The other day at the grocery store, I came across chicken thighs for $1.29 per pound. The catch was that you had to purchase a huge tray of them – more than enough to feed my family twice over. Still, it made sense to buy them since a smaller tray not on special cost exactly the same as the large tray.

Today, Jim smoked the thighs on the smoker for two hours at 275 degrees. In the last 30 minutes, he glazed them with a reduction of a cup of pure maple syrup, the zest and juice of an orange, a couple of tablespoons of gluten-free soy sauce, and a teaspoon of sriracha. As I knew it would, we had about half of the thighs left when we were done with dinner.

No worries – I have a plan. Tomorrow I will shred the thighs, toss them in the remaining sauce, and make lettuce wraps. Here’s my recipe.

Lettuce Wraps

• Large leaves from one head of lettuce
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped chopped
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Meat and skin from six smoked chicken thighs, cut into chunks.
• Sauce made from a reduction of 1 cup of maple syrup, zest and juice of one orange, 2 T gluten-free soy sauce (or coconut amines), and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sriracha (or red pepper flakes) (simmer until syrupy)
• Shirataki angel hair noodles, rinsed and warmed in hot water, then drained (or some other gluten free noodle) (optional)
• 2 scallions, julienned
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• Peanut sauce (recipe follows)

1. Heat oil in a large sauté pan until shimmering.
2. Add mushrooms and cook to brown, about six minutes.
3. Add onions and continue to cook until transparent.
4. Add garlic and cook until it releases its scent, about 30 seconds.
5. Add chicken and half of the maple syrup sauce and simmer until chicken is heated through.
6. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Rinse shirataki noodles (or cook some other gluten free noodle) under water in a wire colander.
8. Place colander with noodles in a bowl of hot water and let sit to warm noodles until you are ready to serve. Drain well before serving.
9. To serve, put chicken and mushrooms on a plate, along with portions of noodles, scallions, carrots, and bean sprouts. Put 2-3 lettuce leaves on each plate. Serve remaining maple syrup reduction and peanut sauce on the side.
10. To assemble, put portions of chicken, noodles, vegetables, and sauce in the center of lettuce leaves and roll to eat.

Quick Peanut Sauce

In a blender or food processor mix until well combined:

• 1-1/2 cups of peanut butter (or almond butter for paleo)
• 3 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce (or coconut amines for paleo)
• Juice from one lime
• 1 tsp to 1 tablespoon sriracha (to taste or omit all together)
• 1 tablespoon grated gingerroot
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons honey