Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Cafe--PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps Copycat

In the run-up to the COVID shutdown, there were a whole lot of people saying they'd be fine with rice and beans and scoffing at the idea of food fatigue.  Predictably, something I've read more than a few times in the past several weeks is how much people regretted planning their long-term diet around just rice and beans.  Rice and beans are essentials, but they are not everything.  We've been so abundantly blessed with such a variety of options in our daily diets.  Just because times are challenging, it doesn't mean that our food has to reflect that.

Chinese food offers a fabulous change of pace for our tastebuds.  These lettuce wraps come together very quickly and pair quite well with the Chinese rice featured last week.

Using lettuce for the wrap here spares having to roll out the traditional pancakes for mu-shu.  Meal prep goes way faster.  The sauces can be made in advance.  While this dish is best prepared with fresh chicken, it works pretty well with canned also.

Lettuce Wraps
1 tablespoon oil
4 chicken breasts or 1 pint canned chicken, drained
3 green onions
1/4 cup minced water chestnuts
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Stir-fry sauce (recipe below)
4-6 lettuce leaves

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook chicken breasts until done, turning every couple of minutes.  Remove to a cutting board and slice it into strips with a sharp knife.  Keep the pan hot.  Put the chicken back in the same pan over medium-high heat, and add water chestnuts.  Heat for 1 minute.  Add 1/3 cup of stir-fry sauce to the chicken and heat for 2 minutes, stirring often.  The sauce should be bubbly.  Add the sliced green onions and stir.  The chicken is done.  Spoon into lettuce leaves.

Alternatively, heat water chestnuts and stir fry sauce for one minute, then add in the canned chicken and green onions and heat through. 


Peanut Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili oil
1/2 teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Combine ingredients in a pan over medium-low heat.  Heat while whisking until sauce becomes smooth.  Remove from heat when done.

Stir-fry Sauce
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon chili oil
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

Combine water and cornstarch and stir until cornstarch is dissolved.  Add this to the other stir fry sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened.