P.F. Chang's Chicken in Soothing Lettuce Wraps (Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2)

SPECIAL SAUCE

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon Chinese hot mustard powder (you can use the kind that comes already prepred in the bottle so you don't have to add water)
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 to 3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

STIR FRY SAUCE

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 skinless chicken breast fillets (I used ground chicken breast)
• 1 cup diced canned water chestnuts
• 2/3 cup diced canned straw mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 cup fried maifun rice sticks (follow the directions on the package for frying the maifun-add maifun, a little at a time, and when it floats to the top remove it to a paper towel. The rapid noodle expansion is actually quite exciting)
• 4 to 5 iceberg lettuce cups

1. Make the special sauce (for spooning over your lettuce wraps) by dissolving the 1/4 c. sugar in 1/2 c. water in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve the lettuce wraps. Combine the 2 teaspoons water with the Chinese hot mustard and set this aside as well. Eventually you will add your desired measurement of Chinese mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over your lettuce wraps.

2. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar; and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.

3. To prepare the filling for your lettuce wraps, bring 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Saute the chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done. Remove chicken form the pant to cool. Keep the oil in the pan. ( I simply browned ground chicken and use a potato masher to break it up.)

4. Dice water chestnuts and mushrooms to the size of small peas.

5. When you can handle the chicken, hack it up with a sharp knife so that no piece is bigger than a dime. with the wok or pan on high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the chicken, water chestnuts, mushrooms, green onion, and garlic to the pan. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then spoon it into a dish lined with a bed of fried rice noodles (maifun).

6. Serve chicken with a side of lettuce cups. make these lettuce cups by slicing the top off of a head of iceberg lettuce right through the middle of the head. Pull your lettuce cups off of the outside of this slice.

7. Make the special sauce at the table by adding your desired measurement of mustard and chili sauce to the special sauce. 1 teaspoon each of mustard and chili sauce for mild, 2 teaspoons each for medium and 3 teaspoons of each for hot. Stir well.

8. Assemble lettuce wraps by spooning filling into a lettuce cup, adding special sauce over the top, folding the sucker up like a taco, then munching down upon it with reckless abandon.

Shar's Whole Wheat Feather Light Dough

• 7 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (more will be needed)
• ½ cup potato flour
• ½ cup powdered buttermilk
• 3 cups high gluten flour or 2/3 cup vital wheat gluten
• 5 tbsp. Saf instant yeast
• 4 tbsp. Dough enhancer
• 6 cups warm water (approx. 115°)
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup honey
• 5 beaten eggs
• 2 tbsp. Sea salt

In bosch with dough hook: 7 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour, ½ cup potato flour, ½ cup powdered buttermilk, 3 cups high gluten flour or 2/3 cup vital wheat gluten, 5 tbsp. Saf instant yeast, 4 tbsp. Dough enhancer

Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly for approx. 1 minute to keep the powdered milk from forming lumps.

Add: 6 cups warm water (approx. 115°), 1 cup canola oil, 2/3 cup honey

Mix again for several minutes. Cover and allow to sponge for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add: 5 beaten eggs, 2 tbsp. Sea salt

Continue to add fresh ground whole wheat flour until the dough starts pulling away from the side of the bowl but never picks up the bottom. The dough should be sticky. Knead for about 5 minutes or until the gluten is developed.

Form dinner rolls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Let rise until double in size and fill the pan. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

This dough makes great dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls or any recipe that calls for soft dough.

Cinnamon rolls bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Shar's Nutritious White Bread

• 5 lbs (approx) Arrowhead unbleached flour
• 1 cup buttermilk powder or powdered milk
• ½ cup potato flour
• 2 cups high gluten flour
• 6 tbsp. Saf instant yeast
• 2 tbsp. sea salt
• 5 cups warm water (approx. 115 degrees)
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup raw honey
• 6 eggs

In the Bosch Universal with dough hook:
6 cups arrowhead unbleached flour
1 cup buttermilk powder or powdered milk
½ cup potato flour
2 cups high gluten flour
6 tbsp. saf instant yeast
2 tbsp. sea salt

Mix the powdered buttermilk with the other dry ingredients to avoid lumps in your dough on speed one for about 1 minute.

add:
5 cups warm water (approx. 115 degrees)
2/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup raw honey
6 eggs

Knead on speed one, and continue adding more arrowhead unbleached white flour. It will probably take about 5 pounds of flour to make this batch, possibley more depending on the climate. Add flour until the dough starts pulling away from the side of the bowl but never picks up the bottom. Dough will be sticky. Keep dough very soft if recipe is being made into dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls, a stiff dough is needed for your bread. Knead for about 5 minutes.

