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Monday's Leftovers: Five Spice Turkey Lettuce Wraps

YumSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:50:04 -0700

Start off the week on the right foot with a wholesome meal that's both healthy and hearty. Chinese-inspired lettuce wraps - made with leftover ground turkey - are sweet, thanks to hoisin sauce, and spicy, courtesy of five-spice powder, which contains cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, anise, and Szechuan peppercorns.

If you want to get a head start on your meal plans, you can make the filling a day ahead, or make extra to reserve for lunch the next day. To enjoy this well-balanced meal that's full on flavor, read more.

Five Spice Turkey Lettuce Wraps
From Eating Well

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup instant brown rice
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (see Note)
1 teaspoon five-spice powder (see Note)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 heads Boston lettuce, leaves separated
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil, mint and/or chives
1 large carrot, shredded

Directions

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice; reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey and ginger; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, bell pepper, water chestnuts, broth, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder and salt; cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
To serve, spoon portions of the turkey mixture into lettuce leaves, top with herbs and carrot and roll into wraps.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: 285 calories, 11g fat, 66 mg cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrates, 26 g protein, 5 g fiber, 543 mg sodium, 390 mg potassium.

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Chicken Lettuce Wraps Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

partysugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:01:19 -0800

The other day DearSugar asked me to check out a recipe she was considering making. While the dish - chicken lettuce wraps with Asian flavors - sounded delicious, the recipe was unclear and difficult to follow.

Later that same day, I found myself grubbing on Betelnut's lettuce wraps thinking, I need to find a better recipe! Luckily, I've found two recipes. They are both straight-forward and delectable. One involves more ingredients, making it a little more complicated. Check out the two and choose which appetizer recipe suits your needs when you read more.

Beginner Chicken Lettuce Wraps
From Joanne Weir

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 pound ground dark meat chicken
8 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2/3 cup water chestnuts, chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 large head butter lettuce, leaves separated

Warm the oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken, scallions, and cornstarch and cook, stirring constantly, until the chicken is cooked and broken into pieces, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the water chestnuts, soy sauce, ginger, and oyster sauce and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
To serve, take 1 lettuce leaf at a time and spoon a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture into the center. Wrap the lettuce around the filling. Serve.

Serves 6.

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Expert Chicken Lettuce Wraps
From Dallas News

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon light soy sauce (divided use)
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons dry sherry (divided use)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (divided use)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into ¼ -inch cubes
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided use)
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, chopped
6 to 8 large leaves Boston leaf or iceberg lettuce

For cooking sauce: blend together hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, water, 1 tablespoon sherry, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
For chicken and vegetables: combine chicken, 2 teaspoons sherry, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and pepper in a bowl; set aside.
Be sure the rest of the ingredients are chopped and measured.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until fully cooked. Remove chicken from skillet, drain and set aside.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and add chopped water chestnuts, celery and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.
Return chicken to skillet. Stir in ginger and garlic. Stir cooking sauce ingredients again, then pour over chicken and vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened and chicken and vegetables are evenly coated. Remove from heat. Stir in green onion.
Divide mixture among lettuce leaves and roll each like a burrito.

Makes 6 to 8 appetizer servings.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Sesame and Ginger Chicken

partysugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:45:35 -0700

Store-bought salad dressings are a wonderful ingredient to have on hand. Besides their original purpose, they make a great seasoning for a variety of dishes. In this recipe, an Asian-style sesame and ginger vinaigrette is tossed with chicken chunks and grated carrots. The deliciously textured combination is served inside lettuce cups. Topped with crunchy peanuts and fresh squeezed lime, this meal is so scrumptious no one will know you took help from a bottle! Learn the recipe and read more.

Sesame and Ginger Chicken
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Ingredients

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size strips
1/4 cup bottled light Asian-style dressing with sesame and ginger
2 cups packaged julienned carrots
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 head butterhead lettuce, leaves separated
1/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped
Lime wedges

Directions

Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat.
Add chicken; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until browned.
Add 1 tablespoon of the dressing and the carrots to skillet; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes more or until carrots are crisp-tender and chicken is no longer pink.
Stir in red pepper.
On a large platter arrange 4 stacks of lettuce leaves. Serve by filling leaves with chicken mixture: Stack lettuce on plates. Top with chicken-carrot mixture. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Serve with remaining dressing and lime wedges.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Avocado and Feta Salad Wraps

partysugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:28:31 -0800

With their creamy flesh and delicate color, avocados are an incredibly versatile fruit. Not only are they wonderful in classic Mexican dishes, they also taste delicious when mixed with fresh ingredients like tangy feta cheese and burst-in-your-mouth grape tomatoes. Served on top of a bed of lettuce, and a warmed tortilla, this chunky salad is both flavorful and filling. To take a look at the recipe, read more.

