ASIAN CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

Recipes by Chef Buz Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

by Chef Buz Deliere

Happy Independence Day Month, everyone, I hope you all had a fun and safe holiday. Summertime is my favorite time of year. I love the hot weather, being in the water, golfing, and good food with friends and of course some Don Julio too. This summer I like to keep it light and refreshing, nothing too filling, besides, I need room for my tequila. This time of year, I like to make my Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps, a super easy, fast, and delicious recipe. These light wraps will be a great snack while enjoying some R&R and I suggest a nice Chardonnay to go with. In my case, I'll stick to the 1942 because it literally goes with everything, so let’s dive right into this month’s recipe and a tequila or two!

First preheat a large wok on high or a skillet if you don’t have a wok, add your oil to the hot wok. Add the chicken and stir fry for a couple minutes then add the mushrooms and cook for a minute then toss in the garlic, ginger, and orange zest and stir fry for another minute. Now add the water chestnuts, scallions, and red and green peppers and cook for another minute before adding the hoisin sauce and tossing the mixture until it’s evenly coated. Now just transfer the Asian chicken mixture to a serving dish and serve with the lettuce wedges. Spoon as much of the Asian chicken mixture as you like into a lettuce wedge and roll it up and eat. A great, light snack for everyone to enjoy.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Yield: 5 total time: 30 minutes 4-5 medium Chicken breast, small diced (about 1 ½ pounds) 2 Cups Shiitake mushroom, small diced ½ Red pepper, small diced ½ Green pepper, small diced 2 Scallions, chopped 8 oz Can sliced Water chestnuts, drained ½ large head lettuce, core removed and quartered 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp Ginger root, chopped fine Zest from 1 orange 2 Tbs Peanut oil 3 Tbs Hoisin sauce Salt and Black pepper to taste

Chef Buz

OSO on Paseo Tiki is in the air tonight

B Y J A M E S F R A Z I E R

Well, it’s officially hot in Oklahoma. So hot in fact that my normal routines of Strong Dark Beers and Whiskey are just not cutting it. I need something fresh and vibrant. I am sure that you agree with me that this is the time of year that you want a drink to flood your senses with hints of Hawwaiin beaches and other tropical locations. This is the time of year to sip on a drink that takes you on a journey to a place where it isn’t a thousand degrees and dryer than the Sahara. You need something a little fruity, with some tang and some floral aromas with just the right amount of sweetness in a cup that transports you to the islands man.

This is the time of the Tiki drinks and in my book, no one does them as well as this stylish little taco bar in the Paseo called OSO on Paseo. I am especially excited about the new kid on the block next door which will feature the existing award-winning Tikis and Margaritas, but also their own special creations. These two amazing places are some of the newest creations from HumanKind Hospitality, which also gave us Picasso Cafe, The Other Room, Frida Southwest, and The Daley. HumanKind is taking over the Paseo district. Not really, but it was fun to say.

OSO on Paseo is known for its tacos and Baja Tikis. To begin with, the tacos are absolutely amazing, may even be some of the best tacos in Oklahoma, but I’ll let you be the judge because I am just talking about cocktails for now. Well, except to mention that the street corn is the stuff of legend and I have woken up in a cold sweat because my bowl kept being empty. Thinking about it now, it’s hard not to talk about their food like the brisket burnt ends taco with Dr. Pepper BBQ and the Birria Tacos made to absolute perfection. So yes, go eat there, and have a drink or so. There is nothing bad about this place.

Now on to the cocktails. OSO has a great mixture of classic cocktail favorites mixed with their own funky style of tiki love. In the classic realm, you can’t serve tacos without having an excellent margarita. OSO’s Margarita is the epitome of simplistic excellence. Smooth, tangy with just the right amount of Tequila and if as fresh as you can get. In some languages, the words Mai Tai actually translates to, leave me alone. I'm on the beach with a drink in my hand. OSO's Mai Tai is exactly that and so much more. It's a beautiful story in a glass and transports you to a private island paradise. The Smoking mirror is the essence of beauty and relaxation. The colors and garnishes are bright and vibrant with a welcoming aroma. The taste of the aged Jamaican Rum and Tequila Blanco with passion fruit and Prickly pear create a luscious elegance.

Now, it's not a true Tiki bar if you can't get a drink in a Pineapple. The Baja Tiki is the truest way in Oklahoma to to transport yourself to an island paradise.The combination of Tequila Reposado, Light Rum, Orange Curacao, Maraschino liqueur, pineapple, lime and Ogreat is the essence of island life especially when you serve it in a hollowed out Pineapple. At this very moment, I sit here with a Baja Tiki, writing this article and though I am racing a deadline, I feel that everything is going to be alright. If you are looking for me this summer, there is a good chance, I will be somewhere in the Paseo with a Tiki drink in hand and a smirk on my face, because nothing else matters when you have a beautiful cocktail in your hand.