Saturday, September 6, 2014

Asian Lettuce Wraps

In an effort to eat healthier, we have been trying new recipes.  This one was a huge hit at our house.  Everyone, including the 1 year old and the picky 4 year old, loved this.  It will definitely be a regular part of our meal plans now.  I don't like water chestnuts at all, but in this dish they really made the texture of the meat mixture.  If your family doesn't like spicy things, leave out the cayenne pepper.  The 4 year old just insisted on a drink after each bite.  I hope your family enjoys this as much as we did.


Ingredients:
3 tsp. olive oil (this can be less if you don't get the LEAN turkey)
1-2 T. sesame seeds
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 C. onions, diced
1 lb. ground turkey (The original recipe called for ground chicken, but I couldn't find it in our stores.)
1 C. mushrooms, diced
1-2 zucchini, diced
1 sm. can water chestnuts, drained and diced
4 T. soy sauce
2 T. sweet & sour sauce or duck sauce
2 tsp. red wine or rice vinegar
1 tsp. cayenne powder (optional if you want less spice)
Salt and pepper to taste
Lettuce or cabbage leaves (we like cabbage)
**You can make a dip from wasabi mixed with a little soy sauce (optional).  We didn't as we enjoyed the flavor of the meat mixture as it was.

Instructions:
Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat.  Briefly cook the sesame seeds and garlic.  Add the onion and cook until the onion is soft and starting to brown.  Add the turkey and use a fork to crumble it well in the pan while it's cooking.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Mix and continue cooking until the mushroom and zucchini are soft and it is all a nearly uniform texture.  Wash your lettuce/cabbage and place it a plate.  Fill the leaves with a scoop or two.  Makes 4 servings.