When I stopped at the grocery store last Thursday on my way home, I had my mind set on cooking chicken lettuce wraps.  Instead, I ended up fixing a quick breakfast-style dinner—fried egg on a whole grain English muffin.  So this weekend, I knew I had to fix my lettuce wraps since I had the chicken and broccoli slaw ready to go in the fridge just waiting to be used up. 

I did not follow a recipe per se; however, I did read an Asian pork recipe a few weeks back in a  food magazine at the gym and thought the combination of sauce ingredients would be perfect for these lettuce wraps.  Additionally, I wanted some crunch so I thought to use broccoli slaw (instead of traditional water chestnuts found in many lettuce wraps) and peanuts for texture and flavor of course.  Furthermore, pork could just as well be used in place of the chicken in the recipe below.  The chicken mixture could also be eaten over rice or Chinese noodles, or on tortillas (like a mu shu pancake) for a more substantial dinner.  This Sunday lunch turned out crisp, refreshing, light and delicious.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. chicken breast, chopped

1 small white onion, sliced thin

1/4 c. lite soy sauce

1/4 c. rice vinegar

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 tbsp. minced garlic

8-12 oz. bag broccoli slaw

1/4 c. dry roasted peanuts

1/4 c. green onions, chopped + more for garnish if desired

salt and pepper to taste

1 head of iceberg lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. Spray nonstick saucepan with cooking spray.  Add sliced, white onion  and cook on medium-low for 10-12 minutes until tender.  (You may want to add 1-2 tablespoons of water after 5 minutes of cook time to prevent  burning.)

2. Meanwhile, mix soy sauce with next six ingredients through garlic in a bowl and set aside.

3. After seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper to taste, add the chicken to the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

4. Next, add 8-12 oz. of broccoli slaw and pour in soy sauce mixture.  Stir to combine and cook until broccoli is tender for 3-5 minutes.

5. Pour in peanuts and green onions, stir, and cook 1-2 minutes more.

6. To serve, add a tablespoon or two of the chicken mixture to the lettuce leaf.  Sprinkle on some additional chopped green onions if desired.  Roll up like a wrap and enjoy!