Many years ago, when I first started working (actually interning), I started packing my own lunch for work. A typical lunch box meal for me was a wrap (usually chicken salad or some deli combination), a sweet treat (mostly Rice Krispies treats, Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, gummies, or granola), a savory treat (always a bag of my favorite chips), and a drink (could be a smoothie, tea, coffee, or a bottle of water). I packed a variation of the lunch combinations for work every day over the course of two months. Today, I was reminiscing about the first lunches I’ve ever packed and suddenly wanted a wrap. Instead of a wrap using tortilla, I decided to make lettuce wraps. The lettuce would serve the same purpose as the tortilla. For the filling, I seared some chicken, sautéed some crunchy vegetables, stirred in some simple aromatics, and then combined all of the cooked ingredients together in a skillet to serve alongside lettuce leaves. I made this wrap for late lunch today. Kevin wasn’t feeling too well since last evening so I spent the morning and afternoon with him at urgent care. We ended up staying there for a couple hours as the nurses and doctor were testing his system to make sure he was alright. Luckily, he didn’t have any major infections, only a minor inflammation. By the time we left, it was late into the afternoon. We were both very hungry by the time we got home. I started cooking up chicken lettuce wraps right away for both of us to enjoy as a late lunch/early dinner. Chicken lettuce wraps are easy and versatile. My version features sautéed vegetables, cashews, and cubed chicken breasts with a savory sauce served alongside some butter lettuce. From chopping, prepping, cooking, to serving, the entire meal took less than 30 minutes. It was definitely a quick, tasty, savory, and filling lunch to serve on a busy day.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps:
· 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
· 1½ tablespoons miso paste
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt
· ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
· 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
· 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
· ¼ teaspoon white pepper powder
· ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
· ½ onion, diced
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· ¼ cup raw cashews
· 2 celery stalks, cubed
· 2 carrots, peeled and cubed
· 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
· ¼ cup frozen green peas
· 6-8 Bibb lettuce leaves, for serving
Directions:
1) Heat a skillet on medium heat. Add a tablespoon vegetable oil.
2) In a small bowl, combine the miso paste, salt, black pepper, wine, soy sauces, white pepper, and sugar. Set aside.
3) Once skillet is hot, add the onion and garlic. Cook until aromatic about 1-2 minutes. Add the cashews, celery, and carrots. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the cashews, celery, and carrots start to soften. Toss in the cubed chicken breasts. Pour in the sauce. Coat all of the ingredients in the sauce. Add the frozen green peas. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
4) Serve the filling on top of or alongside 6-8 leaves of Bibb lettuce.
Takeaways: Lettuce wraps are very versatile. You can add in any vegetables you like and serve with any type of lettuce you like. The filling works well with zucchini, peppers, scallions and Romaine or Iceberg lettuce. You can also serve the filling alongside rice or noodles.