Lettuce Wraps and the problem with copycat recipes

I tasted lettuce wraps at P.F. Chang's a number of years ago.  A savory and spicy mixture of meat, mushrooms and a few vegetables that just danced on the tastebuds. 

 I was hooked.  It became my standard appetizer, even though you could almost make a meal out of it.  Especially if you were the only one munching on them. 

So, of course I had to try to make my own version at home.  Now before I start, let me state this is NOT, I repeat, NOT a copycat recipe P.F.Chang's.  I may get some inspiration from the food I try out in the world, but I can't claim that it'll be identical to their recipe.

Now I'm not a big fan of the copycat recipes that you see out there on the web.  A number of them state that the resulting food will be identical to, if not better than what's at the restaurant.  I've tried a few and let's just say there's something lost in the translation. 

Let me give you an example.  I wanted to see if I could make something similar to Panda Express's Beijing beef.  It's small slices of beef, flash fried in a tempura like batter, then coated in a light, slightly spicy citrus sauce. Here's what it looks like at Panda. Now I found a couple different recipes that swore they were perfect mimics of Panda's dish.  Well, I tried them out.  Here's a picture showing how it turned out.

Yeah, one of these things is not like the other. The color was wrong.  The consistency was completely off.   The recipe included a large portion of hoisin sauce, enough that the sauce was way too thick and it made the meal almost inedible.  I'm sure that the author may like the recipe, but when you look at each of the pictures and there's such a discrepancy, you shouldn't claim it's a copycat.

So anyway, this is not a copycat of P.F.Chang's, but it's extremely good.  The marinade seeps into every bit of the filling and the oyster sauce give the entire dish a great flavor.  And the dipping/pouring spice has just the right amount of heat for the everyday palatte.  You can trim down the hot mustard or srirachi if you want it even calmer.

Lettuce Wraps

Serves 4 as a meal or 8 as an appetizer


Marinade for Filling
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon srirachi hot sauce
2 green onions, sliced into small circles

Filling
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup minced shitake mushrooms (rehydrated if using dried)
8 oz water chestnuts, minced into small bits

Other Cooking ingredients
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
8 large leaves of iceberg or bibb lettuce

Dipping or Pouring sauce
1/8 cup of HOT water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons regular or sweet rice vinegar
1 tablespoon srirachi or garlic chili paste (your choice)
1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese Hot Mustard or 1/2 teaspoon Chinese Hot Mustard Powder

Add all of the marinade ingredients into a gallon size ziploc bag and shake until the sugar dissolves.  Add the ground chicken, shitake mushrooms and water chestnuts, zip the bag closed, and squish the bag until the marinade is thoroughly mixed around.  The meat and veggies will absorb all of the liquid during it's minimum 2 hour soak (you can soak thisall day or overnight if you want)

When you're ready to prepare the meal, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the oils and when the pan is nice and hot, add the garlic and ginger.  Stir quickly for about 30 seconds.   Dump the marinated meat and veggies into the pan and cook until the meat is completely browned.  Separate the lettuce leaves from the head and rinse completely.  Shake off all of the liquid (or use a salad spiiner if you have one) and place them on the serving platter.  Add the meat to the platter when it's ready.

You may have time while you're waiting for the meat to brown to make the dipping sauce.  Add the water and brown sugar into a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Add all of the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Serve immediately.

Hot and Sour Soup

With every combination plate you order at a Chinese restaurant, you'll get a little cup of soup.  Egg Drop soup is always an option, that rather bland mixture of warm chicken broth with egg bits and maybe a vegetable oil.

But at the restaurants I like, they also give you the option of Hot and Sour Soup.  It's still a chicken broth, but with tofu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and a number of other additives that flavor it nicely.  The best part is its heat!  It's not overpowering or sinus-destroying, but it's got that slight burn to it that tickles the taste buds.

This is one of my favorite meals when I have a cold.  When I can't breathe, I'll order a quart of this to go, add some extra chili garlic paste or some srirachi and consume as much as my stomach can handle.  Forget Sudafed, a spiced up bowl of this will blast out your sinuses and you'll be able to breathe for the first time in 24 hours.

