So you want to enjoy some delicious Thai food, but you don't want the carbs of all the rice or noodles. Well, make some Thai lettuce wraps! They make a delicious appetizer or main course and you can make a couple different kinds to mix and match for a large group. They're one of Caitlin's favorite, and well, I decided that it was time to make some instead of giving all the credit to that attention hog P.F. Chang!
Here's what you'll need:
1/2 to 1 lb Chicken, Shrimp, Tofu or a combination
2 Shallots Diced
1/4 C Red Onion
3 Tbsp Lime Juice
2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1/4 C Diced Ginger
1/4 C Chopped Green Onion
1 C Shredded Carrots roughly chopped
2 Tbsp Diced Garlic
2 or 3 Diced Thai Hot Peppers
OR
2 Long Green Hot Peppers
OR
2 Tsp in some Dried Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
(if you want spicy that is)
Handful of Fresh Basil Leaves
Head of Iceberg Lettuce or White Cabbage
1/4 C Peanut/Vegetable Oil
So, what you'll want to do is cut the meat into really small, 1/2 inch cubes and put in a bowl. Add in the Lime Juice, Fish, Oyster, and Soy sauce so it can marinade. Set aside the meat and dice the ginger, Red Onion, Green Onion and Shallots and put into a bowl. Measure out a rough cup of shredded carrots and roughly chop on a cutting board and add to the veggie bowl. Depending on how hot you want your wraps to be (I recommend at least putting in the crushed red pepper) add diced pepper to the veggie bowl.
Put a Wok onto the stove on med-high heat and add in the oil. Let that heat up a little and then dump in the veggie bowl. Stir fry for 2 or 3 minutes by constantly flipping and rotating with a spatula until the ginger and onions start to soften up. Use a slotted spoon or fork to scoop the meat into the wok. You don't want to add too much of the liquid or else the meat won't cook right. You just want enough of the liquid to cover the bottom center of the wok. Stir fry for another 3 or 4 minutes until the meat is cooked through and then place in a bowl and throw in a handful or two of roughly chopped basil (or Thai basil if you want the exotic flavor!).
Take the head of lettuce/cabbage and cut off the bottom inch or two to get the core removed. Carefully remove as many large pieces of lettuce/cabbage as you can from the head and place on a serving bowl. Bring both to the table and serve! Spoon a 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of filling into each lettuce/cabbage leave, roll up, and enjoy! Delicious and really healthy!
After that, my buddy Kirk came over and showed my how to measure and get it all level, and I spent another weekend (with my Dad's truck of course) filling up the main yard space with gravel and compacting it and then covering it with another layer of sand with my friend Nate's help. Once that was done, Caitlin and Danielle layed the stones that Nate and I stacked up and then I spent the afternoon with a brick saw cutting the final pieces and putting them in place. Lastly, I ran a nice LED Ropelight under the lip of the planter boxes so we get a little ambiance at night and we put together our outdoor table and chairs and voila!
