7 November, 2014
Asian Inspired Appetizers for Dinner
Sometimes appetizers make the best meals. I was surfing the internet and came across these lettuce wraps by damn delicious
http://damndelicious.net/2014/05/30/pf-changs-chicken-lettuce-wraps/
For damn delicious recipe you will need :
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 lb ground chicken (I used ground beef)
- 2 clove garlic (I used minced garlic)
- 1 onion
- 1/4 cup hoisin
- 2 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs rice wine vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
- 1tbs sriracha
- 1 oz while water chestnuts ( did not use)
- 2 green onions
- kosher salt and pepper to taste (didn’t need any)
- 1 head butter lettuce ( I used iceberg)
Directions:
heat olive oil in a saucepan over meduim high heat. Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, make sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks, drain excess fat
stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and Sriracha until onions have become translucent about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chestnuts and green onions, cook 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, spoon several tbs of the chicken mixture into center of lettuce leaf, taco style.
The egg roll recipe comes from the back of the pack. These are located in the fruits and veggies section of the grocery store.
For the egg rolls, you will need:
- 1 pkg of Nasoya egg roll wraps
- 1 lb lean ground pork ( I did not use any meat)
- 1tsp minced ginger
- 2 cups cabbage, finely chopped ( I used the whole head)(use sesame oil to fry cabbage in extra Asian Flair)
- 1/4 lb bean sprouts ( I used a whole can)
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 3 green onions( I used about 6)
- 2 tbs oyster sauce ( I used 4 tbs)
This is what I used
cook meat and ginger in skillet over high heat until browned, 2-3 minutes. Add cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, and green onions. Stir in oyster sauce. Let mixture cool.
use tbs filling for each egg roll. Fold bottom corner over filling, then fold in side corners. Brush top corner with water and roll up wrap tightly to enclose filling, sealing roll with top flap
fry at 350 degrees, a few at a time, about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.
For the fish:
- 6 pieces of thawed tipilia
- 1 tbs oyster sauce
- a sprinkle of white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1 egg
Mix all ingredients with the fish, beat the egg and add it to the fish. 
fry at 375 for 3-5 minutes. No coating was used for fish the fish browns nicely by itself.
Make the egg roll filling first since that has to cool. While I was waiting, I made the lettuce wrap filling and wrapped those. Heat up your deep fryer, before you start rolling the eggrolls. Season fish and have ready it ready to fry. Roll the egg rolls and fry when oil heats up. After frying the egg rolls, fry the fish. This recipe is a bit complicated because of the time and the unusual ingredients. I would give it at least a 4 out of 5.
Now it time for the verdict. The egg rolls are always at hit. My boys and Memee loves those and it’s a tried and true recipe. The fish recipe I made up as I went along, no complaints for that.
Now the lettuce wraps, I never realized how hard it is to fold iceburg. So find another lettuce.
My sis and I totally loved them. Both boys saved them for last. Bo did not like them;he said they taste like duck sauce. But he likes duck sauce! Fat looked at his for a long time and because Bo did not like them, he didn’t either. Once my sister said she loved them. Fat changed his mind. So the verdict is still out for Fat. My fiancée is basic so he only ate the fish….between bread….., we didn’t care that meant more egg rolls for us!
I will try to redo the lettuce wrap so the children like them. First, I would reduce the hoisin sauce. The rest I have to brainstorm.