THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB: CASHEW CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

Drum roll please…..     This is my first anniversary as a member of The Secret Recipe Club!   One year!  Obviously, I was counting the days for this Reveal Day, and jumped on my assigned blog the very minute I got the email notification.  This month I am cooking from Loving Life, a fun blog hosted by Kirstin, the super busy Mom of two teenage daughters, who also home schools them.  I get tired just thinking about it.  The mystery is how does she find the time to cook and blog?   Superpowers?  Probably. I chose a recipe from her blog quite quickly, because it is one of the favorite dishes we used to order at a place called BJ’s in Oklahoma.  Light, refreshing, flavorful,  Phil and I would share that as an appetizer almost every single time, but I had never made it at home.  Great opportunity, which I grabbed right away!  😉

CASHEW CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS
(adapted from Loving Life)

for teriyaki sauce:
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Sesame oil

for chicken:
3/4 lb. chicken breast or tenders, diced in small pieces
6 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup diced baby-bella mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped cashews
1 tsp. soy sauce
canola oil
6-8 butter lettuce leaves

for topping:
2 carrots, peeled & julienned
1/2 Tbs. Sesame Seeds

Mix all sauce ingredients, making sure the brown sugar dissolves.

Place some canola oil in a non-stick pan and cook chicken till cooked through and lightly browned. Add green onions, mushrooms, cashews and 1 tsp. soy sauce. Cook until mushrooms soften. Add teriyaki sauce. Cook stirring often on medim-high heat until sauce began to caramelize a bit on the chicken. Lower heat to “low” and continue to cook a bit longer or until your desired consistency is reached.
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Serve on lettuce cups, adding julienned carrots and sesame seeds on top.
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ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

We absolutely loved this recipe!  Next time I might just up the amount of sauce a little bit, but other than that, no changes…    This post gives me the opportunity to share with you a very special gift we received from our friend Cindy.  She probably got tired of me complaining about the electric stove in our new home, and one day I got this box delivered with an induction-type single burner cooktop!  Not only it works great, but it is a life-saver for me, due to another small problem in our kitchen: no ventilation. I had pretty much given up on frying or sauteing fish or meat.   With this cooktop, I was able to install a cooking area on our patio, and voila’: no more offensive odors!  Plus, it’s is such a nice setting, don’t you agree?

Cindy, thanks so much for such a thoughtful gift!

For the full round-up on the Secret Recipe Club, click on the cute blue frog. To see which recipe was chosen from my blog this month click here to visit Lindsay’s blog…

Kirstin, nice to “meet” your blog!  Have fun with today’s reveal day!

ONE YEAR AGO: Clay-pot Pork Roast

TWO YEARS AGO: Panmarino

THREE YEARS AGO: A Classic Roast Chicken