Asian Lettuce Wraps

sarah — Mon, 03 May 2010 08:00:10 +0000

I used to eat this as a child when my family would go to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. I would have one as an appetizer back then, but I now cook it as a main course for my family. I got the recipe from my good friend, Culinary Queen Sheri, and it is a favourite in my house – especially with the hubby!

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs lean ground beef, chicken, pork, or turkey
4 green onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger root
2 carrots, grated
3/4 cup diced water chestnuts
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp pepper
1 head iceberg lettuce (gently peel off the leaves to use as the wraps)

DIRECTIONS
In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground meat of your choice, breaking it up as necessary until it is no longer pink. Drain off the fat.

I used ground chicken which is tougher to break up than beef so I used a potato masher which worked well.

Add green onions, garlic, ginger, carrots and water chestnuts and cook over medium heat until the green onions are softened (about 5 minutes).

Whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, water and pepper.

Pour into the skillet and cook, stirring until combined and slightly thickened.

Spoon into a lettuce leaf, roll it up like a burrito, and enjoy! If you especially like hoisin sauce, like my husband and I do, you can spoon some of it into the bottom of the leaf before adding the meat mixture and it is delicious!

The prepared and cooked meat mixture can be frozen for up to three months so it makes a really easy instant meal on those nights when you need something fast!

Now that we have the cooking out of the way, I can say how happy I am to be back. I didn’t think I would miss blogging as much as I did and I’m looking forward to sharing yummy things with you guys again! You wouldn’t believe how long it took me to prepare this post. In the weeks since I last blogged I have lost my posting rhythm and my whole work flow was so scattered. I kept making mistakes and having to redo photos and it was just crazy. Big props to my husband who kept the wild and crazy kids at bay so I could concentrate on getting this finished.

See y’all tomorrow!

♥

Hearty Turkey Chili

sarah — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:59 +0000

I’m going to warn you ahead of time that this is a very photo heavy post. I’ve had a couple of comments lately from people who say they really like the step by step photos, so ask and ye shall receive. I may have gone overboard, but you can never accuse me of not being thorough!

I thought you might all appreciate a healthier post after the indulgence of last week’s cupcakes. This chili is really filling while being low in fat but not low in flavour!

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced into rounds
1 pound of lean ground turkey
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1 cup of chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans, rinsed and drained (a 15oz can works perfectly)
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper, or to taste

DIRECTIONS
Grab your onion and slice in it half, then peel and dice it.

Yes I know my cutting board is old. I’ll buy a new one…eventually.

Next get your carrots, peel them, and slice them into thin rounds. Or you can be lazy like me and buy peeled baby carrots. If you go the lazy route, about 12 of them should suffice.

Then be interrupted by your 4 year old who sees your camera and demands “Take a photo of me spinning, mummy!”

I swear, if they could harness the energy of children we would never have to depend on oil again!

Grab your cloves of garlic, peel them, and crush them. If you don’t have a crusher, just finely dice them.

I really want a new garlic crusher. An all stainless steel one!

Measure out your chili powder.

Let’s pretend there’s 2 tablespoons in there instead of me running out at 1 1/4 tablespoons!

Then your paprika.

And your cumin.

Followed by your pepper.

And your salt.

Grab your tomatoes and cut the core out of the top, then dice them.

Then open your can of tomato sauce.

And measure out your chicken stock.

Keep your apple cider vinegar handy and ready to measure when the time comes.

Then open your can of kidney beans, drain and rinse them.

Get your green pepper, slice it open, remove the core and seeds, then dice it.

Then all you have left to grab is your ground turkey.

Add the oil to a large pot and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Then add the garlic and carrots; cook them until the garlic is softened, about 1 minute.

Add the turkey and brown the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks – about 5 minutes.

Add the chili powder.

Add the paprika.

And the cumin.

Followed by the tomatoes.

The tomato sauce and broth.

The vinegar.

The beans.

And finally the green pepper.

Stir until everything is well combined, then turn up the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat and simmer until meat and vegetables are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.

I love this pot. It was a gift from my mother in law!

Season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Then serve. You can eat it over rice, plain on it’s own, or ala Sarah with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Bon apetit!

♥

Our Bella Cucina » Turkey

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Hearty Turkey Chili