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, soy sauce, water, sherry, cornstarch, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
For chicken and vegetables: Combine chicken, sherry, soy sauce, 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.
Per serving, based on 6: 176 calories (34 percent from fat), 6 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 44 milligrams cholesterol, 9 grams carbohydrates, 19 grams protein, 344 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber.
Recipe developed for The Star by home economists Kathryn Moore and Roxanne Wyss.
Helpful hints
Cooking tip: Reduce red pepper flakes to 1/8 teaspoon if a milder dish is preferred.
Serving tips: Choose large, pliable lettuce leaves and remove the core if tough. Before serving, separate lettuce and wash in cold water. Drain, place each leaf between paper towels and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until crisp.
Jill Wendholt Silva
The Kansas City Star
Google “lettuce wraps” and you’ll trip over scores of copycat recipes for P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wrap. “Just like the real thing!” Heidi75 gushes over the knockoff posted on recipe zaar.com.
Once found mostly in Asian restaurants, the lettuce wrap began turning up in mainstream restaurants like the Cheesecake Factory and Chili’s a few years ago, and it wasn’t long before home cooks were eager to integrate the fun food into their own menus.
Whether you’re eating in or out, The Star’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a smart nutrition choice. Bite-size cubes of lean meat are stir-fried in a flavorful sauce and wrapped in a cool, crisp and crunchy vegetable shell.
Dieters have long known that celery and water chestnuts not only enhance the texture of a stir-fry, but also are low in calories and sodium and contain no fat or cholesterol.
Meanwhile, mushrooms contain potassium, folate, niacin and copper, which helps the body produce red blood cells and regulate other chemical reactions that are a part of good health.
Studies by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service show that even when stir-fried, mushrooms retain most of their nutrients.
On Easter morning, I was a little nervous. Our church does not offer kid programs on major holidays. This gives all the adults who otherwise would be teaching and crafting, and I’m sure a healthy amount of disciplining, a morning off. I used to stew the day before these holiday services, wondering if my kid would be the one to squawk, wondering if we’d have to disturb a whole row for a potty break, worrying that their boredom would turn to naughtiness.
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