Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I love lettuce wraps. I can't help but order them when I come across them on a menu. I don't know why I've waited this long to make them myself! They are very simple to make and are great for lunch or dinner. This week I literally brought a container full of filling and a head of lettuce to work. Viola - lunches taken care of!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
2 tbsp oil
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut up in small pieces
1 can water chestnuts, drained and diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp garlic powder (or fresh)
1 tsp ground ginger (or fresh)

salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1 head iceberg lettuce

1. Heat oil in pan and cook chicken until no longer pink.
2. Meanwhile, chop vegetables and nuts.
3. Once chicken is cooked add in vegetables, sauce and spices and cook for a few minutes until warmed through. I knew I would be reheating this, so I didn't cook it for very long as I didn't want the vegetables to get soggy.
4. Spoon filling into lettuce and wrap up to eat. You can top with extra chopped cashews and/or grated carrots if you are looking for more crunch.
5. Enjoy:)

Shelly's Shepherds Pie

This is the very first shepherds pie I've ever made... which isn't that surprising because I've only liked shepherds pie for about a year! I used to hate my food touching, so shepherds pie was my worst nightmare. To this day, this food-touching anxiety creeps up on me and I have to talk myself down from the ledge and remind myself that it's my a big deal.

So the shepherds pie idea came to me out of pure necessity. I made potato skins last week and had a huge bowl of mashed potatoes to use up! Someone suggested shepherds pie, to which I gave them my yuck face. However, the idea grew on me, so I conducted some google research and decided to give it a try. Here's what it's all about...

Shelly's Shepherds Pie (Recipe adapted from Simplyrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
2 tbsps butter
1 white onion chopped
1 head of garlic minced (what? I like a lot of garlic!)
1 lb ground chicken (or more if you want it really meaty)
2 pkgs beef bouillon
1/ cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire (what a dumb word)
3 cups frozen mixed veg (peas, carrots, corn)
Salt and pepper
Mashed potatoes (I whipped mine with sour cream, then salt and peppered them)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400•. Sautée onion and garlic until translucent, then add in chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add in Worcestershire and bouillon and season to taste. Then throw your vegetables in and let them cook for a couple of minutes. Throw the meat mixture jnto a 9 x 11 glass baking dish. Next is the in part, spread the mash potatoes over the meat and smooth it out or make it swirly, whatever you want. Bake it for 30 minutes. You can broil it at the very end if you're looking for a crispier top. Enjoy! Here's some pics...