lettuce wraps

 
We tried these for the first time at my friend Annie's house and I was afraid I was eating more than my fair share because they were so tasty! She made them with pot stickers which were equally as good so I'll have to share that recipe sometime soon. These wraps are everyone's favorite here so I have to at least double the stir-fry portion of the recipe every time. Annie's taste much better than mine every time.

lettuce wraps (my friend Annie here in PA)
Sauce for pouring over lettuce wraps:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Chinese hot mustard
1 to 3 tablespoons garlic chili paste

stir-fry sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar

stir-fry
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts
1 cup minced water chestnuts
2/3 cup canned straw mushrooms
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Slice iceberg lettuce cups by cutting head of lettuce in half. Mix the stir fry sauce and refrigerate until ready to serve and spoon over your lettuce wraps.
Bring 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to high heat and saute chicken, then cut it into small pieces. Prepare stir-fry sauce; add water chestnuts, mushrooms, onions, garlic and chicken and saute together.
Serve chicken and vegetables with a side of lettuce cups. Spoons chicken and vegetables into lettuce cup; add sauce and wrap it like a burrito. If the sauce needs to be hotter, add more garlic chili paste!

What I have to say- there's no dainty way to eat a lettuce wrap. Just go for it and keep a napkin handy!