Lettuce, Wrap it up!

I picked out lots of colorful vegetables for this – the more color the better! Pretty things are tastier.

Ok, I know once you see this photo of everything set out in all the little bowls it may look daunting, but  really it is quite quick.

We even made this on our $29.99 BBQ while camping.

remember this beauty?

Look Camping food!! Quick and easy!!

My estimate…Fridge to table – 30 minutes.

The chopping takes some time, but it’s therapeutic! It also goes faster with a chopping buddy.

Everything has to be chopped up quite small, it all has to fit nicely on a lettuce leaf that you pick up with your hands to eat.

 Stuff

Garlic

Onion

Carrot

Broccoli

Bell peppers – any/all colors

Purple cabbage

Tomato

Cooked chicken, pork is good too.

More Stuff

Hoisin sauce

Chili garlic sauce

Lemon zest

 Even More Stuff

Peanuts and cashews

Chow mein noodles

Get a big sauté/fry pan hot with a splash of oil

Add garlic, onion, then carrots, broccoli, then peppers, cabbage and tomato

Sizzle this up, throw in the chicken

Now add the sauces and lemon zest

Keep stirring add the nuts and noodles

Take it off the heat, spoon it into individual bowls, or one big sharing bowl.

Have ready

Romaine lettuce leaves

and

Cilantro to top

Everyone scoops the yummy hot vegetable mixture onto lettuce leaves and Yum!

Hurricane Haley likes it!

The bowls I used hold about one cup each, the sauces measure about two tablespoons each.

There was only the two of us this night,… we ate a lot and had a bit leftover.

This much stuff probably should have made enough for 4 people.

Um…what can I say?!

Wine

I enjoyed a very cold white wine called White Stiletto from Ruby Blues Winery in Naramata

This awesome winery sells wine and shoes!!! Two of my favorite things.

They didn’t have my size 😦

 Music

My Music Man’s Music picks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZY_2t_dt5M

Panzerballett – Munich based quartet – German jazz and mad sax & guitars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc-7BHjwW1o

John Zorn – Naked City – Batman – wonderfully messed up mayhem by talented musicians.

My Music Picks this time are shoe songs –for the white and red wines at Ruby Blues Winery

So check out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-C5KHbAKpY

White Shoes – Emmylou Harris

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJKt-DhII_4

(The Angels Wanna Wear My)Red shoes – Elvis Costello.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXTRe9ttMXw

The Red Shoes – Kate Bush

Also:

Remember the lyrics from -David Bowie – Let’s Dance – “put on your red shoes and dance the blues”

Or, look up any song by The Shoes (I picked them obviously for their name.)

Or, how about Ruby Tuesday – Rolling Stones – Ruby Blues Winery kinda named themselves after this song.

Til next time

The Erratic Cook

Thai Kwon Dough – Thai Chicken Pizza with Zesty Peanut Sauce

My aunts are kicking butt in posting recipes, so it’s about time for a recipe from Crab Crackin’ Carly!

I’ve been busy cooking and snapping pictures, but I haven’t found the time to post them; hence, there’s a lot more posts coming in the near future. Stay tuned.

I’ve been dying to try this recipe from my FAVOURITE cookbook, and it did not disappoint; however, come to mention it, none of the recipes from my fav cookbook have been a disappointment. The cookbook I’m taking about is The Looneyspoons Collection by Janet & Greta Podleski. You may have heard of them because they have a television show on the Food Network called Eat, Shrink and Be Merry. I’ve actually never seen their show and I had no clue who they were. I just happened to see their cookbook at Costco and thought the recipes sounded delicious. Not to mention they have the cutest cartoon pictures for each recipe.

You can buy a prebaked 12-inch whole grain pizza shell, but I prefer to make my own from another pizza recipe I have. I’ve made this dough recipe using a bread maker and also kneading it by hand. Yes I said by hand. I kneaded the dough by hand for 15 straight minutes. I am not fortunate enough to own a stand mixer. The good news is I am saving up for a stand mixer. I want a red KitchenAid one. I love the colour red 🙂

Dough

• 1 envelope (1/4-ounce) active dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/3 cup lukewarm water
• 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, and flour for kneading and rolling
• olive oil for oiling the bowl

In a small bowl, add 1/3 cup lukewarm water and 1 tsp. sugar. Add yeast and let sit until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Combine 3 3⁄4 all-purpose flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough blade, add water, olive and yeast mixture and blend. Knead on low speed for about 10 to 12 minutes until the dough comes together and is smooth. Remove dough from the bowl. Turn dough onto a well-floured surface and continue knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 2 to 5 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If dough is still too sticky, add a little more flour. Place the dough in a lightly oiled medium bowl and cover. Let rest in a warm spot until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Once the dough has doubled I take it out of the bowl and cut it into 4 equal dough balls. I usually use two balls to make two 10-inch pizzas. I freeze the other two piece dough balls for later use.

Peanut Sauce

• 1/4 cup light peanut butter
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp grated gingerroot
• 1 tsp liquid honey
• 1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Toppings

• 1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast (see tip)
• 1 cup packed shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (4 oz/113 g)
• 1/3 cup bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup grated carrots
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts
• 1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

Tip: the best chicken to use is from a rotisserie chicken because it’s so moist. However, grilled chicken works in this recipe, as long as it’s not overcooked.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

To make sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a small pot and heat over medium-high heat until bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Mix 1 heaping tbsp of peanut sauce with chicken breast pieces, and set aside.

To assemble pizza, spread remaining peanut sauce evenly over crust. Top with half the shredded cheese. Distribute chicken cubes evenly over cheese. Top with bean sprouts (break them into smaller pieces, if you prefer), carrots, green onions and peanuts, in that order. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over toppings.

For my recipe, I did not use bean sprouts nor carrots.

Bake for about 8 – 10 minutes, until cheese is completely melted and edges are lightly browned. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

Nutrition Nugget: Monterey Jack cheese is low in tyramite, a compound found in many cheeses and other foods that can trigger headaches or migraines in some people. So if you’re prone to a throbbin’ noggin’, this variety might be your best cheese choice.