When I get obsessed about an ingredient, I pretty much use it every day, in every way, until my family begs me to stop. So far, no one has said anything about my favorite new find: mini lettuce heads from Costco. These cute little heads come six to a box and the leaves are crunchy, yet soft…the perfect vehicle for other foods, and as a substitute for tortillas. I’ve been putting just about everything into these adorable little leaves, from hummus and veggies to this super fun PF Changs-worthy lettuce wrap. You’re not even going to need a measuring cup for this one gang; it’s truly no-fail, provided you use garlic, some spice and a good Asian liquid, like sesame oil or soy. There are countless Asian-style condiments on the market, and each will have very different ratios. Many are high in either sugar or sodium, so choose wisely. I chose to keep my sugars down and opted for reduced-sodium Tamari (which is gluten-free soy sauce). This dish is high in protein (about 25 grams), medium carbs, depending on the sauce you use, and right on the money with fat (around 6-7) from the nuts and sesame oil.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
16-32 baby lettuce leaves (32 if you want to double layer them)
1 tsp sesame oil
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 package 99% fat-free ground turkey
1/2 -1 tsp fresh ginger
3 T low-sodium Tamari or other Asian sauce/marinade
3 green onions, sliced through the green stems
1 1/2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 T Siracha
1 tsp Agave
Mrs. Dash garlic & onion flavor, to taste
2 sliced baby cumbers
8 grated baby carrots
1/3 c peanuts, chopped
DIRECTIONS: Heat a pan slightly and swirl sesame oil. Toss in garlic for 1 minute. Add turkey and brown for 2 minutes. Add ginger through mushrooms and continue cooking. When turkey isn’t pink any longer, stir in Siracha, agave, and seasoning. Remove from heat. Lay out lettuce leaves and spoon turkey mixture into each leaf. Top with a few peanuts and grated carrots and cucumber on the side. Dot Siracha around the plate if you like more spice.
