Fresh Friday: Lettuce Wraps

Jake and Hannah made these at the beach house this summer and I loved them.  I've made them for dinner a few times since then. Tyrone told Jaxon, "Just eat them with your eyes closed, they taste great".  You must make the dipping sauce, it's the best part.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Recipe by Our Best Bites

2 tsp canola oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 lb ground chicken/turkey

3 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped (about 8 small mushrooms)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

4 C bagged coleslaw mix or thinly shredded cabbage

1 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained, rinsed, and finely minced

1/2 C thinly sliced green onions (never use these)

4 Tbs soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 3-4 Tbs juice)

1/2-1 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce 

1/3 C roughly chopped cilantro

1-2 heads iceberg lettuce

Dipping/Drizzling Sauce

4 Tbs soy sauce

4 Tbs rice vinegar

3 Tbs water

2 tsp honey

1-2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger

Heat a very large skillet to medium-high heat on the stove top.  When hot, add vegetable  oil and then garlic and ginger.  Saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, and then add ground chicken, chopped mushrooms, and kosher salt.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through.  (*At this point, sometimes I have some extra liquid in the pan from the chicken.  If it’s quite a bit, I tilt the pan and spoon it out so the chicken can cook and not boil.) Add cabbage/coleslaw, water chestnuts, and green onions.  Cook for about 2 minutes, until cabbage starts to wilt.  Add soy sauce, sesame oil, the zest from the lemon and the lemon juice, and hot sauce to taste.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

To prepare dipping sauce, combine all ingredients and whisk to combine.

To serve, carefully remove the individual leaves from the head of lettuce.  Place chicken mixture in the leaves and serve with sauce.

Yield: about 5 C chicken mixture.  Makes 14-16 lettuce wraps.