Asian Lettuce Wraps

  • Ok so the measurements won't be exact because I don't measure things...

    Ground turkey and extra lean ground beef
    1 shallot
    a third of a red pepper diced reeeeaaaaally small
    2 or 3 cloves of garlic, preferably microplaned down to mush, or just fine dice
    fresh ginger, about a tsp and a half, grated (I have a jar of smashed ginger because I hate peeling ginger)
    bunch of mushrooms, diced tiny
    soy sauce
    splenda
    any hot sauce
    green onion
    cilantro
    lettuce leaves (cut the heart out of an iceberg head then submerge it in water and shake it around to loosen up leaves rather than trying to peel them off and keep them whole - that never works)

    Ok so, fry up your shallot (or onion) and garlic until they start to sweat but aren't clear. Throw in your meat till it's mostly cooked. Add peppers and mushrooms until mushrooms let out their liquid, which will only take about 2 mintues with a small dice.
    In a seperate bowl, mix soy sauce, ginger, hot sauce and splenda together, so the volume totals about a quarter cup. Taste it to make sure it isn't super salty. Keep adding splenda till you like the taste.
    Throw the sauce into the meat mixure and bring it to a simmer. It won't thicken because there isn't any sugar or starch in it, so expect there to be liquid in the pan when the meat is done. Let it cook together for a few mintues, mixing it here and there. When your meat looks stained from soy sauce, you're ready to go. Throw in a handfull of chopped green onions once it's off the heat. Serve in lettuce cups and top with fresh cilantro. They're drippy, so I highly reccommend a slotted spoon for serving the meat. And put out lots of napkins.

    That basic flavour of soy, splenda, fresh ginger, fresh garlic (I can't emphasize FRESH enough - no powders) and hot sauce has gotten me through so many south beach meals. Stir fries, chicken or pork marinade, asparagus... anything. Even though it seems like a lot of soy sauce, most of it stays in the pan, so I don't feel bad. Even better with sodium reduced.
  • Drooling. Thanks for the recipe!