Asian lettuce wraps with ground beef and chicken

Recently, we joined a CSA.

Actually, I accidentally typed "NSA." No, I haven't joined the NSA. Of course not. I don't think that the recipes, decorating ideas, and all the other random things cluttering my head would be of any help in bolstering our nation's security. Though some Farrow & Ball paint colors might really add some sophistication to the NSA's government-issued drab rooms. After all, what better way to calm a terrifically stressful environment than through the use of color?  Plus Farrow & Ball are British, and the British are our friends.

(Did I just get entered onto a government watch list somewhere?)

Anyway...as I was saying, we recently joined a CSA. This is our first time, and I wasn't sure what to expect. What we've gotten so far are boxes beautifully packed with amazingly fresh, gorgeous produce. It's like Christmas morning once a week here. A very vegetarian Christmas. And it has been lots of fun to play with new foods that I'd never have purchased.

Every week, we've received a huge, beautiful head of lettuce. And every week, I think to myself, "These would be perfect for lettuce wraps." So finally, I made them. Fast and flavorful.

Asian lettuce wraps
1 head of lettuce
8-10 ounces of dried rice vermicelli noodles

Wash and dry lettuce leaves. Set aside.

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Then turn off the heat, and add rice noodles to the water. Stir occasionally until soft (about 4-5 minutes). Then drain and rinse with cool water.

Place a small amount of noodles into each leaf. Top with the filling of your choice.

Asian lettuce wrap: ground beef filling
 1 lb ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 onion, diced fine
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Cook ground beef in a skillet until well browned. Drain beef and remove from skillet. Add oil to the pan and sauté onions, garlic, and ginger until they become tender. Add remaining ingredients to the pan along with cooked beef and heat through.

Asian lettuce wrap: chicken filling
2 bone-in chicken breasts
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1-2 teaspoons chile paste with garlic

Place chicken breasts in a large sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through. Let chicken cool. Discard skin, remove meat from bones, and chop the meat into small pieces.

In a small sauce pan, sauté garlic and ginger in a small amount of oil for about 2 minutes. Add liquid ingredients and stir over heat until all of the sugar is dissolved. Add chopped chicken to the pan and stir thoroughly to distribute sauce.