Easy Asian

Here's a quick low carb meal, chicken lettuce wraps.  It was more like a plate of lettuce with meat topping in the end, but it was delicious.

Chicken Lettuce Wrap with Hibachi Zucchini 

Chicken Lettuce Wrap

1 head of butter lettuce, leaves cleaned and separated
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs grated ginger
1 Tbs Sriracha
2 Tbs chopped cashews (or small can water chestnuts, chopped)
2 green onions, chopped
salt & pepper

Heat oil in pan over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook 3 minutes or until onions soften.  Add chicken and cook until browned, 3 minutes, stirring to crumble.  Drain oil and add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Stir in hoisin, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and Sriracha and cook 1-2 minutes.  Stir in cashews (or water chestnuts) and green onions and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, spoon chicken into lettuce leaves, taco style.

😋

Hibachi Zucchini

3 zucchini
1/2 onion (cut in half lengthwise)
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs ginger, minced
2 Tbs soy sauce
sesame seeds, toasted

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise then cut in half lengthwise again (if zucchini are large then cut into six long spears).  Cut the spears in half crosswise and set aside.  Cut the onion lengthwise in long slices and set aside.

Whisk together ginger and soy sauce and set aside.

Heat oil over medium high heat, add onions and stir.  Cook one minute then add zucchini.  Stir to coat with oil then let cook in a single layer undisturbed for 3 minutes to char on one side.  Stir and let cook another 3 minutes undisturbed.  Stir to caramelize all sides but don't overcook or zucchini will get mushy.  Reduce heat and pour in reserved sauce.  Cook 1 minute then remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

A Mexican Side Dish

I've been using a lot of fresh corn to make various mixed vegetable side dishes lately.  While visiting my son in California, he introduced me to this tasty twist on Mexican street corn.  It's fresh and delicious.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Mexican Street Corn Salad

2 Tbs vegetable oil
4 ears of fresh corn, cut kernels off cob
salt to taste
2 Tbs mayonnaise
2 oz. Cotija (or feta) cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup finely sliced scallions
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 Tbs lime juice
1/4 tsp chili powder (or more to taste)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add corn kernels and stir to coat with oil.  Sprinkle with salt.  Allow corn to sit undisturbed to char on one side, about 2 minutes, then stir.  Let cook another 2 minutes without stirring.  Continue to stir and cook corn until charred on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Pour into large bowl.

Add remaining ingredients to the bowl of corn and toss to mix thoroughly.  Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and chili powder.