Indo-Chinese Lettuce Wraps

Spicy and so good!!  This recipe is taken from "The Epicurious Cookbook - More than 250 of our best-loved four fork recipes" by Tanya Steel and the editors of Epicurious.  I used iceberg lettuce.  The cookbook suggests using butterhead varieties such as Boston or Bibb as they are more pliable and lend a more tender bite, but I was looking for some crunch. 

2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 large yellow onion, cut into medium dice
1 large fresh jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely grated
1 pound ground chicken
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 romaine hearts, leaves separated

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the garam masala, cumin, coriander, and cayenne.
2.  In a large saute pan over moderate heat, heat the oil until hot but not smoking.  Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the jalapeno, garlic, and ginger and saute, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.
3.  Add the chicken and saute, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the spice mixture, along with the salt and ketchup, and saute 1 minute.
4.  Stir in 1/4 cup water, and saute, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes.  Stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro, then transfer to a medium bowl.
5.  Serve the chicken alongside the lettuce leaves and the remaining 1/2 cup chopped cilantro.  To eat, pile chicken onto a lettuce leaf and top with cilantro. 
Yield: Makes 4 servings 

Oriental Sesame Dressing

I love this dressing on a salad.  This recipe is taken from "The Complete Light Kitchen" by Rose Reisman.

4 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspons sesame oil

1. Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame seeds and mustard in a small bowl.  Whisk in the vegetable and sesame oils until well combined.
2.  Use immediately or refrigerate.

Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Makes 1/3 cup

Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad

I love this recipe, especially now with all the strawberries in the stores. A friend of mine gave me this recipe so I'm unsure as to what cookbook it came from.  I always half the recipe for the dressing so I have included the full and half versions.

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayo

1/8 cup vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds (optional)

Use with romaine lettuce, red onion, strawberries and sunflower seeds.

Dressing: (half recipe)

4 Tbsp mayo

1 Tbsp vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp milk

1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds