Asian Lettuce Cups

Mr. Max and I have made a few versions of lettuce wraps, but I was ready to re-invent a bit this week. I looked at my last two recipes to find how I can cut-back without compromising the flavor. I decided to use lean turkey over chicken and nix the brown sugar, brown rice, along with water chestnuts. I used low-sodium tamari (organic, gluten-free soy sauce), low-sodium hoisin, and added both bell pepper for more nutrients and sriracha for a little kick. Last time, our lettuce wraps became lettuce-less when our little caterpillar friend was found. That taught me not to buy the pretty "live" head of bibb lettuce with the roots still attached. This time, I had picked up a fresh head of greens which will serve perfectly for the lettuce cup, no sixteen-legged friends attached. 

Click here for the nutrition facts per serving - serving size is equal to 3 tbsp of meat filling per lettuce leaf. Recipe yields 8 servings.

Grocery List:

• 1 head lettuce
• t tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. ground lean turkey or chicken
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup reduced fat Hoisin
• 3 tbsp. Tamari
• 1 tbsp. Sriracha
• 1/2 tsp. Mirin (sweet rice vinegar - added sweetness without using sugar)
• 1 tsp. ginger, minced
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped

We start by preparing our protein of the evening, our meat. The first two times I made this I used chicken, but as I was meal planning and already making a meal with ground turkey, I decided to just buy the turkey in bulk, using it for each recipe. In a large skillet, pan or wok, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the red bell pepper and garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

 

Remove the onion, garlic and bell pepper, then add the meat and begin to break it up in the pan. Let cook for about 5-8 minutes, until the pink is gone and add the onion mix back in with the meat.

 

Take your lettuce and gently tear apart the leaves for your servings.

In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin, soy, sriracha, mirin and ginger until smooth. Add the sauce to the pan and mix until well combined.

To serve, spoon your filling into the lettuce cup and enjoy!

 Paired with steamed edamame

Tastefully yours,