Avocado and Feta Salad Wraps
Modified from Vegetarian Times magazine

1 ripe avocado, seeded and diced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup sliced scallions
2 Tbs. bacon bits
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, preferably toasted
2 Tbs. fat-free mayonnaise
16 grape tomatoes
1 cup shredded leaf lettuce plus half head for garnish
4 8-inch low-fat plain or flavored flour tortillas

Preheat oven to broil.
Put diced avocado into a mixing bowl, and stir in feta cheese, lime juice and black pepper.
Add scallions, bacon bits, sunflower seeds and mayonnaise, stirring gently to combine. Stir in grape tomatoes and shredded lettuce.
Spray tortillas lightly with nonstick cooking spray, and heat in oven until softened, for about 30 seconds. Remove from oven, and place each tortilla on individual plates.
To serve, line each tortilla with whole lettuce leaf, and mound salad mixture on top.

Serves 4.

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Must-Read: The Balthazar Cookbook

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:30:51 -0700

Even for those of us who don't live in New York, it's hard to ignore the accolades of Balthazar, Keith McNally's world-famous SoHo brasserie that's been perennially packed since it opened over a decade ago.

New Yorkers may think it's still hard to book a rez, but those of us on the West Coast really can't snag a seat for brunch. That's why I was psyched to get my hands on a copy of The Balthazar Cookbook ($24.75). Find out if the book deserves the same reputation as its namesake restaurant when you read more.
Pros:

A comprehensive anthology of France's seminal dishes, from bouillabaisse to cassoulet.
Elegant layout and stunning action shots make this a gorgeous coffee table tome.
Sidebar notes include techniques and suggestions for locating obscure products.

Cons:

With its beautiful red binding, elegant typography, and stylish photos, this compilation of recipes is almost too attractive to use.
Many recipes, such as potato gnocchi or cod with lobster, are not for the beginner cook.
Labor-intensive dishes (like Koulibiac - seared salmon with spinach, lettuce, rice, and mushrooms, all wrapped in puff pastry) seem better off ordered at a restaurant.

Recipes: The book includes all of the classic, national dishes of France. These dishes caught my eye:

Balthazar salad
Salt Cod Brandade
Onion Soup Gratinée
Duck Confit
Côte de Boeuf
Spaetzle
Banana Tarte Tatin

Imagery: More often than not, the recipes include vivid and luscious corresponding photos.

Overall Rating: While not the most practical of cookbooks, this book would be a great purchase for die-hard Balthazar fans, or experienced home cooks looking for a go-to for classic French favorites.

View 11 Photos ›

Iceberg Lettuce is Given the Cold Shoulder

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 13:13:38 -0700

Plastic wrapped, large round balls of iceberg lettuce were always present in my childhood fridge. However as I got older my beloved iceberg was replaced by romaine, spinach, arugula and even bitter greens. Turns out I'm not the only who turned their back on iceberg. Although it is still the nation's most prominent lettuce, iceberg has taken a back seat to other varied greens instead.

In 2006, 174,600 acres of iceberg lettuce were harvested in the United States, down from 198,500 acres in 1998, the first year for which U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics were available.

During the same period, the amount of harvested romaine lettuce increased from 36,450 acres to 61,000 acres. Green and red leaf lettuce harvests increased from 46,220 acres to 71,100 acres.

So why the sad slide into lettuce oblivion? At one point, iceberg was the only lettuce robust enough to make the supermarket journey without being damaged by ice. In fact, it actually received its name from the ice-filled train cars which shipped lettuce out. However, now that transportation and farming technology has advanced, more delicate greens - which once had to be consumed closer to home - can make the journey as well.

To entice customers, the country's largest lettuce supplier (Tanimura and Antle) is packaging its iceberg lettuce in plastic patterned with baseball stitching and including recipes for wedge salads printed on baseball cards.

Source: Topix

Must-Read: Slow and Easy

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:00:16 -0800

If you've seen my Sunday Slow Cooker series, you probably know by now that I consider the electric slow cooker indispensable for convenient, low-maintenance cooking. Naturally, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of Slow and Easy: Fast-Fix Recipes For Your Electric Slow Cooker ($15.61), by the Los Angeles Daily News food editor, Natalie Haughton.
Haughton has penned five other cookbooks, including The Best Slow Cooker Cookbook Ever, so she's clearly spent a lot of time with her Crock-Pot. To find out what I thought of the book, read more.

Pros:

The introduction has helpful information from choosing and getting to know your slow cooker to which foods are most forgiving and which are most demanding.
There's a wide range of recipes, from smoky roasted cashews to gingerbread for dessert, and although the the book contains over 250 recipes, it's surprisingly light.
A "cook's notes" sidebar proves helpful, explaining nuances such as the differences in types of paprika available at the grocery store.

Cons:

The book contains no pictures.
If you don't have interest in a slow cooker, then this book isn't for you.
Many of the seafood recipes require adding in the protein near the end of cooking time, which requires more attentiveness on your part.

Recipes: The recipes cover just about everything. Here are some that caught my attention:

Caponata, Edamame Cheese Dip
Shrimp Chowder, Vegetable Stock
Artichoke Pasta Sauce
Shortcut Lasagna
Mac and Cheese
Turkey Molé
Shrimp Veracruz Style
Beef Lettuce Wraps
Tagine of Lamb With Apricots
Asian-Flavored Quinoa With Broccoli and Chard
Spanish Pistou
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Green Pepper Jelly
Flourless Chocolate Torte

Imagery: None.

