A lonely chicken breast staring back at me from an otherwise virtually empty fridge is usually the start of something decent rather than a crisis. Add one carrot, a red pepper, a red onion and whatever's lurking in the store cupboard, and you've a hearty supper for two — provided, crucially, you've got lettuce. This is exactly that kind of dish: quick, resourceful, and built entirely on what was already there. Spicy chicken lettuce wraps.

Ingredients for spicy chicken lettuce wraps

• 1 chicken breast, finely chopped (or minced)
• Olive oil
• Turmeric
• Paprika
• Black pepper
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• Sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (or 1 tsp tomato purée as a substitute)
• Dried herbs
• Handful of raisins
• 1 dried chilli, crushed
• 2–3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• Dried ginger
• White wine vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Iceberg lettuce leaves, to serve

Method:

1. Finely chop (or mince) the chicken breast. Add to a mixing bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with turmeric, paprika and a big grind of black pepper. Mix well, then add to a deep frying pan over low-to-medium heat to brown.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop the carrot, pepper and onion. Add to a mixing bowl with the finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (drizzle over a little of their oil if using, or extra olive oil if not), dried herbs, raisins, crushed chilli, garlic and dried ginger. Mix well.
3. Add the vegetable mixture to the browned chicken, turning the heat up a notch. Cook for a short while, then add a big shake of white wine vinegar and let it cook off slightly before adding a good glug of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
4. Turn up the heat and shake the pan so everything mixes and mingles — the meat should be cooked through but the vegetables should still have a little crunch.
5. Finish with another grind of black pepper and serve spooned into Iceberg lettuce leaves.

If you like this kind of quick, punchy stir-fry style, my Gong Bao Chicken & Vegetable Stir Fry for One hits a similar note.

This spicy chicken lettuce wrap is part of my Chicken Recipes collection.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef