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  #1   ^
Old Wed, Oct-22-03, 16:48
gotbeer's Avatar
gotbeer gotbeer is offline
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Posts: 2,889
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 280/203/200 Male 69 inches
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Location: Dallas, TX, USA
Default "The hip, hot wrap"

The hip, hot wrap

Long a staple of Asian cuisine, lettuce wraps are replacing tortillas and other wrappings as restaurants offer new low-carb dishes.

By JANET K. KEELER, Times Staff Writer

Published October 22, 2003


link to article

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[Times photo: James Borchuck]

Leave it to dieters to push the boundaries of food.

Food manufacturers responded to the low-fat craze of the past two decades by producing cheese, cookies, yogurt and even ice cream without the primary element that gives them their yumminess: fat.

Today, regular folks, and even doctors and researchers, are thinking that maybe fat ain't so bad and the real enemy of taut tummies is carbohydrates. Bring on the low-carb bread, pasta and beer, with their essential earthy grains mightily diminished.

The tastes of the nation don't stop at what's on the grocery shelves. Remember in the mid '90s when Taco Bell trotted out a menu loaded, not with sour cream, but skinny burritos? Little did the folks at Taco Bell know that in just a few years, the tortilla, not cheese or sour cream, would be considered a weapon of mass destruction.

For at least a year, some restaurants have responded to the diet deja vu by publicizing "Atkins specials," which often are no more than cheeseburgers without buns, hold the fries.

But now a more ingenious, and satisfying, alternative to the meat-and-meat platter is showing up on menus. The lettuce wrap, with its roots in Asian cuisine, replaces the tortilla in fajitas and the thin pancake of Chinese wraps in low-carb offerings.

The beauty of the lettuce wrap is that it readily jumps cuisine borders, with lettuce leaves lending their cool snap to a multitude of flavors, including ginger, soy sauce, hot sauce, hoisin, capers, olives, curries and all sort of nuts. Plus, they are simple to make at home. Spoon chicken, beef, fish or tofu stir-fry onto an ice-cold lettuce leaf, fold like a burrito and eat. It's not a completely new idea, but it's new to many of us.

Some restaurants offering lettuce wraps include:

DON PABLO'S: A trio of low-carb fajita selections includes smoked chicken, mahi mahi and sirloin sauteed with vegetables and nestled in a leaf of iceberg.

CHEESECAKE FACTORY: Create your own Thai lettuce wraps from piles of chicken satay strips, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, noodles and three sauces - peanut, red chili and tamarind cashew - arranged on a plate.

CHILI'S: Wrap grilled chicken, carrots, water chestnuts, green onions, almonds and sesame ginger and peanut dipping sauces in leaves of Bibb lettuce.

P.F. CHANG'S: Choose from vegetarian tofu or chicken lettuce wraps, sauteed with traditional Chinese ingredients and served with dipping sauces and a half-head of very cold iceberg lettuce.

Last year, the judges at the Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando were ahead of the curve when they gave the GE Innovation Award to Maria Baldwin of Mesa, Ariz., for her spicy asian lettuce wraps. Baldwin's original wraps aren't super-low carb because of the noodles in the Green Giant stir-fry starter, but bean sprouts, shredded carrots and water chestnuts can easily be substituted.

For devout Atkins dieters, restaurant lettuce wraps may be too high in carbs for their regimen, but for those diners looking to cut back and wanting an alternative to the slab of meat, they are welcome.

Some of the common ingredients in lettuce wraps have carbs, including noodles (6 grams for 1 ounce of udon), water chestnuts (3.5 grams for four medium), fresh ginger (1.7 grams for 1 tablespoon) and even sugar (11.9 grams for 1 tablespoon). The dipping sauces are often sweet, which means more carbs. Home cooks can make substitutions or simply measure carefully.

The best news for low-carb eaters is that the lettuce is practically zero grams, which is quite a comedown from the roughly 20 in one 9-inch flour tortilla.

Restaurants are serving lettuce wraps as starters, but the chicken version at P.F. Chang's at WestShore Plaza in Tampa definitely is enough for a meal, or at the very least, to share. Nearly a half-head of iceberg lettuce, neatly trimmed and ice cold, is brought to the table to accompany small chunks of chicken and water chestnuts. The chicken and vegetables, including bamboo shoots, are cooked in a brew of Hoisin, oyster and soy sauce plus dry sherry. Delicious.

Make no mistake. Lettuce wraps are all about the cooking sauce; without one, the other blandish ingredients remain wallflowers. Bold flavors play nicely with the crunch and cold of the lettuce. Besides a cooking sauce, a dipping sauce, such as plum or sesame-ginger, adds even more flavor.

Many wraps call for iceberg lettuce because its sturdy leaves stand up to heavy fillings. However, Romaine and red leaf also work well. For bite-size wraps, consider spinach leaves. Make sure the lettuce is washed and dried well. Wraps should not be made in advance; the best way to serve them is to allow diners to make their own at the table.

Lettuce wraps are a good way to use leftovers. Anything, from steak to scallops, can be used as the base ingredient for a filling. Vinaigrettes, creamy salad dressings or even flavored mayonnaises can add zing to simple ingredients.

And nearly anything that's slapped between two pieces of bread can be paired with lettuce leaves: Tuna and egg salad, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, or even smoked turkey, mild havarti and a dollop of mango chutney.

