Spicy Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Yesterday was a glorious day of which I spent most lazing about in the sun. Then I trekked a mile to the store to grab fresh produce and a mile back, snapping photos along the way. By the time I got home, it was about 8pm and I was starving, so rather than follow a recipe, I threw this together last-minute. I apologize for not having exact measurements, but here's what I used:

Ingredients

• approx. 1 Tbsp peanut oil

• approx. 1 Tbsp agave syrup

• whole romaine lettuce leaves

• 1/2 white onion, sliced

• approx. 1/4 cup fresh ginger, sliced

• approx. 1 cup green napa cabbage, sliced 

• 1 carrot, sliced

• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced

• 1 jalapeño, sliced

• approx. 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 1/2 can coconut milk

• approx. 3/4 lb chicken breast, cut into small pieces

• Spices: cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne powder, dried crushed garlic

• green onion, chopped

• fresh cilantro

• fresh mint

• rice noodles

Step 1.  Caramelize onion in peanut oil on med-high heat.

Step 2. Slice ginger and stir in at med heat. Cook long enough for peanut oil to absorb flavor.

Step 3. Add spices; stir to coat onion and ginger. 

Step 4. Add coconut milk and peanut butter. Stir until smooth consistency.

Step 5. Put cabbage and carrot into small saucepan of shallow boiling water.

Step 6. Add chicken to peanut sauce. Stir to coat and place lid over pan to cook on med. heat for approximately 20 minutes, or however long enough to thoroughly cook chicken.

Step 7. Chop bell pepper, jalapeño, and fresh herbs.

Step 8. Once cabbage and carrots seem slightly soft, remove from heat and drain water.

Now is a good time to  place the rice noodles in boiling water. Remove lid from fully-cooked chicken and simmer to allow peanut sauce to thicken while the rice noodles cook.

Step 9. After noodles are cooked and drained, stir the chicken and peanut sauce. It also wouldn't hurt to double- and triple-check to see that the chicken is fully cooked.

Step 10. Arrange plate with lettuce leaves on one side, fresh herbs and peppers on other, and the rice noodles, chicken, and steamed veggies in the center. Eat  as lettuce wraps. :)

Another option is you can shred the lettuce and place the rice noodles, steamed veggies, and chicken over the lettuce, drizzle the remaining peanut sauce over your salad, then sprinkle it with the remaining fresh herbs and peppers.

いただきます！

Shrimp Curry

Hello, folks! In the past, I have shared food porn and recipes, usually separately, but never before have I taken photos every step of the way to share with everyone else. At the urging of many drooling friends and family, I have decided to finally give a little taste of my own e-cooking lessons. (That sounded more clever in my head than it does on screen.) My goal as of late is to learn how to cook Indian and Pakistani foods, and maybe go back to my Thai obsession for a brief period. I spent several hours reading recipes and, inspired by a particular shrimp curry recipe on AllRecipes.com, developed this version. :)

[Note: After the dish was complete, I learned that it's better to err on the side of not enough oil than too much. Otherwise, this recipe was met with great approval. Indian approval, at that. ::cheers::]

Are you ready?

Rory's Shrimp Curry
Main Ingredients
1 Tbsp peanut oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 tsp salt
4 tomatoes, diced
1 14-oz can of coconut milk
1 lb fresh or fresh-frozen shrimp
plenty of cilantro
dried basil and cilantro
(Note: I would have liked to add fresh basil as well, but unfortunately did not have any.)

Spices
1 Tbsp dried crushed garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1-1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1-3 tsp cayenne powder (adds heat; choose your level carefully!)

Step 1. Bring water to a boil and put in shrimp.

Step 2. Heat peanut oil in a skillet and add diced onion; cook until translucent or mostly brown, depending upon your preference. I chose to caramelize only slightly.

Step 3. Blend spices and add to skillet; stir together and remove from heat.

If your shrimp was fresh, it should be fully cooked by now. Poke or stab with fork to test texture. Remove from heat, drain hot water (and be careful not to burn yourself like I did!), then place shrimp in bowl with cold water.

Step 4. Dice tomatoes and add to skillet. Sprinkle in salt. Stir tomatoes to coat with spices.

Step 5. Throw everything from skillet into a large pot. Add coconut milk.

Step 6. Simmer for about a half hour or so, stirring occasionally. The mixture will appear pale orange at first, but will become a more vivid and darker orange as the curry thickens.

After about 15 minutes might be the ideal time to start cooking basmati rice, depending on your rice-cooking techniques.

Try not to eat too many snacks as you impatiently wait for this delicious-smelling curry to reach perfect consistency! While I was waiting, I relaxed in the sun and "shucked" shrimp. :) (In other words, I peeled off their shells and icky little legs.)

Step 7. Peel shrimp.

Step 9. Stir in shrimp, fresh cilantro and dried cilantro. Cook for another couple of minutes.

Step 10. Cover rice in a bowl with the curry, and top with even more fresh cilantro.

And then... Eat! :D (My favorite part.)



Questions, Comments, Suggestions, Ideas? Please share! :) kthxbai