Simple Sundays: Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This weekend, I was at my parents' house. One of the best things about being there is the opportunity to cook with my mom, who taught me everything I know about being in the kitchen.

Today's creation was chicken lettuce wraps, based on the dish from P.F. Changs.  The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients for Wraps:

1 pound ground chicken
8 scallions, white and green part chopped
1 (8oz) can water chestnuts, drained, rinsed and chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2½ tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
 ½ tablespoon fresh garlic
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 large head butter lettuce, wash, dried and leaves separated

Ingredients for Regular Dipping Sauce:

¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon ginger (from a jar) or fresh minced ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon garlic (from a jar) or fresh minced garlic
(For peanut dipping sauce, add 1 tbsp peanut butter)

Instructions
1. In a large pan, brown the ground chicken over medium-high heat, breaking up the pieces.  Pour into a colander, in the sink and drain fat.  Return chicken to pan.  When cool enough to handle, break up the chicken pieces until minced.
2. Add the scallions, water chestnuts, red pepper, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, water and sesame oil.  Cook for a few minutes until the scallions and red pepper are soft.  Keep warm.
3. In a small bowl, add all the dipping sauce ingredients and mix well.
4. To assemble each chicken wrap: Spoon about ⅓ cup of chicken filling onto one lettuce leaf and roll it up, if desired. Serve with dipping sauce on the side.  This sauce is quite strong.  You’ll only need 1 teaspoon of sauce per wrap.  You can also set up the components on individual plates and serve family style.  Let everyone make their own wrap.
Makes about 16 lettuce wraps

(recipe originally found here)