Overall Rating: If you're a fan of the slow cooker (and aren't bothered that it doesn't contain pictures), then this informative yet innovative slow-cooker guide would be a useful, go-to book to add to your repertoire.

Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps (no carbs)

DearSugar — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 07:45:31 -0700

Dear Sugar,
I have been eating so heavily for the past month it's time for me to start cutting calories and carbs a little bit. Do you have any recipes for a satisfying dinner that will ensure I fill up so I don't wind up snacking on junk later? Hungry Hilda

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Hungry Hilda
I've got a great recipe that should take no longer than 30-40 minutes. Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps have no carbs and since they are small you can eat however many you want (within reason) and it will slow you down, so by the time you reach to make your fourth, you may actually even feel full! Perfect. Enjoy:

CHINESE CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS:

2 cups fresh shitake mushrooms
1 1/2 lbs thin cut chicken breasts (or tenders)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 dash of course salt and course black pepper
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 inch piece of ginger (finely chopped)
zest of one orange
1/2 red bell pepper (diced small)
1 can of water chestnuts chopped
3 scallions chopped
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce (quarter into wedges)
1 head of Boston bibb lettuce (separate leaves)

PREPARE AND COOK:
Slice the mushroom and chop the chicken into small pieces. Preheat a large skillet to high and add oil to the pan. Add the chicken to the pan and sear the meat by stir frying for one to two minutes. Season with dashes of salt and pepper. Next add the garlic and the ginger. Cook for 1 minute.

Grate the orange zest into the pan (keep the orange). Add the chopped bell pepper, water chestnuts and scallions. Cook for one minute. Add the hoisin sauce and toss to coat the mixture evenly. Transfer the hot chopped chicken to a platter and pile the wedges of iceberg lettuce along side. After you zest the orange, cut it and add it to the platter as garnish.

TO EAT:
Pile the chicken mixture into the Boston bibb lettuce leaves, fold and eat.

Kate Gosselin's Recipe: Handy Hummus Wrap

LilSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:00:37 -0700

When tots are in tow with moms on the go, hand held edibles make eating easier. For those who fret about traveling spills, Kate Gosselin (who recently shared her tricks for feeding a family of ten with us) has a great recipe for a healthy wrap that keeps kids nourished and messes to a minimum.

Handy Hummus Wrap
1 whole wheat (or whole wheat white) wrap
2-3 T Hummus
2-3 leaves of lettuce
½ cucumber, sliced length-wise
½ red pepper cut into long strips

Place lettuce leaves in the middle portion of the wrap. Top with hummus. Add slices of cut vegetables. Roll and cut in half.

'Wich of the Week: Ham and Swiss on Dutch Crunch

YumSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:15:09 -0700

San Francisco's Roxie Food Center is an unassuming corner store, located on an unlikely residential block, that's rumored to have remarkable sandwiches. I've been meaning to try it for months, so a few weeks ago I made a special trip just to get my jaws around one these sammies.

Though the store has all the usual varieties of bread and cold cuts, I'd heard great things about the Dutch crunch rolls, which are topped with a sugary, salty crust. The mere thought of the salty-sweet bread combined with jalapeños and pickles made my mouth water, so I ordered a ham and swiss sandwich, dressed with everything and warmed in the oven. For the rest of my Roxie sandwich adventure, read more.

My friend got the Simon Special, with pastrami, turkey, and cheddar (see above), and we took our enormous paper-wrapped meals to a nearby park. (There's just something extra tasty about a sandwich wrapped in paper, isn't there?) The rolls were so decadent, it was almost like eating a pastry, but the sweet, crunchy roll melded perfectly with the massive stack of ingredients.

In fact, these sandwiches were so packed with different flavors and textures - shredded iceberg lettuce, pickles, jalapeños, tomatoes, and onions - that it was impossible to distinguish one taste from the other. Just like a great sandwich should, the Roxie transformed a bunch of disparate flavors into one novel (and delicious) taste.

If you're ever in SF, I highly recommend this hidden convenience store gem. But even if you're not, this is a relatively simple sandwich; re-creating it is all about getting the right ratio of ingredients. I've tried my best to replicate the recipe below, so if you try it, let me know what you think.

Ham and Swiss on Dutch Crunch
Inspired by the Roxie Food Center

Ingredients

1 Dutch crunch roll
4 slices of cold-cut ham
3 slices of tomato
4-6 jalapeño pepper slices (canned, not fresh)
4-6 dill pickle sandwich slices
1/4 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/8 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2-3 slices of swiss cheese
Yellow mustard and mayonnaise, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice Dutch crunch roll in half horizontally, and coat the inside of the roll on both sides with yellow mustard and mayo.
On the bottom of the roll, arrange the cold-cut ham, and top with tomato, jalapeno, and pickles.
On top of that layer, place the shredded lettuce, followed by the onion slices.
Top all ingredients with the sliced swiss cheese, and place the top half of the roll down onto the stack of fixings.
Place the entire sandwich in the oven for 5 minutes, or until roll is crisped and cheese is just melted. Remove from heat, cut in half, and serve immediately.

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