Prepare a large 13 quart stainless steel by slightly oiling the inside and place dough in to rise double. Cover with plastic wrap to avoid the air from forming a slight crust on top.
With your dough divider, separate dough into 6 loaves, with oiled hands shape loaves and place in bread pans that have been sprayed with pam. Cover with dry towels and allow to rise until dough is a good 2 inches above the rim of the pan. The pan size we use is 10 x 4 ½ , you’ll get more loaves if a smaller pan size is used. Fill each loaf pan about ½ full. Approx. 2 pounds of dough.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees. An instant read thermometer is very useful in telling if your bread is done.

Cool on cooling racks before putting into bread bags. The bread can be frozen for up to 30 days without freezer burn. This dough is excellent for dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls, just keep the dough much softer, and only bake for 15-20 minutes.

Shar's Basic Whole Wheat Bread

• 6 cups warm water, approx. 115 degrees
• 2 tbs. Sea salt
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup honey
• 3 tbs. Dough enhancer
• 2 cups high gluten bread flour or 1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
• 3 tbs. Saf instant yeast
• 6 to 8 cups of fresh ground flour (to begin with) (10 to 11 cups of un-ground grain will make enough flour for this recipe)

Use the momentary switch (m) to mix well. Turn the machine to speed 1 and continue to add wheat flour only until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. When you can see the sides pull clean as well as the dough coming clean from the bottom of the bowl you know you have enough flour. (do not add too much flour) the dough should be very sticky and does not come together at this point, but the bowl is clean.

Knead on speed 1 for 8-10 minutes or until the gluten has been developed. If you feel your dough is too dry, simply add a few tablespoons of water to moisten. (always pulling the sides clean) if dough starts sticking simply add a little white flour to take up the moisture. (remember your bosch has 700 watts of power and a reset button.)

Oil your hands, remove dough from mixer onto a slightly oiled counter, divide your dough with a dough divider into 4-5 large loaves depending on your pan size. (we like the 8 ½ by 4 ½” pan, and we usually get 5. However, because we never measure our flour exactly, sometimes we get 4, it will depend on the weather and the climate outside.

Shape loaves, and place in a well greased or sprayed (pam) pan, never use oil. Cover with a dry towel and let rise until dough has risen double or approx. 2 inches above the rim of the pan. This will take from 30 to 60 minutes depending on the room temperature.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until the inside temp. Is 200 degrees. An instant read thermometer is very useful in telling whether your bread is done. Tests after baking time is complete by taking bread out of its pan and pushing the thermometer into side or bottom of loaf. If not 200 degrees, place back in pan and bake another few minutes.

Cool on cooking racks before putting into bread bags. The bread can be frozen up to 30 days without freezer burn.

Shar's Multi Grain and Seed Bread

• 6 cups warm water, approx. 115°
• 2 tbsp. Sea salt
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup honey
• 3 tbsp. Dough enhancer
• 3 cups high gluten bread flour (low carb, use ¾ cup vital wheat)
• 3 tbsp. Saf instant yeast
• 4 cups of fresh ground wheat flour
• 2 cups ground spelt flour (1 ½ cups unground)
• 2 cups ground kamut flour (1 ½ cups unground)
• (6 to 8 cups of un-ground wheat grain will make enough flour for this recipe)
• 2 cups multi-grain/seed mix, unground (pre-packaged in the refrigerator)

                Or  

• ½ cup nine grain cracked cereal
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup millet
• 1/3 cup flax seed
• 1/3 cup sesame seed

Use the momentary switch (m) to mix well. Turn the machine to speed 1 and continue to add wheat flour only until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. When you can see the sides pull clean as well as the dough coming clean from the bottom of the bowl you know you have enough flour. (do not add too much flour) the dough should be very sticky and does not come together at this point, but the bowl is clean.

