Shrimp Pad Thai - Martha Stewart Everyday Food
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps -
America's Test Kitchen
Short-grain white rice or sushi rice can be substituted for the brown rice. To make the dish spicier, add the
chile seeds. You may assemble the wraps before serving or serve the bowls of rice and filling along with the leaves and allow everyone assemble their own.
1 cup short-grain brown rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 pound ground chicken
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 teaspoons grated lime zest plus
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice from 2 limes
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 scallions, sliced thin
12 bibb or boston lettuce leaves
Bring the rice and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat. Cover and cook over low heat until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and lay a clean folded kitchen towel underneath the lid. Let sit for 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, mash the ground chicken with the back of a spoon until smooth and no strand-like pieces of meat remain.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the ground chicken, chile, and lime zest and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch together, then add the mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened, about 45 seconds. Off the heat, stir in the basil and scallions. Serve the chicken filling with the rice and lettuce leaves.
Once we finished with the nurse practitioner we walked down the hall to the surgery waiting room. The room was filled with toys, books, and movies. We met with a child life specialist who brought Van actual medical equipment to play with. He was even given a special stuffed doll to color and take with him into the operating room. He chose to ride to the O.R. in a wagon, so he was given some medicine to help settle his nerves during the separation.
Surgery was quick and easy, lasting only thirty minutes. During that time Spencer and I anxiously waited for the doctor's return. He said that everything went well and that Van did great. I was able to go back to the post-op room while he was waking up. Spencer met up with us a few minutes later and we all waited for discharge.
After reviewing the discharge instructions with the nurse, we wheeled Van out of the hospital and took him home. He was given a special blanket and a barf bucket (which was needed once we got home). Van was incredibly brave and took it all in stride. I couldn't have been more proud of him. The very next day he was back to normal, playing and teasing his little brother.
