (if it is a family recipe), crockpot, freezer friendly.
Put all and any that apply to the dish. I will keep monitoring labels so we make sure the blog is complete when we do searches. If anyone has any suggestions for improvements or additions, let me know.

Also, if you click to become a follower, it emails you of any comments that are added to posts. Nice feature.

Martha Stewart Banana Bread

I have to double this recipe every time I make it and it only lasts 2-3 days in my house. I make it in muffin tins instead of as a loaf of bread and mini muffin tins for the kids. Enjoy!

Martha Stewart’s Banana Bread

1/2 c butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c very ripe bananas, mashed (~3 bananas)
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9x5x3 inch loaf pan; set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat to incorporate. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts (if desired) and pour into pan. Bake until cake tester inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Check on it early to make sure it is not over cooked.

Lion House Dinner Rolls

My friend Susanne says rolls are just an excuse to eat butter...I agree. Here is one of my favorite ways to eat butter.

Lion House Dinner Rolls

2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
2 tablespoons dry yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or shortening
5-5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

Mix the water, sugar, butter, salt, dry milk, and 5 c. flour together until combined. Make sure to tap the flour down in the cup with a knife until it is settled into the cup (giving you a full 1 cup measurement). After this has been sufficiently mixed, add teh eggs and yeast. Mix together again until combined. Add the last 1/2-1 c. of flour to the dough (if needed and too sticky). Let this mix on high for 5 minutes until the dough becomes slightly stiff and stretchy. Let teh dough rise until doubled in size. Pull and roll the dough into balls and place thirty rolls on a cookie sheet (5 rolls by 6 rolls). Let them rise on a cookie sheet until the balls begin to touch. Bake at 350 degrees on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes. Butter tops after roll are out of the oven.

Pioneer Woman Pizza Dough

We have pizza night every Friday, so this is a staple in our house. It can be made many days in advance! From the Pioneer Woman Blog.

Pizza Dough (MAKES TWO CRUSTS):

• 1 teaspoon Active Dry Or Instant Yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
  
• 4 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ⅓ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.
In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it. ***It’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.

Drizzle olive oil on a large baking sheet and use fingers to coat thoroughly. Remove HALF the pizza dough from the bowl. Stretch pizza dough into a large rectangle, pressing with fingers to finish forming. Dough will be very thin.

Lightly drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and use fingers to spread.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from pan and slice with a pizza cutter. Serve immediately!