"What are those called? Lettuce tacos?" ..ha ha no, they're Lettuce Wraps :)

                        

                            Lettuce Wraps



 I love making these for dinner when I want to make a quick, yummy, and healthy dinner. I made these for my roommates, and even Cheryl who isn't a big fan of anything healthy loved them. She tends to forget things, especially names for my food for some reason. So when she asked "What are these called? Lettuce tacos?" I knew I had to make the title. Although I'm Mexican, and I guess they are kind of like tacos, they're actually called lettuce wraps. The original recipes I had looked up when I decided to make lettuce wraps asked for plain chicken. But I can't seem to follow recipes, and always end up making it my own by adding different flavors. I'm so happy I decided to do that with this recipe because I think they would be really bland otherwise. I love using rotisserie chicken from my local market. But even though I worked at Albertsons for years I don't recommend using their rotisserie chicken because they don't have a lot of meat. Being that I'm a bargain shopper on budget I want to get the most out of my money so I make sure to the get the biggest rotisserie chicken available. Using a rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite tricks, it is so much faster and actually adds depth of flavor to chicken dishes. I use them for tacos, enchiladas, flautas, chicken salad, and pretty much everything that asks for shredded chicken. If you decide to cook your own chicken, I would suggest to bake it instead of boiling it. I don't like plain or dry chicken. So when I cook it I layer green bell pepper, onion, and garlic on top of the chicken sprinkle it with lemon, and spices then bake until cooked all the way through. The baking time depends on the amount of chicken you are cooking.

I also added more veggies than most of the recipes called for and omitted cilantro because I absolutely hate it. The recipes I have seen have so many different variations, that you can pretty much use any crunchy veggies and topping you like. Cheryl doesn't like cucumbers, so she chose to use tomatoes instead. I didn't necessarily like the tomatoes but that's the beauty of being able to chose your toppings and make your own wrap. If butter lettuce isn't available you can use bibb lettuce as well. One head of butter lettuce should be enough for about 4-5 people. The peanut sauce is delicious but not for everyone, so start with a little bit sprinkled on top then add more if you like it. It's kind of tricky to get the exact flavor so make sure to alternate peanut butter, chicken stock, and soy sauce adding a little at a time, and tasting the sauce after each addition. Daniel is super picky, so I have to make sure it doesn't taste too much like peanut butter or soy sauce. The only way to do that is to keep tasting it and make it the way you enjoy it. I love they way these look on the table, the presentation is so pretty. Perfect for entertaining. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do! :)

                                   

                                      Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

Chicken:

 

1 Rotisserie Chicken Shredded into small pieces

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

1/4 Cup Soy sauce (lower sodium works well too)

1/2 Cup Onion finely chopped

1-2 Cloves of garlic minced

1/2 Tablespoon chili flakes (add more or less depending on your taste)

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper to taste 

 

Wraps:

 

1 Head Butter lettuce

1-2 Cucumbers julienned

1-2 Carrots julienned

2 Green onions chopped

1/2 Cup Chopped peanuts

1/2 Bean Sprouts

lemon (optional)

 

Peanut Sauce:

 

1 Teaspoon Olive oil

1/4 Cup Finely chopped onion

1/2 Cup Crunchy peanut butter (if you don't have crunchy peanut butter you can add
                                                                                    chopped peanuts to smooth peanut butter.)

1 Cup Chicken broth or water

1 Tablespoon Soy sauce (lower sodium works, you can add more depending on taste)

 

 

To make chicken; heat olive oil in wok or deep pan on medium high. Make sure oil is hot, (don't stick your finger in it, just drop a small piece of garlic in it to see if is sizzles) then add garlic and onion. Cook until translucent, and aromatic. Add chicken, lime juice, chili flakes, soy sauce, and seasonings to taste. Cook until heated through.

 

To make peanut sauce; heat olive oil in a saucepan on medium high. When oil is hot enough add onion, cook until translucent and tender. Mix in the rest of the ingredients with a whisk, adding a little bit at a time and tasting after each addition. Reduce heat and cook until heated through. Transfer to a small serving bowl to cool.

To make the lettuce wraps; seperate, wash, and dry lettuce on a paper towel, then assemble it nicely on a serving dish. This dish is all about presentation so make sure to place them so they look pretty but are easy to grab as well. Place julienned veggies in separate dishes in front of the lettuce, along with the chicken, peanut sauce, chopped peanuts, and onions.
Place a leaf of lettuce on a plate fill it with chicken, then top with desired veggies. Sprinkle with a little bit of peanut sauce or a lot of peanut sauce if you like it, and enjoy!! :)