Chicken Stir-Fry Wraps {Cookbook Challenge}

On November 6, 2010

Brenda’s Canadian Kitchen did a weekly blog hop called Cookbook Sundays and she inspired me to dust off some of my old cookbooks and make some recipes that I have never made before. So, I am going to try this out – for as long as I can anyways – and find some new recipes and put those books to good use.

I am challenging myself to do as many recipes that I find inticing from each of my cookbooks and magazines. I have a few, so they should last a while and my mission will be to do the recipes as written – I usually tend to switch things up. My first cookbook is Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food: Great Food Fast and I am going to do about 8 recipes from this one – that will take me through December.

What’s great about this book is that it separates the types of dishes into seasons, so not only are the dishes weather appropriate, the grocery items will be seasonal – less thinking on your part.

My first dish was very easy to make and took less than 45 minutes from prep to table. The Chicken Stir-Fry Wraps. These can be served in the bib lettuce leaves as I did, or you can serve the chicken stir-fry over white or brown rice. This turned out great, my husband was skeptical at first, but even he said they were very good. I did not have fresh ginger, so I used grated, and I will add a little brown sugar next time because I like a hint of sweetness in my stir-frys. All in all, this was a hit and I would do this again.

Chicken Stir-Fry Wraps

Martha Stewart, Everyday Food

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally and thinly sliced

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water

12 to 16 Boston lettuce leaves (about 2 heads)

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add half the chicken; cook, stirring constantly, until opaque throughout, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan, along with the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender and golden, about 4 minutes (reduce heat if browning too quickly).

Reduce heat to medium; add garlic, ginger, and red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.

Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch mixture; remove from heat. Add chicken and any accumulated juices; toss to coat. Serve in lettuce cups.