P F Chang's has a gluten free menu and their chicken lettuce wraps come
highly recommended. I decided to look at their website to see if this was
something I might be able to eat. Was shocked to see that one 4 oz. portion
has a whopping 52 grams of carbs. Obviously not for me then. But why?

I found assorted copy cat recipes on the Internet and saw that many of them
contain both white and brown sugar in the ingredients as well as some
sweetened sauces. Also found a recipe for a ground beef lettuce wrap that
doesn't seem as sweet, so perhaps this is something I can make at home.

At any rate... The name chicken lettuce wrap sounds so innocuous. Like
chicken and lettuce. But, no! I've also read if you dine in, this comes
served on a bed of rice noodles. But no noodles if you get it to go.

Yes, just do something at home without the "special sauces".

I like a Mexican flavoured beef in lettuce. Burrito style. You could add
more beans, less beef and nix anything that causes allergy. Don't know what
you could sub for sour cream though.

You could still make the Asian flavoured chicken lettuce wraps if you just
used chicken, veggies and dash of black bean sauce.

Cowgirl wrote:
> Yes, just do something at home without the "special sauces".
>
> I like a Mexican flavoured beef in lettuce. Burrito style. You could
> add more beans, less beef and nix anything that causes allergy. Don't
> know what you could sub for sour cream though.
>
> You could still make the Asian flavoured chicken lettuce wraps if you
> just used chicken, veggies and dash of black bean sauce.

Forget black bean, just looked at the ingredients.

"Ozgirl" > wrote in message
...
> Yes, just do something at home without the "special sauces".
>
> I like a Mexican flavoured beef in lettuce. Burrito style. You could add
> more beans, less beef and nix anything that causes allergy. Don't know
> what you could sub for sour cream though.
>
> You could still make the Asian flavoured chicken lettuce wraps if you just
> used chicken, veggies and dash of black bean sauce.

We never eat sour cream. I don't know what's in black bean sauce. I would
have to look.

One thing I really miss is at a Mexican restaurant that's not there any
more. I can't remember exactly what they called it. It was intended to be
eaten with chips but I just put some on my plate and ate it with a fork. It
was melted cheese with ground beef, onions and peppers. Couldn't eat it now
though with the cheese.

"Ozgirl" > wrote in message
...
> Cowgirl wrote:
>> Yes, just do something at home without the "special sauces".
>>
>> I like a Mexican flavoured beef in lettuce. Burrito style. You could
>> add more beans, less beef and nix anything that causes allergy. Don't
>> know what you could sub for sour cream though.
>>
>> You could still make the Asian flavoured chicken lettuce wraps if you
>> just used chicken, veggies and dash of black bean sauce.
>
> Forget black bean, just looked at the ingredients.

That figures. There are precious few sauces made up that we can eat. Can
do ketchup, some mustards, and now that she has outgrown the soy allergy,
gluten free soy sauce, but since I am avoiding soy, we do that quite rarely.

I was given a recipe for faux soy sauce and faux teriyaki sauce, but we
didn't like them. Just didn't taste the same at all.

I do have some sort of rice paper wrappers that I bought some time ago. Not
sure if they are still fresh or not. I saw some recipes for using them. I
think you just wet them and roll ingredients inside. Mainly the fillings I
saw were vegetables cut in thin strips. I think you could probably put
cooked meat in there too.

I haven't tried using them because Angela has been so picky lately and
resistant to trying anything new that I make. I tried doing some rollups
with corn tortillas. She used to like them with wheat tortillas. But corn
are just not the same. I can't say I cared for them either.

One quick meal I do make is canned refried beans on corn tortillas folded in
half and microwaved. I like to add onions and peppers to mine. They're not
too bad in the carb department so long as you get the small sized tortillas.

yogurt is a good for alot of people who cant take dairy can tolerate
yogurt..if one cant take that theres soy products..if you cant tolerat those
then just gotta do without.

KROM

"Ozgirl" > wrote in message
...
> Yes, just do something at home without the "special sauces".
>
> I like a Mexican flavoured beef in lettuce. Burrito style. You could add
> more beans, less beef and nix anything that causes allergy. Don't know
> what you could sub for sour cream though.
>
> You could still make the Asian flavoured chicken lettuce wraps if you just
> used chicken, veggies and dash of black bean sauce.
>

"krom" > wrote in message
...
> yogurt is a good for alot of people who cant take dairy can tolerate
> yogurt..if one cant take that theres soy products..if you cant tolerat
> those then just gotta do without.

