Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I made chicken lettuce wraps the other night for Chris and me.  It was delicious!  This has always been a favorite appetizer of mine, which I tend to get as a meal these days or part of my meal, splitting it with Chris with some steamed pork dumplings...yum!

Believe it or not, I had never made these before.  I found this recipe in one of my "healthy" cookbooks; I combined it with a recipe my aunt sent me via email.  There were some things that I didn't want to add or wanted to add from each recipe.  You can add water cress, bell peppers, etc. I love that I can make this as healthy or as unhealthy as I want too, preferably healthy.  I used bibb lettuce, but you can use iceberg or whatever you have.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 lb. ground chicken
1 jalepeno, chopped & seeds removed
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 chives, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons ginger paste
1 Teaspoon of Cornstarch
1 head of bibb or Boston lettuce

In bowl mash ground chicken so no "string-like" pieces are visible.
Add all ingredients, except first and last, to mashed ground chicken.
Heat oil in saucepan, and add chicken mixture to pan.  Stir chicken mixture often until completely cooked.
Place on plate and serve.

Recipe adapted from America's Taste Kitchen: Healthy Cookbook & Viking River Cruises

It's all about the Lemon

So I have been wanting to make lemon curd for a while now, and I finally did it.  I truly enjoyed making the lemon curd; it was relaxing, stirring the liquid curd into a thickness equal to hot fudge sauce.  Once the curd got to the right consistency, I had this huge smile on my face and started clapping--I was so proud of myself!  Silly I know.

So what do you make with lemon curd?  You can use it as a filling for macarons, cake, lemon curd tarts, cupcakes, etc.  I decided to make lemon meringue cupcakes.  I know what you are thinking...Deliciousness, Fresh, and perfect for the beginning of Summer (okay, okay it's not summer yet, but with the heat and humidity here, it sure feels like it!).

Lemon Meringue cupcake-Italian Meringue icing!

Lemon Curd filling

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes:
Lemon Cupcake:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups self rising flour
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and lightly flour three 9-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.  (Or in my case line cupcake tins with cupcake liners.)
3. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.
4. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the egss one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Combine the flours and add in four parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla extract, beating well after each addition.
7. Add lemon zest, mix until blended.
8. Divide batter among cake pans.  (Or in my case use a small ice cream scooper to scoop batter into cupcake liners.)
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
10. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes

Recipe: adapted from Magnolia Bakery's Vanilla Birthday Cake

Lemon Curd:

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Place a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In medium pot, whisk together lemon juice, granulated sugar, eggs, yolks, and pinch of salt.  Place the pot over a medium-low flame and add butter.  Stir mixture with a whisk, and spatula.  The spatula will help you get into the corners of the pan, ensuring that none of the curd over-cooks too much.  Cook the curd until the butter is melted and the mixture is the thickness of warm hot fudge.  The whisk will begin to leave a trail of whisk marks and the mixture will have the distinct smell of lemon curd.  You don't really need to boil lemon curd...it's probably done if it gets to the boiling stage.
3. remove from the flame and immediately pour into the fine mesh strainer over the medium bowl.  Press through the strainer, leaving any cooked egg bits in the strainer, and not in your beautiful curd.
4. Place curd in a jar, with a piece of plastic wrap placed directly over the curd.  Place in the fridge until completely cold.

Recipe: David Lebovitz

Italian Meringue Icing

• 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup water
• Dash of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Combine 2/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, and dash of salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring just until sugar dissolves.  Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees (about 4 minutes).
2. Combine cream of tartar and 3 egg whites in large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy.  Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating at high speed until medium peaks form. 
3. Gradually pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg white mixture, beating first at medium speed and then at high speed until stiff peaks form. 
4. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe: Cooking Light November 2010 Issue