Knead on speed 1 for 8-10 minutes or until the gluten has been developed. If you feel your dough is too dry, simply add a few tablespoons of water to moisten. (always pulling the sides clean) if dough starts sticking simply add a little white flour to take up the moisture. (remember your bosch has 700 watts of power and a reset button.)

Oil your hands, remove dough from mixer onto a slightly oiled counter, divide your dough with a dough divider into 4-5 large loaves depending on your pan size. (we like the 8 ½ by 4 ½” pan, and we usually get 5. However, because we never measure our flour exactly, sometimes we get 4, it will depend on the weather and the climate outside.

Shape loaves, and place in a well greased or sprayed (nonstick spray) pan, never use oil. Cover with a dry towel and let rise until dough has risen double or approx. 2 inches above the rim of the pan. This will take from 30 to 60 minutes depending on the room temperature.

Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until the inside temp. Is 200° . An instant read thermometer is very useful in telling whether your bread is done. Test after baking time is complete by taking bread out of its pan and pushing the thermometer into side or bottom of loaf. If not 200°, place back in pan and bake another few minutes. Cool on cooking racks before putting into bread bags. The bread can be frozen up to 30 days without freezer burn.

Shar's Country California Walnut Bread

• 2 ¼ cups hot water (115°)
• ½ cup buttermilk powder
• ½ cup walnut oil
• ½ cup honey
• 2 tbsp. Saf instant yeast
• 1 tbsp. Sea salt
• 1 ½ cups toasted walnuts
• 2 cups high gluten flour (more will be needed)

Add ingredients in bosch mixer with dough hook:

Start kneading on speed one, adding high gluten flour one cup at a time until a soft dough is formed. The dough will pull clean from the sides of the bowl, and the texture will look shaggy. Don’t add too much flour, this bread has a tendency to be dry. Knead for 5 minutes on speed one, remove dough and place in a greased stainless steel bowl, cover with a plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size. Divide dough into 1 ½ pound loaves and shape in rounds, place on parchment lined pizza peel, slash with bakers blade, then sprinkle with flour or brush top with beaten egg wash. Let rise until doubled in size. Bake on pizza stone for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 200°.
{can also be baked without pizza stone on a parchment lined pan}

If you choose to make this bread with fresh ground whole wheat flour, add 2 tbsp. Dough enhancer. And knead the dough for 7-8 minutes and only let it rise once on the cookie sheet. The rise in the stainless steel bowl isn’t necessary.

Optional: preheat a pizza stone at 375° for ½ hour. Turn temperature down to 350° to cook the bread.

To toast walnuts: chop walnuts and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet in a 350° oven for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Shar's Country Whole Wheat Bread Bowls

• 4 ½ cups hot (115) water
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• ½ cup honey or molasses
• 1 tbsp. Sea salt
• 3 tbsp. Dough enhancer
• 2 cups high gluten bread flour
• 3 tbsp. Saf instant yeast
• 6 cups fresh ground whole wheat
• ½ cup sourdough base (optional)

Mix all ingredients in the bosch bowl:
Mix thoroughly on speed one. Continue to add enough whole wheat flour until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead on speed one for 7-8 minutes or until the gluten is developed. Leave the dough in the bowl and cover with the splatter ring and lid. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Knead again for a few seconds and let it rest for another 15 minutes. This procedure is called pestering and changes the texture of the bread into a tight dough, which is good for bread bowls.

Form dough into bread bowls or french rolls: 8oz. 12oz. For bread bowls, 1 ½ lbs. For french bread, and 1 lb for baguettes. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Slash tops with a bakers blade. Brush with beaten egg wash. Cover and allow them to rise until double in size approximately 45 min-1 hour. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

They can also rise on parchment paper that is covering a pizza peel. Preheat pizza stone at 400, then turn oven down to 350 and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 200 and the bread is golden and crusty. Remove from cookie sheet onto cooling rack; allow to cool for at least 6 hours before storing.

When completely cool, cut off top of bowl and clean out center with fork. Serve soup or salad in bread bowl.