You can make this delicacy at home as well.  This recipe will not be as gelled as some of the soups I've tried, just because when you add too much cornstarch to the mix, it can become almost gravy like.  I'm not a fan of a soup that solidifies like Jell-o when you refrigerate it.  Also, you can completely control the heat.  If you want just a little heat, go with just a tablespoon of the heat.  If you're like me, go 2 tablespoons, maybe even more.

Hot and Sour Soup

Makes 4-6 servings

1/4 cup dried wood ear mushrooms
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 pound ground or Chinese barbecued pork
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1-2 tablespoon garlic and red chile paste (sambal oolek or srirachi if that's what you have)
2 cloves garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup sliced bamboo shoots
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or rice vinegar
4 14 ounce cans chicken broth
1 8 ounce square firm tofu
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 egg

Rehydrate the wood ear mushrooms by placing them in a bowl, covering them in boiling water and letting them sit for 30 minutes.  Then slice them into small strips and set them aside.

Remove your tofu from it's container, wrap in paper towels and then set on a cooling rack.  Place something flat and heavy on it (like a small cookie sheet/small skillet with a cans of soup on top, so it will push out the excess moisture.

In a large saute pan or stockpot, heat the oil.  Add the pork and heat until cooked through.  Add the ginger, chili paste, garlic, and bamboo and stir 1 minute.  Add the soy sauce, vinegar, and and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook for at least 10 minutes.

While waiting for the soup to simmer, unwrap your tofu and slice into bite-size pieces.  Add them to the soup and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch and water in a small cup until well blended, then add to the soup.  Stir for about 30 seconds to make sure it's distributed.

Scramble the egg in a small cup, slowly stir the soup to get it moving.  Then very slowly add the egg, it will give you that ribboning effect throughout the soup.

Cook for three minutes so the cornstarch thickens in slightly, then remove from the heat and serve.

So make a batch and either enjoy a nice flavorful option to egg drop soup... or a soup to help clear your sinuses.

Trips to the Asian Markets and This Month's Theme

So this month, we're going to try to make a few asian dishes.  Nothing too complicated, we'll be sticking to some common dishes from Chinese and Thai cultures.  And to do that, we're going to need some special ingredients.  Things like srirachi, hoisin sauce, black fungus, tofu, rice papers, etc.  Things you don't normally toss into your grocery cart on a regular basis.

Now most, if not all of them are available in your larger grocery stores.  With the growing popularity of ethnic cuisines, there are many more products carried in your everyday supermarket.  For example, the Harmons just a short drive from my home has a few shelves of Asian items and almost everything I need is there.  All the sauces, noodles and condiments are side by side.  And if you need other ingredients, like tofu and egg roll wrappers, items that are normally refrigerated, you can find them in the produce sections, usually near the mushrooms or bagged salads. And you can also find the dried woodear mushrooms over there too.

Finding the basic ingredients in the grocery stores may be easy, but you can find a greater variety of items and some really funky and great items at a local Asian market.  Yes, it's going to be a different.  But it's worth the trip at least once in your life.  You've got to expand your horizons, see what the rest of the world really eats.  Because I'll gurantee you, the authentic sweet and sour sauce they use in China is NOT radioactive neon pink.

Asian grocery stores usually have ingredients from all over the continent. Be it Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Thai, or Vietnamese meals, you will find everything, and I mean EVERYTHING you need here. 

For some people, ethnic grocery stores can be a little frightening, but there's nothing to be scared of.  It's a grocery store just like any other.  It just has ingredients that you may have never seen before with labels in a language you may not understand.  No big deal.  And by entering this type of store, you open yourself to all sorts of culinary options. 

Still a little scared?  Well, let me help ease your mind...  First, almost every item will have some sort of english on it, so you will have an idea of what's in the package.  You won't be taking some mystery package home.  Can't find a recognizable characrter?  Well, since it's food, the USDA requires that it have the Nutrition Facts label somewhere on the packaging.  Most likely, a description of the food will be there. 

Second,most of the package while have some area that is see-through, so you can actually see what you're buying.  This comes in handy when you're selecting noodles, mushrooms, or meats.   And many of them, like these rice paper wraps will show how you can use them.  For example, these are perfect for spring rolls or thin wrapper egg rolls.

