Maho, Vietnamese Chicken Recipe

2 cups uncooked white rice

4 cups water

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste

½ cup dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts

4 large leaves of iceberg lettuce

1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained

Bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the rice stand, covered, while you finish the dish.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering, and cook and stir the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken, and cook and stir until seared and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and peanuts, and cook and stir until the chicken is no longer pink inside, and the soy sauce has coated the chicken and peanuts, 5 more minutes. Remove the chicken mixture from the heat.

Line 4 plates with lettuce leaves, and scoop 1 cup of cooked rice onto each leaf. Top with chicken-peanut mixture, and sprinkle each plate with mandarin orange slices.