As part of food week, I absolutely have to share this most favorite recipe of mine. It’s a mimic of The Cheesecake Factory’s AMAZING Thai Lettuce Wraps and I just love them. I\’m not a big salad girl but for some reason picking up things wrapped in lettuce is just better. I don’t know. It is. Try it out and tell me I\’m right.
The preparation of these delightful wraps is something you do throughout the day-but each prep item only takes a few minutes. And it’s really not hard.
As soon as I buy the chicken, I make the marinade and toss the chicken in. If not, I recommend throwing them in the night before-but even a few hours before you cook the chicken works too.
THAI SATAY CHICKEN
1 lb chicken breast
1/4 c soy sauce
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp water
4 green onions, cut into 1 chunks
MARINATE for at least 30 minutes. Grill or Bake until cooked through.
Same with the pickled cucumbers. These are easily made and marinated from the day you get them OR just earlier the day you’re making these delicious wraps. I like them lightly pickled so I usually make them the day-of.
THAI MARINATED CUCUMBERS
1/3 c rice vinegar
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 large cucumber, sliced thin
COMBINE everything and shake to dissolve the salt and sugar in the liquid. Refrigerate until pickled.
About an hour or so before we want to eat I send my hubbs out to grill the chicken. He’s amazing on the grill and cooks it to perfection every time. If weather isn’t permitting grilling then baking it in the oven works great too.
I usually make the peanut sauce and the noodles at the same time. I start by boiling the water for the noodles. As soon as the waters boiling I take it off the heat and add the rice noodles. Then while those are cooking I make the peanut sauce. The peanut sauce is a tricky recipe-just add more water until it’s how you want it. That’s the trick. Then I drain the noodles and make the coconut curry sauce.
THAI PEANUT SAUCE
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp water (add as needed to keep thin)
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp chili oil (you could totally do chili powder, I\’m sure)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil (this isn’t necessary BUT I LOVE the flavor)
COMBINE ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until just beginning to bubble.
COCONUT CURRY NOODLES
12 oz rice noodles
1 Tbsp garlic cloves
1 Tbsp curry paste
1 c canned coconut milk
1 c chicken stock
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 pinch turmeric
1 Tbsp fish sauce (or 1/2 Tbsp salt)
1 Tbsp lime juice
SEPARATE noodles in hot water as per package instructions. Drain and put back in saucepan.
COMBINE coconut milk with the noodles, and dissolve the curry paste. When it begins to simmer, add the remaining ingredients and heat through.
I love having a food processor. I used to buy matchsticks carrots already cut BUT they taste SO GOOD and SO FRESH if you shred them yourself right before you eat them. So yummy.
Isn’t it so pretty? I LOVE colorful fresh food. It’s my favorite. I buy purple cabbage solely as a garnish but it just tastes so good dipped in peanut sauce I usually end up eating all of it too.
Look at that chicken. So scrumptious.
You have to find the right lettuce. I HATE iceburg, I feel like romaine doesn’t fold well – this lovely leafy red lettuce is perfect.
You stack Lettuce, Grilled Chicken (cut into strips), curry noodles, carrots, pickled cucumbers, bean sprouts, cilantro and peanut sauce. It’s pretty much amazing…
