Lettuce Bundles Recipes

THAI LETTUCE BUNDLES

Steps:

• Mix carrots, bean sprouts, onions and mayo.
• Spoon evenly onto lettuce leaves; roll up firmly but gently so as not to tear the lettuce. Secure with toothpicks, or tie closed with green onion ties.
• Combine hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup water in small saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanuts. Serve with the lettuce bundles.

LETTUCE BUNDLES WITH SPICY PEANUT NOODLES

Steps:

• Place duck or chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag along with 1/2 cup soy sauce, and let marinate for 1 hour. Heat a lightly oiled grill or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Grill duck or chicken breasts until cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes per side for duck and 4 to 6 minutes per side for chicken. Let cool slightly, and shred with your fingers, or cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips with a knife.
• In a food processor, pulse garlic and ginger until finely chopped. Add chile paste, peanut butter, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, sugar, peanut oil, lime juice, and 4 1/2 tablespoons water, and pulse until smooth. If a thinner sauce is desired, add 1 or 2 more teaspoons water, and pulse to combine. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
• Dress the noodles with 1/2 cup of the peanut sauce, and transfer to a medium serving bowl. If desired, set the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice to keep the noodles chilled at the table. Arrange peanuts, remaining sauce, and prepared fillings in various serving dishes on the table. Guests can create their own rolls by wrapping noodles, a little sauce, and their choice of meat and fillings in a lettuce leaf.

CHICKEN-RICE-AND-BLACK-OLIVE-STUFFED LETTUCE BUNDLES

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a food processor and process until chicken forms a smooth paste. Scrape it into a medium-size mixing bowl and stir in the rice, thyme, olives, red pepper, celery, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
• Steam the lettuce leaves and the scallions over the lemon garlic liquid just until wilted; this will only take a few seconds. Remove the steaming liquid from the heat. Cut the tapered ends off of the lettuce leaves, leaving a large circle of leaf. Cut out the heavy center stems and overlap the lettuce where the stems were.
• Place a scant 3 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each leaf. Lift the lettuce up around the filling and tie each one with a scallion leaf; they should look like little drawstring bags.
• Place the bundles in a steamer, cover and steam over the liquid for 15 minutes. Divide among 4 plates and serve immediately.

LETTUCE BUNDLES WITH SPICY PEANUT NOODLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the peanuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until they are golden and aromatic, 5 to 8 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through to ensure the nuts toast evenly. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop the nuts; set aside.
• Place the duck or chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag with 1/2 cup of the soy sauce, and let marinate for 1 hour. Heat a lightly oiled grill or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Grill the duck or chicken breasts until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes per side for duck and 4 to 6 minutes per side for chicken. Let cool slightly, and shred with your fingers, or cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips with a knife.
• In a food processor, pulse the garlic and ginger until finely chopped. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, the chile paste, peanut butter, sugar, peanut oil, lime juice, and water, and pulse until smooth. (For a thinner sauce, add 1 or 2 more teaspoons water; pulse to combine.) Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water, add the noodles, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
• Dress the noodles with 1/2 cup of the peanut sauce, and transfer to a medium serving bowl. If desired, set the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice to keep the noodles chilled at the table. Arrange the reserved peanuts, remaining sauce, chives, cucumber, and lettuce in serving dishes on the table. Guests can assemble their own rolls by wrapping noodles, a little sauce, and their choice of meat and fillings in a lettuce leaf.

SZECHUAN CHICKEN (OR TOFU) IN LETTUCE BUNDLES (SOLO COOKING)

Steps:

• Chefs comment: The cooking for this stir-fry moves rather quickly so have your ingredients prepared and ready before you begin cooking.
• Place a large nonstick skillet over high heat for two minutes. Add the oil and swirl oil to coat the pan. Add the chicken, peppers, celery and ginger to the pan and cook for three minutes until the chicken is opaque.
• Stir the garlic and sugar/Splenda into the pan. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes (and bean sprouts, if using) and cook an additional minute.
• Toss in the scallions and peanuts. Take pan off the heating element.
• Place half of the stir fry into the cup of each lettuce leaf (towards the bottom). Tuck in the sides of the lettuce leaves so it looks a bit like an open envelope. Roll the bundle so that it looks a bit like an egg roll or burrito.
• Enjoy!
• For Vegetarian use the tofu.