Third, in my experience, there are very nice people working there.  If you tell them what you need, they'll direct you tgo the item quickly and kindly.

Fourth, it's great to wander the aisles and just LOOK at what is on the shelves and consider for a moment what recipe would use it.  Yes, you may find a few things you may never even consider eating, but it's still pretty cool.  In this example, there are all sorts of different frozen meat.  There's squid, which we can use for a stir fry or quick batter fry.  But then there's the coby fish, octopus, sea urchins, and every type of sea-faring critter you could see in an IMAX 3D movie.

Fifth, usually they sell a lot more than groceries.  My store has an enitre section of woks, hundreds of different chopsticks (which would probably double as those hair sticks that some of the girls like), a whole wall of teapots, the entire set of sushi preparation tools and more serving and decorative ceramic bowls that you possibly use in your life. So you can buy the ingredients for the dinner and then purchase the serving pieces at the same time. 

Sixth, they have some great things in the frozen section.  I get a craving for potstickers every so often and I don't have the time to make them.  It's great to know that I can buy a bag of frozen dumplings here and cook them up in minutes at home.  And there's a number of dim sum options as well. 

Finally, you need to walk down the candy aisle.  There are all sorts of exotic sweets available in little bags, so you can sample something new for about a buck and a half.

Oh, and if you'd like some MSG in your food for that extra flavor... they have it... in large bags.  So if you have an Asian market anywhere close to you, stop by to pick up a few ingredients for this month's recipes and pick up something outside your normal menu.

Chicken, Steak or Shrimp Fajita Quesadilla

Taco Tuesday...

We have some sort of Mexican food almost every week.  It can be almost any combination of the classic Jim Gaffigan "Tortilla with meat, cheese and vegetables". And for some reason, it usually happens on a Tuesday.  Maybe I've heard the term "Taco Tuesday" so much that it's ingrained into my skull.  But no matter why my eating habits have developed this way, the giant pancake griddle emerges from the lower cabinets so we can grill up some fresh tortillas. Inevitably, we'll also make a pair of quesadillas for the boys.

So one day I was making some fajitas for Liz and I and thought to combine the fajita and the quesadilla into one.  And this was born.

You do have the option to marinade the meat for a good long time, as we do in the Fajita recipe I have posted before.  If you don't have time, then fall back to the Quick method as I outline below.  Either will give you the flavor, just one will allow it to seep deeper into the meat.  And feel free to combine different meats in whatever proportion you wish.  Chicken and steak for some variety, steak and shrimp for a bot of surf and turf, all of them turn out great!  You'll notice that I recommend cutting the chicken into strips and the steak into quarters.  This is so there is more surface area on the meat, therefore it will cook a little faster.  Also, more of the spices from the marinade will stick to more area of the meat.  Also, cooking the meat on the barbecue is recommended, but not necessary, especially on those cold rainy or snowy days.

Chicken, Steak or Shrimp Fajita Quesadillas

Makes 4 Quesadillas

Marinade
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 lime
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chipotle sauce (either bottled or from a can of chipotle peppers)
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Cholulu, Tapatio, Tobasco, or your favorite)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
*Spicy version, add one finely chopped jalapeno (include seeds if you really want to bring the heat) and 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper


Tortillas with Meat, Cheese and Vegetables
1 1/2 pound skinless boneless chicken breast cut into strips, sirloin steak cut into quarters, or shrimp (shells removed and deveined)
1 large onion sliced into half-moons
1 green pepper, sliced into small strips
1 red pepper, sliced into small strips
2 tablespoons oil
8 uncooked tortillas
3-4 cups grated mexican cheeses (or Colby Jack or cheddar if you don't have the Mexican blends around)

Combine all of the marinade ingredients into a large ziploc bag and squish it around with your hand until it is fully combined.  Add your protein of choice, squish it around again to coat the meat and seal the bag.  If you have the time for the long soak, place this bag in another bag to prevent any unwanted spills, seal it tight and leave it in the fridge from 4 hours to overnight.  If you don't have that much time, place the bag in the fridge for 15-30 minutes and then prepare the veggies.

Cut the tops off the peppers and clean out the centers and seeds.  Slice your peppers and onions into quarters vertically so they are easier to handle, then slice them into long strips and set aside.  Slice your onion into small half moon shapes.  If you have access to a barbecue, it's preferable to cook the meat there, but if not, do the following...

