Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps with Sweet Chili Lime Dipping Sauce

I'm having a hard time thinking of clever things to say tonight. I'm exhausted. I've been hit with an avalanche of assignments and tests and projects, not to mention the long days on my feet. Nursing is no joke. It's hard work. Much harder than cooking. And not as immediately rewarding.

Cooking is fun! For me, it's therapeutic. What do I do to say sane? I'm not sure if it's working, but my answer would be that I cook. Sometimes it's a hassle... all the planning and ingredient purchasing that goes into a meal. But its never not worth it. (When dinner turns out, anyway.)

I hope someday I'll say that about school- about all the hours I've spent studying (fighting sleep) when I could have been cooking. Problem is, I won't be able to afford cooking for much longer if I don't get a career. As lovely as it would be, to spend my life eating, drinking, and daydreaming about food, it's not the only thing that matters. But it does provide a wonderful escape from the pressures/due dates/deadlines of real life. Just me and a kitchen of possibilities. That's how it should be.

INGREDIENTS
1-2 heads Bibb lettuce leaves, rinsed and dried
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. sriracha sauce
1 5-oz. can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced

Optional toppings:
cucumber, thinly sliced
carrots, shredded
cilantro, chopped
rice or cellophane noodles, prepared according to package direction
peanuts, crushed

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce:
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. hot water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red chili paste

Dark Dipping Sauce:
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. chili paste
drizzle of honey

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat skillet over medium high heat. Brown the ground beef, drain, and set aside. Add the onion with a little oil to the pan and saute until soft. Stir in the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin, ginger, vinegar, and chili paste. Return the ground beef to the pan and add the water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil. Stirring frequently, cook for 2 more minutes to heat through.

2. To make the Sweet Chili Lime Dipping Sauce, combine all the ingredients in a blender/food processor and puree until smooth. Pour into a small bowl and serve with lettuce wraps.

3. To make the Dark Dipping Sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Serve with lettuce wraps.

4. Serve beef and lettuce alongside toppings of choice and dipping sauces.

Serves 2-4 as a main course and more as an appetizer.

(Filling adapted from All Recipes and Sweet Chili Lime Dip from Food Network)