PF Changs lettuce wraps

Hey, I'm so excited to share this recipe with all you PF Chang lovers. I looked for lettuce wraps on the web and found this recipe. Of course I was skeptical that it would be as good as the real deal. It was better! I know it looks a little long and seems to have a lot of ingredients, but if you just read through it you will see how simple it really is! As you can see in the picture of "the real deal" they have some sort of crispy noodle and green onions tossed on top. I did neither of these.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons oil
2 chicken beasts slightly frozen, cut into big chunks and ground in food processor
1 cup water chestnuts chopped fine or just chopped in food processor
2/3 cup mushrooms chopped fine or in just chopped in food processor
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

SPECIAL SAUCE

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

At PF Changs they add a small amount of hot mustard and red chili sauce to the Special Sauce. It's definitely something you add to taste. (Bran likes a lot more of both than I do)

STIR FRY SAUCE
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water.

2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.

3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.

4. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.

5. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.

6. Saute chicken until done

7. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic and chestnuts to to chicken. Add stir fry sauce as well.

8. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the sauce to cook down some. I do recommend that you let the chicken cool some before you serve it.

9. Carefully remove lettuce "cups" from head of lettuce.

I know most of you will know how to eat these, but if you never have, here you go...

To serve, place scoop of chicken mixture into lettuce cups. Spoon "special sauce" over chicken. Enjoy!

One other tip. I am planning to use the leftovers a little differently. I'm going to chop up the lettuce and serve it with the chicken and sauce drizzled over it. Kinda like a lettuce wrap salad. Maybe even toss a few oriental noodles on it too.