Place 2 large saute pan or skillets over medium heat and add the oil to only one of them.  Once the oil has heated up, dump the onions and peppers into that saute pan, increase the heat slightly and stir occasionally for 12-15 minutes so the onions and peppers become soft and begin to caramelize.   Add the meat to the other skillet and cook until the chicken and shrimp are thoroughly cooked or the steak is cooked to Medium.  When both the meat and veggies are done, evacuate them to a cutting board.  Slice the chicken and steak into small bite-size pieces, remove the tails from the shrimp, and then place them in a bowl and set aside.

Heat your griddle to 350 degrees.  Place two tortillas on the griddle.  When they are done on one side, work quickly... flip one tortilla and sprinkle cheese to cover.  Add the meat and veggies on top of the cheese and add another layer of cheese on top.  Take the second tortilla and place it on top of the cheese, cooked side down.  After 1 1/2  to 2 minutes, flip the quesadilla to cook the other tortilla.  When both sides are cooked to your satisfaction, remove it to a plate and start working on the next one.  Repeat until they are all done.

Serve with a little Spanish Rice on the side and lots of salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

So do a little something different for your next Taco Tuesday, make a batch of Fajita Quesadillas instead!

Green Chile Chicken Burritos

So out here in the west there is a fast food Mexican chain that puts Taco Bell / Taco Time / Del Taco to shame.  It's Cafe Rio.  It started here in Salt Lake, but has spread like wildfire to neighboring states and is now spreading to Virginia.

It's the ultimate in assembly line mexican food.  You order your version of the tortilla with meat, cheese and vegetables, and as you walk down the line, you specify exactly what you want and how much you want of each ingredient.  They slap it together fast, punch your card, take your cash and you're on you way.  And the best part, it's REALLY good food.  Also, the have a meal card, where when you have 12 meals, you get one for free.  Cash in one of these card and the cashier will scream, "FREE MEAL!".  Which is then met a few seconds later as everyone behind the counter (close to 20 people) yell back "Free Meal!"

Now I usually go with the hot red sauce when I smother my burrito.  But occasionally I'll get the tomatillo and green chile sauce instead.  It all depends on the mood of the day.  The green sauce is a great mix of spice and sweetness.

Now I've made my own Green Chile sauce.  This is not a copycat recipe from Cafe Rio.  This sauce has a great chile flavor with just the slightest hint of sweetness.  It's almost chile verde-like.  The secret is to let it simmer for at least 20 minutes before you serve it up.  Longer is better, because the longer the sauce simmers, the more water evaporates, which will concentrate the tastes together.

Green Chile Chicken Burritos

Makes 4 burritos

3-4 anaheim or poblano peppers
1 jalapeno pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped fine
A few sprigs of cilantro, to your liking. (I use about 2 teaspoons)
2 14oz can crushed tomatillos
1 teaspoon cumim
1 pound chicken diced or shredded chicken meat (from thighs, breast, whatever you prefer)
2 cups shredded cheese
1 can refried or black beans (optional)
Some Mexican style rice (optional)
4 fresh tortillas

Place the anaheim and jalapeno under your broiler for 5 minutes.  Flip them over and roast for another 5 minutes.  Don't let them burn too much.  Then remove the peppers, take as much of the skins off as possible and remove the seeds (especially from the jalapeno, unless you want this REALLY hot).  Place the peppers, garlic, green chiles, and onions into a food processor and pulse until everything has been chopped into little bits.

Pour the contents into a large saucepan along with the crushed tomatillos and cumin and bring to a boil.  Then drop the heat and simmer while you cook your chicken.  Once the chicken is cooked and either diced or shredded, return it to the pan combine half of the green chile sauce with the chicken.  Fill the tortillas with the chicken, cheese and the rice and beans if you want.  Roll up the tortillas and smother the burrito in the chile sauce and more cheese. Garnish with salsa and sour cream if you wish and serve with Spanish Rice and beans.

So make a batch of these tonight, and also visit a Cafe Rio for lunch near you.  If there isn't one in your area, there will be soon, trust me.

Chicken Tortilla Soup - Stovetop and Crock Pot versions.