Our nation of dieters has brought some pretty lousy food to the masses, fat-free cheese being possibly the worst of the lot. Lettuce wraps, fortunately, isn't one of those flavorless, chemical fads.

In fact, this is a trend that cuts across all nutrition philosophies. Lettuce is on nearly every diet's list of eat-at-will foods.

- Information from Knight Ridder Newspapers was used in this report.

Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps

One pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 1-pound package Green Giant Create a Meal! Frozen Lo Mein Stir Fry Meal Starter

2 tablespoons purchased chili-garlic sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons water

Eight large leaves Bibb lettuce

11/2 cups grated carrots

1/3 cup chopped peanuts

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Flatten each chicken breast half by placing boned side up between two pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Working from center, gently pound chicken with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4-inch thick. Remove wrap.

In small bowl, combine frozen sauce from meal starter, chili-garlic sauce and soy sauce; mix well.

In medium bowl, combine chicken, 1/4 cup soy sauce mixture and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot.

Add chicken. Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until no longer pink in center, stirring occasionally.

Remove chicken from skillet. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Cover to keep warm.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 3 tablespoons soy sauce mixture, garlic and frozen vegetables and noodles from meal starter. Cook and stir 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. To remaining soy sauce mixture in small bowl, add sugar, peanut butter and water; mix well.

Arrange lettuce on part of large serving platter. Spoon carrots on platter next to lettuce. Arrange cooked vegetables and noodles on platter.

Place chicken over vegetables and noodles. Sprinkle chicken with peanuts, onions and cilantro.

To serve, spread peanut sauce in center of each lettuce leaf. Top with chicken and vegetable mixture, and carrots. Wrap lettuce around filling.

Makes eight wraps.

- Source: Maria Baldwin, Mesa, Ariz., 2002 Pillsbury Bake-Off Innovation award winner.

Greek Salad Lettuce Wraps

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 hothouse cucumber, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons drained capers

2 tablespoons olive oil

11/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/3 cup kalamata olive halves

One green onion, chopped

Seasoned salt and pepper to taste

1/2 to 3/4 cup cut-up or crumbled feta cheese

6 butter lettuce leaves

Combine all ingredients except lettuce leaves. Toss until blended. Chill until serving time.

To serve, place some of filling mixture on lettuce leaf, wrap up and eat out of hand.

Makes 2 to 3 entree servings.

- Source: www.bellybytes.com

Caprese Salad Lettuce Wraps

4 tomatoes, chopped (squeeze out some of juice before chopping, if desired)

11/2 cup buffalo mozzarella cheese cubes (about 8 ounces)

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Seasoned salt and pepper to taste

Ground pepper to taste

8 butter lettuce leaves

Combine all ingredients except lettuce leaves. Toss until mixed. To serve, place some of mixture on lettuce leaf, wrap up and eat out of hand.

Makes 2 to 3 entree servings.

Note: For variation, add 1/2 cup canned, rinsed and drained artichoke quarters and 1/2 cup chopped salami to tomato mixture.

- Source: www.bellybytes.com.

Quick Asian Lettuce Wraps

1 head iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce leaves

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 pound chicken breast meat (see note for vegetarian alternative)

2 green onions, chopped

1 stalk celery, diced

1 can water chestnuts, rinsed in warm running water and chopped

1 slice ginger, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 red pepper, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Sauce:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup oyster sauce

2 tablespoons dry sherry

2 teaspoons sugar

Wash the lettuce, dry and separate the leaves. Set aside. Mix together the sauce ingredients.

Heat the sesame oil in a nonstick frying pan on high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and green onions, and fry until the garlic and ginger are aromatic. Add the chicken, and cook until the chicken is browned.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add red pepper, water chestnuts and celery to pan. Add sauce and cook at medium heat. Give cornstarch/water mixture a quick restir and add to the sauce, stirring to thicken.

Lay out a lettuce leaf and spoon a heaping teaspoon of the chicken and vegetable/sauce mixture into the middle. Fold and eat.

Serves 2 to 3 as entree.

Note: Substitute 1 14-ounce diced and drained package of tofu for chicken to make vegetarian wraps.
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  #2   ^
Old Wed, Oct-22-03, 17:08
DebPenny's Avatar
DebPenny DebPenny is offline
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Posts: 1,514
 
Plan: TSP/PPLP/low-cal/My own
Stats: 250/209/150 Female 63.5 inches
BF:
Progress: 41%
Location: Sacramento, CA
Default My mouth is watering!

A few months ago I went with friends to a Chinese restaurant in Tiburon (this was after a day-long hike at Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay, so we were all very hungry and ready for good food). I had their lettuce wrap chicken dish. I had never seen anything like it. It was wonderful! Like Mushi Chicken with lettuce instead of rice pancakes. I was in heaven. Little did I know that I was partaking of a new trend. I found out later that other Chinese restaurants in the Bay and Sacramento Areas are starting to serve dishes like this.
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  #3   ^
Old Wed, Oct-22-03, 17:14
Wenzday's Avatar
Wenzday Wenzday is offline
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Posts: 5,546
 
Plan: Atkins/Duodenal Switch
Stats: 344/165/148 Female 65"  (inches) 5'5"
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Progress: 91%
Location: Michigan
Default

Ohhh... Don Pablos one of my faves...
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