Thai Lettuce Wraps

This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cook books, Good Friends Great Taste, A Celebration of Life, Food and Friendship which I could not find a link to.  I got this cookbook at one of my favorite little stores in Atchison, Kansas, www.nellhills.com .  If my friend Lara at www.feedyourkids.com were to write I cookbook, this is the type of cookbook I would expect from her. You can buy the book on Amazon, and no, I am not getting paid by any of these companies/people mentioned above. 

 

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Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast
2 TBL olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 green onions
2-3 TBL fresh cilantro
Juice from ½ a lime
½ TSP cayenne pepper (or more if you like it a little more spicy)
¼ TSP ground ginger

Cucumber Sauce

½ cup water
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 TBL honey
½ cup pealed and grated cucumber
2 TBL fresh cilantro
3 heads bib lettuce
½ pound bean sprouts

Make sauce and chill while cooking the chicken.  For sauce mix together first 4 ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook an additional 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and refrigerate until cool.  While sauce is cooking, grate cucumber.  Add cucumber and cilantro to sauce when cool.  

For chicken, cut into small bite size pieces, heat oil, add garlic and chicken cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add broth and cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Stir in green onions, cilantro, lime and spices.  Toss to coat.  

To serve, wash and dry your largest lettuce leaves.  Fill leaves with chicken top with bean sprouts and cucumber sauce, fold the lettuce over and eat. 

***The above recipe is how I like to make it, however if you notice there are no bean sprouts and I used iceberg lettuce in the above picture.  That is because the only head of lettuce I was able to find at the time was iceberg.  I can get other lettuce, but only in the bag.  I guess I could have used sesame leaves because they are plentiful here, but I really don't care for them much & I think that would have been way too funky.  For the bean sprouts, I have not seen a bean sprout here. I did just find out about a large Korean grocery store that has tons of fresh fruits and veggies...I can't wait to try it out.