Tortilla soup is becoming much more popular.  Just a few years ago, there were a few Mexican restaurants that would offer it and one deli in town.  That's it.  Now it's everywhere!

Most of the Mexican restaurants now offer a version of it.  The other day I went through the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru, because I'm addicted to their spicy chicken sandwich and the waffle fries.  And sure enough, Chicken Tortilla Soup is now on their menu!  My wife has tried it, and it's really not that bad.

Now I'm all for a spicy soup, and this one's hearty enough to be a meal all by itself.  But if you want it to be an appetizer for some Enchiladas, Tamales, or any other fare, do it!  If you have about 30-45 minutes, the stovetop version is great.  But if you're like the rest of us and have tight time constraints, then try out the Crock Pot version and tell me what you think.  I really like the taste of the marinade on the chicken breasts, but if you are under time constraints, you can just cook unmarinaded breasts instead.  Just add the cumin and chili powder that you would use for the marinade directly into the soup.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Marinaded Chicken
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
Juice from one lime
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Cholulu, Tapatio, Tobasco, or your favorite)
1 teaspoon chipotle sauce, from a chipotle can or a bottled sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound of chicken breasts, skinless and boneless


Soup Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 clove of garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them)
3 14 ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Cholulu, Tapatio, Tobasco, or your favorite)
1 can black beans (drained of any juice)
6 ounces can tomato paste
2 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup half-and-half cream 
1/4 cup corn or vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas (4 for soaking, 4 for crispifying)




Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large ziploc bag and squish around to combine.  Add the chicken breast and seal the bag.  Set in your fridge to soak in the goodness for at least 15 minutes, overnight or 24 hours is even better.


When you're ready, bake, grill or pan-fry the chicken breasts until fully cooked.  Shred the chicken breasts into small bits and then set aside.


Slice your tortillas into small strips. For the ones to soak, cut them in half, then cut them into 1/4 inch strips.  For the future crispy ones, cut the tortillas in half and slice into 1/8 in strips.  Set the soakers aside. 


In a large saute pan or stockpot, saute the onions over medium heat until they become translucent.  Add the minced garlic and tomatoes and stir for another 2 minutes.  Pour in the chicken broth (WATCH OUT FOR STEAM!) and then add all the spices.  Bring to a boil.  Add the beans and the shredded chicken and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.


While simmering, combine the tomato paste and water in a bowl.  Once well blended, add the cronstarch and mix again.  Now pour the mixture into the rest of the soup and stir.  This is where you would add the half-and-half if you want the creamier version.  Simmer for another 5-10 minutes.


At this point, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add half of the 1/8 inch tortilla strips and allow them to fry up.  When they become cripsy, remove and lay on paper towels.  Repeat with the remaining strips.


After the last simmer is complete, add the 1/4 inch unfried tortilla strips into the soup and let them soak for about 5 minutes before serving up the soup.  Garnish with cilantro, some cheese and sprinkle on the cripsy tortilla strips.


CROCK POT COOKERS:


You can also make this in the crock pot in just a few hours (or all day of you want)  There are a few alterations that have to be made for the long cook time, the lack of the chicken breast marinade and the evaporation of the liquid...


Soup Ingredients
6 ounces can tomato paste
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 cups water
Juice from one lime

1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
3 clove of garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them)
4 14 ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce (Cholulu, Tapatio, Tobasco, or your favorite)
1 can black beans (drained of any juice)
3/4 cup half-and-half cream 


Tortilla stuff
1/4 cup corn or vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas (4 for soaking, 4 for crispifying)


In a small bowl, mix the tomato paste and the cornstarch, to prevent lumps when you add it to the other ingredients.  Then quickly saute the onions.  Add all of the soup ingredients directly into the crock pot and stir.  Set on low and allow to cook for 3-4 hours (longer is just fine).  


Fifteen minutes before serving, scoop the chicken breasts out of the soup.  Shred them with a pair of forks and add them back into the soup. 


Slice four of the corn tortillas into 1/4 inch strips and add to the soup.  Slice the other four into 1/8 strips and fry in a small saute pan with some oil until they are crispy.


Serve the soup garnished with cheese and/or sour cream with the crispy tortillas spread on the top.