Simple Lettuce Cups

Credit: Flickr / Pride and Vegudice

You can make simple lettuce cups with ingredients you’ve already got in the fridge

Have these simple lettuce cups ready to serve in 15 minutes

Racing home from work — snow, lots of delays, arriving late and totally famished. Open the refrigerator and forced to work with what’s there.

Lucky for me, I always have a few odd items on hand but nothing over the top. I managed to make this tasty dinner in 15 minutes. Really.


Ingredients

• 1 boneless chicken breast, skinned and cubed into 
1/2-inch pieces (about 2 heaping cups)

• 2 medium shallots, diced fine

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tsp. chopped fresh ginger

• 1 tsp. chili paste (more if desired)

• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce

• 2 Tbsp. sesame oil

• 2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil

• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 
6 shiitake mushrooms, julienned

• 1 cup fresh red pepper, diced

• 6 fresh or canned water chestnuts, peeled and sliced

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/2 cup chopped cashews

• 1 head butter lettuce, separated, washed and dried

• 1 cup bottled hoisin sauce for dipping



Instructions

1. Place the chicken in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, chili paste, soy, sesame oil, grapeseed oil and cornstarch. Stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Heat a wok over high heat and pour 2 tsp. grapeseed oil into the wok.
4. Add the mushrooms, red pepper and chestnuts.
5. Sauté until browned, about 3 minutes.
6. Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry until cooked through and golden brown.
7. Add the basil, cilantro and cashews.
8. Toss to warm through.
9. Transfer the chicken stir-fry to a serving platter. Place the lettuce leaves in an open bowl. Serve together with hoisin sauce on the side. Serves 4.

Originally published in TVW. For daily programming updates and on-screen Entertainment news, subscribe to the free TVW e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.