Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound ground turkey
5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps finely chopped
½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1½ teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated
In a large pan over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add ground turkey and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook turkey for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking up meat with a spatula until cooked through. Add mushrooms and onions and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes more until vegetables are tender. Stir in water chestnuts, garlic, and ginger and cook for 1 minute more.
In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil. Pour sauce over turkey mixture and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle sliced green onions over top and spoon mixture into lettuce leaves. Transfer to a platter and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Southwestern Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Lime Crema
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons southwestern dry seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and zest
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 soft tortillas, cut into strips
½ cup red bell pepper, julienned
½ cup red onion, julienned
1 avocado, peeled and pit removed, sliced and tossed with 1 teaspoon lime juice
1 head Romaine lettuce, leaves separated and ends removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Rinse and pat dry chicken strips. Cut breasts into strips and place in a small bowl. Toss with olive oil and southwestern seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. In a small bowl, mix together sour cream, jalapeño, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon of the lime juice, lime zest, and 1 teaspoon of the smoked paprika. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready for use.
In a small skillet, heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Drop the soft tortilla strips into oil in batches and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels and toss with extra southwestern seasoning, smoked paprika, Kosher salt and pepper to taste. Heat a grill pan to high heat and spray with vegetable oil. Place chicken strips on pan and cook for 2 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through. When ready to serve, place bowl of lime crema in the center of a large platter and surround bowl with chicken strips, red bell pepper strips, red onion strips, avocado, fried tortilla strips, and lettuce leaves. Sprinkle remaining cilantro over platter and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Lettuce Wraps with Grilled Steak and Pineapple
1 pound beef sirloin steak
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 cup chopped cilantro
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
4 scallions, chopped and divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 fresh pineapple cored and peeled and cut into 1-inch slices
1 head Bib lettuce, leaves separated
1 cup Sriracha Mayonnaise, recipe follows
1 cup Asian dipping sauce
Place sirloin steak on a cutting board and pierce surface all over with a sharp knife. Place meat in a zipper storage bag. Add lime zest and juice, half of cilantro and half chopped scallions, olive oil, and seasonings. Add sliced pineapple to bag and turn several times to coat meat and pineapple slices. Marinate in refrigerator for 12 hours or more. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Remove steak and pineapple slices from marinade and discard marinade. Grill steak and pineapple slices quickly on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side or until meat is rare to medium-rare and pineapple has nice grill marks. Remove from heat and place on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. When ready to serve, slice meat thinly on diagonal or against grain. Slice or chop pineapple slices. Place slices of steak on lettuce leaves along with grilled pineapple and top with chopped green onions and cilantro and serve with Sriracha Mayonnaise and Asian Dipping Sauce.
Yield: 4 servings
Sriracha Mayonnaise
¼ cup Sriracha hot chile sauce
1 cup Kewpie Mayonnaise (available at Oriental food markets) or regular mayonnaise
Mix Sriracha with the mayonnaise until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Asian Dipping Sauce
¾ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
Juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons each, chopped fresh cilantro, mint and basil
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Mix all ingredients together until blended. Check seasonings and adjust for sweetness and heat. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to serve.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
2 store bought rotisserie chickens
½ cup roasted cashews, chopped
1 head iceberg lettuce, leaves separated and ends removed
2 to 3 fresh radishes, sliced thin
1 cup Asian dipping sauce
Remove chicken meat from bones and slice thinly. On a serving platter, place lettuce leaves in a circular fashion and divide sliced chicken breast meat between leaves. Sprinkle chopped cashews and sliced radishes over all. Serve with Asian Dipping Sauce.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Chipotle Pork Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Honey-Lime Yogurt Sauce
1 pork tenderloin
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ each red, yellow, and orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Greek yogurt
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head Romaine or Butter leaf lettuce, ends remove and separated
Place tenderloin in a large resealable plastic bag. Drain chipotle peppers and reserve adobo sauce. Add peppers, garlic, half of cilantro, lime juice and zest, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the bag. Seal bag, rotating meat in marinade. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. For Spicy Honey-Lime Yogurt Sauce, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, lime zest and juice, soy sauce, honey, smoked paprika, kosher salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the reserved adobo sauce. Check seasonings, cover and refrigerate.
For pork tenderloin, remove meat from bag and discard marinade. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat and cook meat, turning to mark all sides. Continue cooking until meat reaches an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees and is still slightly pink in middle. Remove from heat source and let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes. When ready to serve, slice thinly and divide slices between lettuce leaves. Add colored peppers and red onion slices to each lettuce leaf and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro. Serve with the Spicy Honey-Lime Yogurt Sauce.
Yield: 6 servings
Thai Lettuce Wraps
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoons Sriracha
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
¼ cup peanuts, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 head leaf lettuce, ends removed and separated
1 cup julienned carrots
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into thin strips
1/2 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 package thin rice, Sobu, or glass noodles, cooked
Sauce:
1/3 cup chili sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
1/3 cup Kewpie mayonnaise
For marinade, in a zipper bag, mix hoisin sauce, soy sauce, grated ginger, Sriracha, rice wine vinegar, and grated garlic. Add chicken strips and refrigerate for 2 hours. Heat a grill pan over high heat and cook strips, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Surround chicken strips with lettuce leaves, carrots, cucumber, red cabbage, and cooked noodles. For sauce, in a small serving bowl, whisk chili sauce, Sriracha, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and mayonnaise together. Fill each lettuce leaf with chicken and fillings and drizzle with sauce. Serve immediately.
Yield: 8 servings
