Copycat P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

February 25, 2013 by

Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Who watched the Oscars last night? I have to admit that they usually bore me. I didn’t really tune in until it was towards the end. Here are some of my thoughts:

- Anne Hathaway, I adore you, but please grow you hair back out. Your mouth is entirely too big for short hair. Also, that dress was no good.
- Kristen Stewart, how many drugs were you on last night?
- Jennifer Lawrence, you tripped walking up the stairs and it made me love you even more.
- Daniel Day Lewis, you are the man. The lipstick stain on your cheek from your wife while you were giving your speech was adorbs.

Who were your favorites last night?

Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ok, ok, enough Oscar talk. Let’s get to the food. Copycat P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Let’s do this.

These lettuce wraps are probably one of the most popular dishes at P.F. Chang’s and it is certainly my favorite. I’ve been wanting to re-create them at home for some time and finally got around to it. I love the flavor of the chicken mixture and eating it with lettuce instead of rice is much healthier! The water chestnuts add a nice crunch. These wraps are just refreshing to me.

I had this dish ready to go in about 20 minutes. P.F. Chang’s serves these as an appetizer, but they are definitely filling enough for lunch or even dinner!

Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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Copycat P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tbs. vegetable oil
  • 1 lb. ground chicken breast
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 tbs. minced garlic
  • 1 tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tbs. rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tsp. sriracha (can adjust if you don't like spicy)
  • 1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped
  • 1 bunch green onions sliced
  • 2 tsp. sesame oil
  • salt to taste
  • Iceberg, Bibb or butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and drained
  • cilantro (for garnish, optional)
  • soy sauce, hoisin, spicy mustard sauce (for dipping, if desired)

Instructions

  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks.
  2. Pour in the onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and the sriracha. Toss the mixture to coat all of the chicken. Continue cooking until the chicken is thoroughly cooked (about 1-2 minutes).
  3. Stir in the water chestnuts and the green onions. Pour in the sesame oil, and add salt to taste.
  4. Transfer the chicken to a bowl or a large plate. Scoop the chicken mixture onto the lettuce leaves. Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve!

Notes

Slightly adapted from this recipe

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/02/copycat-p-f-changs-chicken-lettuce-wraps/

Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Filed Under: Appetizers, Chicken, Entrees, Low-Carb, Low-Fat · Tagged With: , , , , , 25 Comments

Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

January 30, 2013 by

Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

After making honey sesame chicken last spring, I have been determined to make more take-out recipes. And if I could make them in the slow cooker, that’s even better!

Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

Chicken Teriyaki is another one of my favorite take-out dishes, so I wanted to give it a try. I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out. Make sure you use low-sodium soy sauce, otherwise the chicken will be very salty (and not in a good way).

Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

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Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours, 10 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. chicken breasts
  • 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3 tbs. orange marmalade
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 tbs. cold water
  • 1 1/2 tbs. corn starch
  • cooked rice
  • sliced green onion and/or sesame seeds (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, cider vinegar, honey, ground ginger, garlic, brown sugar, and the orange marmalade. Pour the mixture over the chicken and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours.
  3. Remove the chicken and shred with a fork. Set aside.
  4. Dissolve the corn starch in a small bowl with the cold water. Pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a sauce pan. Heat on medium heat. Stir in the corn starch mixture. Bring the sauce to a light boil, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat.
  5. Place the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker (now turned off or on warm) or into a bowl, Pour the sauce over the chicken and mix until the chicken is covered in the sauce.
  6. Serve over rice and/or veggies. Garnish with green onion or sesame seeds.

Notes

Slightly adapted from Cooking Classy

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/01/slow-cooker-chicken-teriyaki/

Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki
Filed Under: Chicken, Entrees, Low-Fat · Tagged With: , , , , , 13 Comments

Cashew Chicken

May 18, 2012 by

I think computers hate me. It’s been a long week with nothing but technical problems. First, my crappy work laptop decided to start acting up and I had to get a loaner. Earlier this week I was pulling my hair out trying to run my analyses for my dissertation because I couldn’t get my models to run. Finally I figured it out, got them to run and then realized that the version of the software I had is really old and it didn’t give me all of the information I needed. UGHHHHH!! So, ok, I can just run them on a computer that has the new version and I will get what I want, right? WRONG! I worked all yesterday on a different computer with the new version and the models won’t run. WAHHHHHHHH!! Someone, please, pass me a drink!!