I'm allergic to all dairy and can't have soy. I do without. There is rice
yogurt but it's sweet.

Julie Bove wrote:
> P F Chang's has a gluten free menu and their chicken lettuce wraps come
> highly recommended. I decided to look at their website to see if this was
> something I might be able to eat. Was shocked to see that one 4 oz. portion
> has a whopping 52 grams of carbs. Obviously not for me then. But why?
>
> I found assorted copy cat recipes on the Internet and saw that many of them
> contain both white and brown sugar in the ingredients as well as some
> sweetened sauces. Also found a recipe for a ground beef lettuce wrap that
> doesn't seem as sweet, so perhaps this is something I can make at home.
>
> At any rate... The name chicken lettuce wrap sounds so innocuous. Like
> chicken and lettuce. But, no! I've also read if you dine in, this comes
> served on a bed of rice noodles. But no noodles if you get it to go.
>
>

Here is the "copy cat" recipe I use.


* Exported from MasterCook *

PF Chang's Chicken in Soothing Lettuce Wraps

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Poultry

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
MARINADE
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sherry wine or red wine
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons soy sauce
FILLING INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts -- diced small
5 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger or grated ginger
2 teaspoons garlic -- minced
1/2 cup green onions -- minced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms -- minced
1 can bamboo shoots -- (8 ounce) minced
1 can water chestnuts -- (8 ounce) minced
1 package Chinese cellophane noodles -- (6 ounce) cooked
to pkg. directions
COOKING SAUCE
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce*
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry wine or red wine
2 tablespoons oyster sauce*
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar*
2 teaspoons cornstarch*
lettuce leaves -- washed and taken off the head
but left whole

In medium bowl, combine marinade ingredients and mix well. Add chicken
and stir to coat thoroughly. Stir in 1 t. oil and let sit for 15 minutes.

Heat wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 T. oil, then add
chicken and stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

Add 2 T. oil to the pan. Add ginger, garlic, and onion and stir-fry
for a minute or so. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts
stir-fry an additional 2 minutes. Return chicken to the pan. Add mixed
cooking sauce to the pan. Cook until thickened and hot. Break cooked
cellophane noodles into small pieces and cover bottom of serving dish
with them. Then pour chicken mixture on top of noodles. Serve alongside
lettuce leaves for everyone to take what they want and then spoon into
lettuce leaf and roll (like a burrito) individually themselves.

Cuisine:
"Chinese"
Source:
"CopyKat.com"


*I decrease the oyster and hoisin sauce by 1/3 and use a teaspoon of
Splenda® instead of the sugar. It's still sweet enough. I also halve the
cornstarch. The sauce if fine because there is less liquid in it due to
the decreased amount of hoisin and oyster sauces.

We don't do the noodles. They are garnish and they are carby. Without
the noodles and the decreased amount of oyster, hoisin and corn starch
it's an acceptable meal here.

Sorry I didn't respond sooner. I was away on a 7 day cruise and mah
jongg tournament with DH's cousin.

"Susan" > wrote in message
...

> Everything at PF Chang's is loaded with sugar, including those wraps,
> which are like eating dessert for an appetizer. It was never served with
> noodles when I had it there.

The place never really appealed to me. I'm not big into chains except
perhaps local ones. But so many people told me that the lettuce wraps were
good, I thought I would look into it. There's also a lady at the dance
studio who tells me their food is out of this world. Then again, she loves
a Mexican chain restaurant here that I can't stand.

"Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
...
> Julie Bove wrote:
>> P F Chang's has a gluten free menu and their chicken lettuce wraps come
>> highly recommended. I decided to look at their website to see if this
>> was something I might be able to eat. Was shocked to see that one 4 oz.
>> portion has a whopping 52 grams of carbs. Obviously not for me then.
>> But why?
>>
>> I found assorted copy cat recipes on the Internet and saw that many of
>> them contain both white and brown sugar in the ingredients as well as
>> some sweetened sauces. Also found a recipe for a ground beef lettuce
>> wrap that doesn't seem as sweet, so perhaps this is something I can make
>> at home.
>>
>> At any rate... The name chicken lettuce wrap sounds so innocuous. Like
>> chicken and lettuce. But, no! I've also read if you dine in, this comes
>> served on a bed of rice noodles. But no noodles if you get it to go.
>
> Here is the "copy cat" recipe I use.
>
>
> * Exported from MasterCook *
>
> PF Chang's Chicken in Soothing Lettuce Wraps
>
> Recipe By :
> Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
> Categories : Poultry
>
> Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
> -------- ------------ --------------------------------
> MARINADE
> 1 teaspoon cornstarch
> 2 teaspoons sherry wine or red wine
> 2 teaspoons water
> 2 teaspoons soy sauce
> FILLING INGREDIENTS
> 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts -- diced small
> 5 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
> 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger or grated ginger
> 2 teaspoons garlic -- minced
> 1/2 cup green onions -- minced
> 1 cup shiitake mushrooms -- minced
> 1 can bamboo shoots -- (8 ounce) minced
> 1 can water chestnuts -- (8 ounce) minced
> 1 package Chinese cellophane noodles -- (6 ounce) cooked to
> pkg. directions
> COOKING SAUCE
> 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce*
> 1 tablespoon soy sauce
> 1 tablespoon sherry wine or red wine
> 2 tablespoons oyster sauce*
> 2 tablespoons water
> 1 teaspoon sesame oil
> 1 teaspoon sugar*
> 2 teaspoons cornstarch*
> lettuce leaves -- washed and taken off the head
> but left whole
>
> In medium bowl, combine marinade ingredients and mix well. Add chicken
> and stir to coat thoroughly. Stir in 1 t. oil and let sit for 15 minutes.
>
> Heat wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 T. oil, then add
> chicken and stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
>
> Add 2 T. oil to the pan. Add ginger, garlic, and onion and stir-fry for a
> minute or so. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts stir-fry an
> additional 2 minutes. Return chicken to the pan. Add mixed cooking sauce
> to the pan. Cook until thickened and hot. Break cooked cellophane noodles
> into small pieces and cover bottom of serving dish with them. Then pour
> chicken mixture on top of noodles. Serve alongside lettuce leaves for
> everyone to take what they want and then spoon into lettuce leaf and roll
> (like a burrito) individually themselves.
>
> Cuisine:
> "Chinese"
> Source:
> "CopyKat.com"
>
>
> *I decrease the oyster and hoisin sauce by 1/3 and use a teaspoon of
> Splenda® instead of the sugar. It's still sweet enough. I also halve the
> cornstarch. The sauce if fine because there is less liquid in it due to
> the decreased amount of hoisin and oyster sauces.
>
> We don't do the noodles. They are garnish and they are carby. Without the
> noodles and the decreased amount of oyster, hoisin and corn starch it's an
> acceptable meal here.
>
> Sorry I didn't respond sooner. I was away on a 7 day cruise and mah jongg
> tournament with DH's cousin.

I have seen that one. Can't so the oyster sauce though. It has wheat in
it. Not sure about the hoisin sauce. It probably does too.

Julie Bove wrote:
> "Susan" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Everything at PF Chang's is loaded with sugar, including those wraps,
>> which are like eating dessert for an appetizer. It was never served with
>> noodles when I had it there.
>
> The place never really appealed to me. I'm not big into chains except
> perhaps local ones. But so many people told me that the lettuce wraps were
> good, I thought I would look into it. There's also a lady at the dance
> studio who tells me their food is out of this world. Then again, she loves
> a Mexican chain restaurant here that I can't stand.
>
>

frankly, we think their food is not very good. I think PF Chang's is
more of an "image" thing than a culinary thing, if you understand what I
mean.

Julie Bove wrote:

> I have seen that one. Can't so the oyster sauce though. It has wheat in
> it. Not sure about the hoisin sauce. It probably does too.
>
>

Julie dear, I never doubted for an instant that there would be something
in the recipe that you couldn't eat. Neither did I doubt that you would
post that information. I put it on the board in the event that others
would care for it.

You can always leave out an ingredient that disagrees with you. Have you
ever tried that? In this recipe, I'd use a bit of chicken broth and some
additional artificial sweetener and dark soy sauce in place of the
hoisin and oyster sauces. It should work well.

"Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
...
| Julie Bove wrote:
| > "Susan" > wrote in message
| > ...
| >
| >> Everything at PF Chang's is loaded with sugar, including those wraps,
| >> which are like eating dessert for an appetizer. It was never served with
| >> noodles when I had it there.
| >
| > The place never really appealed to me. I'm not big into chains except
| > perhaps local ones. But so many people told me that the lettuce wraps were
| > good, I thought I would look into it. There's also a lady at the dance
| > studio who tells me their food is out of this world. Then again, she loves
| > a Mexican chain restaurant here that I can't stand.
| >
| >
|
| frankly, we think their food is not very good. I think PF Chang's is
| more of an "image" thing than a culinary thing, if you understand what I
| mean.

If you are ever stuck there, the wok-seared lamb is surprisingly
good and at 7 grams per serving quite friendly. Their website
has a comprehensive nutrition chart and the less-mucked-up
offerings not only taste better but have generally far less
carbs, of course. But beware the fried calamari at 53 as an
appetizer.

pavane

"Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
...
> Julie Bove wrote:
>
>> I have seen that one. Can't so the oyster sauce though. It has wheat in
>> it. Not sure about the hoisin sauce. It probably does too.
>
> Julie dear, I never doubted for an instant that there would be something
> in the recipe that you couldn't eat. Neither did I doubt that you would
> post that information. I put it on the board in the event that others
> would care for it.
>
> You can always leave out an ingredient that disagrees with you. Have you
> ever tried that? In this recipe, I'd use a bit of chicken broth and some
> additional artificial sweetener and dark soy sauce in place of the hoisin
> and oyster sauces. It should work well.

Okay.

Julie Bove > wrote:

: "Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
: ...
: > Julie Bove wrote:
: >> P F Chang's has a gluten free menu and their chicken lettuce wraps come
: >> highly recommended. I decided to look at their website to see if this
: >> was something I might be able to eat. Was shocked to see that one 4 oz.
: >> portion has a whopping 52 grams of carbs. Obviously not for me then.
: >> But why?
: >>
: >> I found assorted copy cat recipes on the Internet and saw that many of
: >> them contain both white and brown sugar in the ingredients as well as
: >> some sweetened sauces. Also found a recipe for a ground beef lettuce
: >> wrap that doesn't seem as sweet, so perhaps this is something I can make
: >> at home.
: >>
: >> At any rate... The name chicken lettuce wrap sounds so innocuous. Like
: >> chicken and lettuce. But, no! I've also read if you dine in, this comes
: >> served on a bed of rice noodles. But no noodles if you get it to go.
: >
: > Here is the "copy cat" recipe I use.
: >
: > Sorry I didn't respond sooner. I was away on a 7 day cruise and mah jongg
: > tournament with DH's cousin.

: I have seen that one. Can't so the oyster sauce though. It has wheat in
: it. Not sure about the hoisin sauce. It probably does too.

So do as I do, since I doon't eat oysters for kashrut and not hoisin sauce
becasue of sweetness and fididdle around wiht the recipe using what you
can. I have not tried this one, but may well one of these days.

Wendy

Reminds me of leann chinn...it is tiny bits of sugared/battered fat
pretending to be meat like substances searver over sugared rice with sugar
sauce over it.

It is very expensive for what you get..id much rather goto a family owned
real asian place and know them well enough that they make me the REAL dishes
THEY eat when hungry...lol

Youd be amazed how happy they are if you ask..they think you have good taste
and treat you to a feast of deliciousness.

least thats what ive always found to be true.

i get items not on the menu....for much better prices

KROM

"Janet Wilder" > wrote
>
> frankly, we think their food is not very good. I think PF Chang's is more
> of an "image" thing than a culinary thing, if you understand what I mean.

The real places taste soooo good...sigh..i was real good friends with a
family owned place they would laugh about how they had to learn to make
american food and not true to thier culture food.

Needless to say when i went with pals we got the real food off the menu and
everyone was ruined for life for the fake stuff..lol.

the land lord raised thier rents like tripple so they closed down and people
years later still cry they cant find the real..yummy foods they ate from
that place...we have found items here and they acceptable..but nothing like
that place.

KROM

"Julie Bove" > wrote
> We have some really good Chinese places in the International district, but
> I've found most people I know seem to prefer the Americanized food over
> what you can get there.
>
> Panda Express is another big one here. Fast food. Limited menu. I've
> never tried it either.
>