[donotprint]When it's my turn to cook dinner - and that would be most every night!…
Chicken Lettuce Bundles with Sesame-Herb Dressing
Not a salad, not a sandwich — just a terrific flavor combination to eat out of hand. A flavor-fusion lettuce taco! Tasty any time of year. Use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken for added convenience. The dressing is the real charmer here. Make extra and store in the fridge for another salad another time — pasta salad? coleslaw?
Chicken Lettuce Bundles with Sesame-Herb Dressing
Makes 6 servings
| Sesame Herb Dressing | |
| 2/3 | cup mayonnaise |
| 1/4 | cup plus 1 tablespoon Nakano Seasoned Rice Vinegar, divided |
| Original or Roasted Garlic | |
| 1/3 | cup chopped fresh mint |
| 1/3 | cup chopped fresh cilantro or basil |
| 1 | teaspoon toasted sesame oil* |
| 2 | green onions, finely chopped |
| 1 | tablespoon minced fresh ginger (optional) |
| Lettuce Bundles | |
| 2 | small avocados, not too soft |
| 8-10 | ounces cooked chicken, shredded |
| 1 | small cucumber, cut in 1/4-inch cubes |
| 1/2 | cup matchstick carrots |
| 6 | large Romaine lettuce leaves |
Combine mayonnaise and 1/4-cup seasoned rice vinegar with remaining dressing ingredients in a small bowl or pitcher; whisk to blend. Cut avocados in half, remove pits and peel. Cut into small cubes, place in a bowl and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar.
To assemble lettuce bundles, place a lettuce leaf on each serving plate. Drizzle center of lettuce with Sesame Herb Dressing. Top with 1/3 cup chicken, 2 tablespoons diced cucumbers, 1 tablespoon carrots, and about 1/4 cup diced avocado. Drizzle with more dressing. Fold sides of lettuce up and eat taco-style.
An original recipe by Rita Held Photography & Styling by Suzanne Carreiro
* Kitchen Note: My favorite toasted sesame oil is Dynasty, by JFC International. I’ve tried other brands, but some taste burned or bitter. Dynasty has a smooth, yet robust sesame flavor. Great for stir-fry too.
This recipe was so timely…just cooked a bunch of chicken breast to get me through the week!
Made it tonight, and it was delicious. I prep’d all the ingredients like a chicken salad, instead of layering like suggested, and then dolloped it all on lettuce leaves. Wonderful and light, and I think I’ll add the ginger next time! I used a sesame oil by International Collection? I like it!
Thanks for another keeper recipe Rita!
Yea! Glad you liked it Sienna. Mint really adds pizazz and is quite verstile. This recipe has mint with cilantro; mint with basil is great too — or all three together (mint, cilantro and basil). I have several recipes that combine mint with ground cumin. Yumm. I’ll have to post those sometime.