The Bell belles came into town back in April, and they requested we make Asian food together. I was thrilled because this international trio is just a beam of sunshine. The girls had read the previous post on Potstickers and wanted to make them. But could anyone imagine sitting there and folding enough dumplings to satiate one person’s appetite much less three, I dare not try. A full menu had to come about. So we came to menu planning knowing that potstickers were are base. A meal of all small bites was the ticket. It was like tapas, only Asian-style. A Dim Sum Tea Party! Ha!

The girls were super hands-on, and we were all having a blast. We made a buffet of appetizers that are low in calories and high in lean protein. You can amp up the vegetables in the lettuce wrap by adding shitake mushrooms or even shelled edamame.

Beef Satay
1 lb flank steak
1/4 c. Sesame oil
1/4 c. Soy sauce
1 green onion, chopped
Juice of one lime
1 clove of garlic, Minced
1 T.  Five Spice

Procedure:

1. Trim excess fat off of flank steak and set aside.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Place the flank steak in the marinade and coat it completely. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temp for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the steak from marinade and discard the liquid. Slice into 1.25 inch strips against the grain. Thread the strips onto soaked skewers and grill 2 – 3 minutes on each side. While grilling sprinkle with salt, pepper, and five spice.

Peanut Sauce
1 c. Roasted unsalted peanuts
2 cloves of garlic
1 c. Water
1/4 c. onion
2 T.  soy sauce

Procedure:

1. Roast the peanuts in a 350 degree oven for approx. 10 minutes or until a deep brown.
2. Place everything in a small saucepan and simmer on low 20 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a blender. Puree until completely smooth. You may need to add more water to thin out the sauce. If this is the case use the soy sauce to adjust your seasoning.

Chicken lettuce wraps
1/2 c. Onion, diced
1 lb. minced chicken
2 stalks of celery diced
1/2 can water chestnuts halved
2 small carrots shredded
2 cloves of garlic

Sauce
1/4 c. Sugar
1/4 c. Hoisin sauce
1 tsp. fish sauce
2 T. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp Sirracha
1 T.  Sesame Oil
Procedure:

1. Combine all ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
2. In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, brown the chicken.
3. After the chicken is browned add in all aromatics and vegetables. Cook an additional 7-10 minutes. Or until the vegetables just begin to soften.
4. Pour the sauce over the mixture, stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Serve with large leaves of butter lettuce.