One Teaspoon From Disaster

Here’s a recipe that seriously rivals those lettuce wraps that restaurants offer as appetizers.

These, you’ll want to eat as your entrée.

There’s nothing more to it than a stir fry. Be sure not to overcook the chicken since it’s actually going into the skillet twice. (Once because it’s raw, and a second time because it would otherwise taste like chicken-flavored chicken. You don’t need me to do that, although I know how quite well.)

The sauce is easy and delicious. Add red pepper flakes for more kick. I am also advocating those little white-almost-opaque rice-ish noodles. What are those? The restaurants toss them in, and surely they would be great at home, too.

Don’t (!) substitute iceberg lettuce for Boston lettuce, which makes these wraps so fresh tasting.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients:
2 lbs. chicken breasts
olive oil
2 green onions, chopped
yellow or red bell pepper, sliced thin
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. sesame seeds
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 ½ tsp. cornstarch in 1 Tbsp. water
I head Boston lettuce (8-10 leaves)

Directions: Cut chicken into small chunks and cook in a warm skillet thinly coated in olive oil. Set aside. Add a little more olive oil to the skillet and stir fry the bell pepper for a few minutes. Reduce heat and add minced garlic, ginger and sesame seeds; sauté for a minute or so. Add soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch mixture; simmer until thick. Add chicken and coat completely. Serve in lettuce and enjoy!

Here’s an easy dinner recipe that takes advantage of all the fresh, summertime veggies that are in abundance now. Best of all this dinner is fast and hardly heats up the kitchen as it allows you to leave the oven off.

This stir fry is prepared in less than 20 minutes (or less if you’re a fast chopper, but watch the fingers – ouch and yuk) and cooks in about 15. The sauce is a nice citrus, ginger flavor that tastes light and fresh.

A word of caution: Do not use frozen vegetables, or you’ll end up with a limp stir fry. Also, be mindful of how long you cook them in the sauce. Again, you don’t want them to be soggy. They should be warm all the way through and crunchy.

Summertime Veggie Stir Fry
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. ground ginger
1 C. orange juice
¼ C. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 C. carrots, chopped
2 C. broccoli, chopped
2 C. cauliflower, chopped
1 C. fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 C. snap peas
olive oil

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, ginger and garlic. In a skillet or wok, heat the olive oil and stir fry the veggies for five to seven minutes or so, adding the snap peas and mushrooms halfway through. Add the liquid mixture and boil. Cook until thickened and serve over rice or noodles.

Here is the best summer recipe I’ve got, and, I think it’s accurate to say, one of the Top 10 “One Teaspoon from Disaster� recipes of all time.

Let me tell you why these open-faced grilled veggie sandwiches are so wonderful.

1. Prep time and cook time is about 20 minutes.

2. The main ingredient is colorful, fresh summer-time veggies, which we all need to eat many more servings of than we do.

3. There’s hardly any clean-up.

4. The “spread� seems very fancy, but really it’s just some mayo, garlic and lemon juice.

5. Feta cheese is a crowd pleaser.

Most importantly, this sandwich is absolutely delicious. Watch your bread so it doesn’t burn!

Grilled veggie sandwiches
Ingredients:
Spread:
¼ C. mayo
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Topping:
1 zucchini
1 squash
1 red bell pepper
½ C. feta cheese
1 loaf French bread
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, as desired

Directions:
Cut bread open in half. Mix ingredients for the spread and apply on the cut sides of the bread. Top with feta cheese. Meanwhile, slice veggies, spread with olive oil, top with a little salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and sauce soy. Grill until cooked through but still a little crunchy. Place bread on grill over low heat until cheese warms. Remove from grill and top with veggies. Serve open faced and warm.