All of these issues have not really made me want to get in the kitchen and cook a big meal. I’m all about quick meals right now. I’m also all about trying to make my own Chinese take-out meals. This cashew chicken recipe might be my new favorite. Seriously, we had it two days in a row. That’s pretty serious stuff, people.

I made some rice on the side, but really, I didn’t really want the rice. The chicken and veggies on their own are all you need which makes this a great dish to make for all you low-carbers. And for all your vegetarians, omit the chicken and use tofu or just load up on more veggies! The sauce is perfect, just a touch of sweetness from the honey with a little kick from the Sriracha. This one is definitely a keeper!

Print
Cashew Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tbs. cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tbs. canola oil
  • 1 tbs. sesame oil
  • 2 cups broccoli florets, rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen shelled edamame (or regular green peas)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews, unsalted
  • 1 tbs. rice vinegar
  • 3 tbs. honey
  • 2 tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbs. Sriracha

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, combine the cubed chicken, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Toss until the chicken is well-coated.
  2. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the canola oil and the sesame oil. Add the chicken and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the chicken turns a light golden brown.
  3. Add the broccoli, red pepper, onion, and edamame (or peas) to the chicken and cook until crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked thoroughly.
  4. While the veggies and chicken are cooking, combine the rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, garlic, and Sriracha in a bowl. Whisk together until well-combined. Pour the mixture on the chicken and veggies and toss to coat.

Notes

From Cooking Light

http://eat-drink-love.com/2012/05/cashew-chicken/
Filed Under: Chicken, Entrees, Low-Carb · Tagged With: , , , , 38 Comments

Lightened Up Orange Peel Chicken

September 28, 2011 by


At my bridal shower last year, my bridesmaids put together a recipe book for me. What was so sweet about it was not the fact that it was just random recipes, but they were favorite recipes from my family and friends.  It’s such a cute book filled with so many great recipes! It was by far my favorite gift that I received at my shower!

Now that I have this blog, I have decided that I really want to try the recipes in this book so I have made it my goal to make at least one recipe from each person that contributed one into the book! Today, I give you P.F. Chang’s Style Orange Peel Chicken from my good friend, Lisa! This recipe was very appealing to me because I love P.F. Chang’s, but because I live in a small college town, there aren’t any around here!! I have made this recipe a couple of times and really enjoyed it so I wanted to make it again, but this time, lighten it up a bit. As is the story with most breaded chicken, the original recipe calls for frying the chicken up in a pan with oil.  I decided to lighten this dish up a bit by using a panko bread crumb and whole wheat flour mixture instead of white flour. And instead of frying the chicken in oil, I baked mine in the oven. Yay for no grease!! This orange peel chicken was so tasty and if you ask me, way better than take out!! Serve it with some steamed rice, quinoa, or more veggies!

Lightened Up Orange Peel Chicken

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

Chicken:

– 4 chicken breasts, cleaned and trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces

– 1 cup panko bread crumbs

– 1 cup whole wheat flour

– 1 egg

– 1 cup milk

– Peel from 1/4 of a large orange, julienned into 1/8-inch strips

– 1 cup sugar snap peas

Sauce:

– 1 tbs. vegetable oil

– 2 tbs. garlic, minced

– 4 green onions, sliced

– 1 cup tomato sauce

– 1/2 cup water

– 1/4 cup granulated sugar

– 1 1/2-2 tbs. oriental chili-garlic sauce

– 1 tbs. soy sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine panko and flour together in a pie dish or bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs. Spray a wire rack with non-stick cooking spray and place the rack into a baking sheet. Dip chicken pieces into milk and egg mixture and then into the flour and bread crumb mixture. Place chicken onto wire rack. Once all your chicken pieces are breaded. Spray them with more cooking spray and bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes. Gently turn the chicken over, spray with more spray and cook for another 5 minutes. Set cooked chicken aside.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and green onion. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, water, sugar, chili garlic sauce, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Simmer sauce for 5-6 minutes or until sauce thickens.

3. Heat a large pan or wok on medium high heat, add chicken and orange peel. Heat for 30 seconds, stirring gently. Add the sugar snap peas and the sauce to the pan. Gently toss chicken (you don’t want to knock off the breading) into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Serve with rice or additional veggies!
Filed Under: Chicken, Entrees, Low-Fat · Tagged With: , , , , , 30 Comments