Cheesecake Factory Lettuce Wraps

Cheesecake Factory Lettuce Wraps
The Cheesecake Factory serves one of the best appetizers you’ll ever find. These make a great dish for bringing to a potluck. This is served with Thai chicken satays, julienne carrots, sesame bean sprouts, coconut curry noodles, Thai marinated cucumbers and butter lettuce leaves to wrap it all up. Included with this are three different Thai sauces for dipping. Peanut, sweet red chili and the tangy tamarind cashew sauce.

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 gingerroot, 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

Chicken Satays:.
Cut chicken into 3/4 inch strips.
Place in a shallow glass dish.
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.
Soak bamboo skewers 20 minutes in cold water to keep them from burning.
Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade.
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.
Grill the skewers on an uncovered grill over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning halfway through the grilling.

Bean Sprouts:.
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:.
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.
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:.
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.
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.


Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce

3⁄4 cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1⁄3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1⁄4 cup brown sugar
1 1⁄2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grate
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Whisk together all the ingredients in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil, whisking all the while until it thickens.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.


Peanut Sauce - Dipping Sauce for Fresh Spring Rolls

1⁄4 cup roasted peanuts, ground, for garnish
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili paste or 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
1⁄2 cup chicken broth or 1⁄2 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3⁄4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons peanut butter (or more)
1⁄4 cup hoisin sauce

Heat the oil and add the garlic, chili paste, and tomato paste.
Fry until garlic is golden brown.
Add the broth, sugar, peanut butter, and hoisin sauce, and whisk to dissolve the peanut butter.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
Garnish with the ground peanuts.

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce for Dipping (Egg Rolls, Sushi)

2 tablespoons sambal oelek or 2 tablespoons chili peppers
1 cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1⁄3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon gingerroot, grated
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1⁄4 cup water
In a small pan add the first 6 ingredients together, over low heat.
Stir constantly until mixture thickens to a syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes once it starts to simmer. It reduces quite a bit.
Mix well, and let sit until hot.
Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl and add to the sauce. Mix well. Let cook until it starts to thicken, then remove from heat.

Putting it All Together:.
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.
Remove 2 red cabbage leaves, wash and dry and slice in half vertically.
Arrange on the serving platter and fill with each one of the fillings (chicken, bean sprouts, thai coconut curry noodles and marinated cucumbers).
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.
Fold the leaf in half and enjoy!