Sweet Potato Fries

The Best Sweet Potato Fries

How can I claim that this is, without a doubt, the best Sweet Potato Fries recipe; in short, I can’t. But I can say that, after trying these fries, I couldn’t imagine that they get any better. And one of the things that I’ve, personally, figured out about cooking and eating fried sweet potatoes is that you want to keep it simple. The real secret is in the sauce or in this case sauce’s!

Sauce for Sweet Potato Fries

First off, you may have noticed that my Sweet Potato Fries look like regular French Fries but they’re not. Sweet Potatoes aren’t all orange, they’re white too. And, just to clear the air, Yams and Sweet Potatoes are pretty much the same thing. In all honesty, I think that the orange color in Yams make beautiful fries and I would rather have used them instead for the purpose is of this blog post because I think they’re prettier to look at. But for the same purpose of this post, I intentionally used the white Sweet Potatoes to prove the point that it doesn’t really matter which one you choose to use. Either or, they will both taste the same. And like I already mentioned, the real secret is in the sauce.

I make both a Spicy Mayo and a Barbecue Fry Sauce and in truth, I think you’ll like the Barbecue Fry Sauce the best. By now, the world has become very familiar with the spicy mayo and they’ve already decided whether or not they like it. Plus, if you’re not a fan of spicy food, you’re most likely going to prefer the barbecue. It’s very simple to make and it really compliments the Sweet Potato Fries. And though I didn’t add it to the ingredients list, you might want to add a touch of Sesame Oil. So, definitely give that one a try.

Sweet Potato Fries Ingredients:

1 Sweet Potato, Orange or White
Frying Oil
Season Salt to taste

DIPPING SAUCES

Barbecue Fry Sauce
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
3 tbsp Barbecue Sauce
1/2 tsp Soy Sauce

Spicy Mayo
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp Sriracha

Pealing the Sweet Potato is optional, but you want to cut the ends off, then slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. Fry at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 Minutes then place on paper towels. Immediately Salt with Seasoned Salt before the Sweet potato Fries cool down. This allows the seasoning to stick better. For the dipping Sauces, just mix all the ingredients for each one and stir until it’s smooth, then serve your Sweet Potato Fries.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps – P.F. Chang’s Recipe

The Best Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe is the king of Lettuce Wraps and it’s not just because I say so. This is the original P.F. Chang’s recipe. I’m talking about everything down to the last drop is the exact ingredients you would find being taught to the Pantry chefs that crank out hundreds of these plates a day. So needless to say, this ain’t no “Copy Cat!”

Making Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The secret to this Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe is 70% pre-prep. That means any and everything you can make ahead of time, get it done. That’s also what makes this appetizer so great. It’s something that can be sitting in your refrigerator until you’re ready to whip out fresh, hot and crisp wraps in just a matter of minutes. The Chicken mix can be pre-made and mixed with the Shitake Mushrooms and Water Chestnuts. The Sauce can be made in advance. Now all you have to have is cold crisp lettuce. P.F. Changs soaks theirs in ice water, FYI.

So, as you know, I clearly didn’t invent this recipe but I most certainly have taken the time to prepare, film, edit, produce and teach this amazing dish to you by way of this “How to” video posted down below. So please take note that I show you how to cook P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps in the comfort of your own home, via this tutorial.

If you’re interested in other P.F. Chang’s recipes, please check out this selection and click on any that you might be interested in: Barbecue Spare Ribs, Chinese BBQ Sauce, Garlic Noodles, Red Sauce Wontons, Wonton Soup, Firecracker Shrimp, Mongolian Beef, Curry Chicken Salad, Shrimp Dumplings, Pot Stickers, Dan Dan Noodles, Cantonese Chicken, Japanese Cold Cucumber, Salt and Pepper Calamari!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps Ingredients:

1 Lettuce Head
1 lbs Ground Chicken, cooked
1 cup Shitake Mushrooms, chopped
1 cup Water Chestnuts, chopped
2 Green Onions, chopped into scallions
1 Garlic clove, chopped
Salt and Pepper
2 tbsp Cooking Oil
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
Fried Rice Noodle is Optional

Sauce

1 pt Mushroom Soy, (Soy Sauce is fine)
1 pt Oyster Sauce
1 pt Michiu Rice Wine
1 pt Sugar
White Pepper to taste

3 oz of Sauce to every Cup of Chicken Mix. You will need 12 oz of sauce for all of the mix in this recipe.

Cook the Ground Chicken First. Chop all the veggies and separate the Scallions and the Garlic from the Shitake Mushrooms and Water chestnuts. Mix the Water chestnuts and Mushrooms with the Ground Chicken when it is finished cooking, and add salt and pepper to taste. Add all the Sauce ingredients together and stir.

Then in a hot Skillet set on High, add the cooking oil, immediately followed by the garlic and 1 cup of chicken mix. Toss and turn for approximately 1 minute. Add 3 oz of sauce, then stir and add 1 oz of Scallions and 1 tbsp of Sesame Oil then Plate. Cut the Lettuce head in half and serve with the mix.

One more thing, Chicken Lettuce Wraps are usually served with the Chicken mix over the top of Fried Rice Noodles. So, if you’re willing to go the full distance, I teach you how to make those too. Enjoy this Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe and don’t forget to tell your friends where you got it!

Shrimp Ceviche – Ceviche de Camaron

Shrimp Ceviche is so Refreshing

All of the ingredients are designed to pack a wallop of nutrition and explode with flavor. It’s got Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes, Avocado, Cucumber and a list of other seasoning’s and ingredients you’re going to love. You can serve this with chips, eat it plain as a salad, serve as a Tostada or, my favorite, as a Cocktail in a glass with Clamato!

Shrimp Ceviche can, technically, be made with vegetables only but traditionally it’s made with either Tilapia or Shrimp. The secret is cook the meat in the citric acid of freshly squeezed Lemon and Limes. I find this method very effective with the fish but I find that it makes the shrimp a little pasty and less pleasant to eat. So I like to steam my shrimp before I marinade it in the juice. I get a ton flack from Hispanics that see me do it this way in the video but the results turn out virtually the same. The texture of the shrimp is better and the flavor of the Lemon and Lime marinade is forever present because the citrus is so potent. Therefore, trust me with the steaming in this recipe and enjoy your Shrimp Ceviche!

Shrimp Ceviche Ingredients:

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 lemons
2 limes
1/4 cup Orange Juice
1 cucumber, chopped
1/2 Onion, chopped
1/2 Jalapeno Pepper, diced (optional)
1 cup Tomato, diced
1 Avocado, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
Clamato Juice (optional)
Tabasco Sauce (optional)

Steam Shrimp for 1 minute then remove and place in a bowl. Then add the Lemon, Lime and Orange juice, stir and let it marinade for 20 minutes. Chop all the remaining ingredients and combine in a separate bowl. Add the Salt and Pepper, then stir. Strain the Shrimp but add 1/4 cup of the juice to the vegetable bowl and add the shrimp, then stir. Serve Shrimp Ceviche with Tostada Shells, Corn Chips or in a Glass With Clamato over the top.