Copycat Cheesecake Factory Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

Thai Chicken Satays

1 lb chicken breast (Bamboo skewers, 10-12 inches)
¹⁄₄ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon gingeroot, grated
³⁄₄ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons water
4 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces

Bean Sprouts

1 ¹⁄₂ cups bean sprouts
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, roasted

Thai Coconut Curry Noodles

12 ounces egg noodles, fresh best
1 tablespoon garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 pinch turmeric powder
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice

Thai Marinated Cucumbers

¹⁄₃ cup rice vinegar
¹⁄₄ cup sugar
¹⁄₄ cup water
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cucumber, seeded

Directions

Chicken Satays:

1. Cut chicken into 3/4 inch strips. Place in a shallow glass dish.
2. Combine soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Add water and mix thoroughly. Pour over chicken. Toss to coat all of the chicken pieces. Cover and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Soak bamboo skewers 20 minutes in cold water to keep them from burning.
4. Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade.
5. Weave the chicken strips onto each skewers, alternation with green onion pieces. You may need to use several pieces to cover each skewer. Brush chicken and onions with reserved marinade.
6. Grill the skewers on an uncovered grill over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning halfway through the grilling.

 Bean Sprouts:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the bean sprouts along with the other ingredients. Cook over a medium-high heat until the bean sprouts are tender. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Thai Coconut Curry Noodles:

1. Place the noodles in hot water, separating with a fork. Let the noodles soak until tender or according to the directions on the package. Drain and keep warm.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk on low heat and slowly stir in the curry paste. When it begins to simmer, add in the remaining ingredients. Continue to simmer for approximately 2 minutes. Stir in the noodles and serve.

Thai Marinated Cucumbers:

1. Combine the vinegar, sugar, water and salt in a small pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring until it boils and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Peel the cucumber and cut lengthwise into quarters and again crosswise into 1/8 inch slices. Place in a serving bowl and pour marinade over cucumbers, stirring to blend. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Putting it All Together:

1. Remove the hard stems from the bottom of each leaf of lettuce. Wash and dry the leaves and arrange in a group on a larger platter.
2. Remove 2 red cabbage leaves, wash and dry and slice in half vertically.
3. Arrange on the serving platter and fill with each one of the fillings (chicken, bean sprouts, thai coconut curry noodles and marinated cucumbers).
4. Let your friends or family create their own lettuce wraps by choosing a filling or fillings and placing it on a leaf along with a choice of sauce. (We used this cilantro sauce, peanut sauce, and sweet and sour sauce.)
5. Fold the leaf in half and enjoy!

Notes: These were good, but we were missing a couple elements. Apparently, bean sprouts aren't sold in our area due to salmonella. Also, I cut back on the seasoning for the noodles, which was a mistake. They weren't very flavorful. Also, for the noodles, I just used the dried Thai rice noodles and cooked them according to the package instructions. That being said, it was a fresh meal.

Source: My sister, Kimberly, who found the recipe here.