Derek's Lettuce Wraps

 A few weeks ago, while my parents were visiting, Derek surprised us all and made lettuce wraps from scratch. We had some leftover pork tenderloin and he managed to rummage through the fridge and pull together an amazing meal on a whim. We all agreed that it was far better that the lettuce wraps that we always get at P.F. Changs and begged him to write down the recipe. Being the man that he is, he didn't write it down and I feared that it may be lost forever. So, when I pulled some pork tenderloin out of the freezer yesterday and marinated it in pineapple-teriyaki sauce I had secret hopes that I could convince the hubs to work his magic again. He called me on it as soon as he saw what I was making and I warned him that I was going to 'chef-stalk' him while he cooked so I could write up this recipe.

A quick side note, this has wound up being our 'round two recipe' - meaning we're using cooked, left over pork tenderloin. If you don't have left over pork, you could cube it and cook it in the skillet prior to adding the veggies but this is a great way to use up left over  meat.

Ingredients:

1 cooked pork tenderloin, cubed
1 1/2 cups corn
3-5 large asparagus
1/4 cup mushroom caps
1 small bell pepper
1 tbsp. BBQ sauce
1/4 cup Yoshidas sauce
1/4 water
1 head iceberg lettuce

Directions:

In a large, nonstick skillet combine chopped pork, asparagus, mushrooms, and pepper into small chunks; add corn. Add BBQ sauce and Yoshidas and cook over medium heat for 18 minutes; after first five minutes check sauce consistency and flavor; add water as needed. Simmer until sauce is absorbed and vegetables are tender. Serve with iceberg lettuce leaves. Wrap and enjoy.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

I originally pinned this recipe months ago when I was stranded on bed rest and unable to cook anything exciting. The picture alone (borrowed from Mel's Kitchen Cafe  - the original recipe source) made me salivate but it doesn't even do justice to how amazing these wraps are. I made some additions to the ingredient list and changed the cooking method [me pan frying anything 'wrapped" = recipe for a disastrous mess]. The husband loved them as well and we both went back for seconds on this one.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked Mexican rice, warm or at room temperature [I used Rice-a-Roni]
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
juice of 1 lime
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
1/4 cup salsa
1 tbsp. hot sauce (more or less, depending on your tastes)
Sour cream (optional)
Guacamole (optional)
6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook rice according to package directions.

Once rice is cooked, add in remaining ingredients except for cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Drop tablespoon dolops of sour cream (and guacamole, if you're using it) on the cheese. Then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla.

Roll stuffed tortillas burrito style and wrap in foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until filling is heated through. Serve and enjoy!!