Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I took a few days off from blogging for a road trip to see some extended family, but I’m back and ready to dive back in to blogging!  2011 should be a great year here at The Picky Apple, and I’m looking forward to some upcoming posts on life with a spirited child, home projects, crafts, and new recipes….like this one!

Lettuce wraps are something that I don’t order at restaurants or make at home very often, but when I do, I always enjoy them!  The technique for these is a bit different than the Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps I’ve made previously.  These use ground chicken and have a more complex ingredient list (and a more complex flavor as a result!), but they are still easy enough to make.  Ground chicken isn’t something I normally buy unless it is on sale, but these will definitely be making an appearance on our menu from time to time.

Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps

from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook via goodLife {eats}

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated on a microplane
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 8 shiitake mushrooms, diced
• 4 peeled water chestnuts, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 head Butter lettuce
• 1 1/2 cups cooked jasmine rice
• 1 – 11 ounce can mandarin orange sections, drained

In a bowl, marinate the ground chicken with the soy sauce, wine, and cornstarch for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. When hot, add the oil, swirling to coat. Stir in the garlic, ginger, red onion. Fry for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Add the ground chicken, cooking and stirring until lightly browned, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, water chestnuts, rice vinegar, and oyster sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. Stir in the red bell pepper and simmer until it is tender-crisp, about 30 seconds to a minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.

Assemble the lettuce wraps by spooning a heaping tablespoon of rice and filling onto each lettuce leaf. Top with 2-3 mandarin orange sections.