Friday, July 9, 2010

Foodie Friday - Asian Lettuce Wraps (YUM!!)

                                      

We LOVE Asian Lettuce Wraps.  You can imagine how excited I was several years ago to find a recipe that is as close to that expensive Oriental restaurant style as I found, yet inexpensive to prepare.  Now we can have them as often as we like..or LOVE to.  The recipe serves 4 but my DH and I can just about devour the entire thing ourselves.  Add a simple fruit salad or a plate of sliced fruit and dinner is served in about 30 minutes...What's not to love? 

Here's the recipe:

Asian Lettuce Wraps

1 pound lean ground beef (93%) or ground chicken/turkey
1 head Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
1 (8 oz.)  can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
1 large onion (about 1 cup) chopped
2 T. minced garlic
1 T. reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce (I loooove hoisin sauce!)
2 t. finely chopped or bottled fresh ginger
1 T. rice wine vinegar
2 t. Asian Chili Garlic Sauce (you may add more to taste)
3/4 c. chopped scallions or green onions (about 4)
2 t. Asian dark sesame oil

Large platter for serving

Crumble the ground beef or poultry into a 12 inch skillet.  Cook, stirring to break up the meat until cooked through and no red remains.  Drain off any fat.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook 2-3 minutes or until translucent and tender.

Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, rice vinegar and Asian chili garlic sauce.  Stir and cook another 2-3 minutes until the sauce completely coats the meat.

Add the chopped water chestnuts, green onions and dark sesame oil, stirring and cooking just until the green onions start to wilt but are still green.  Remove skillet from heat.

Pour the meat into the center of a large platter.  Arrange the lettuce leaves around the edges of the platter surrounding the meat mixture. 

To serve, spoon some of the meat mixture into a lettuce leaf, fold and eat "taco" style.

YUM!!

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5 comments:

Meg said...

Yummy! We love 'em, too. And just in case you happen to be near that expensive Oriental restaurant, you can go to pfchangs.com and get a coupon for free lettuce wraps (good until July 31). :)

C said...

Great cause, but you've got to purchase a entree to get them. Too far to go for us!

Sue from Oregon said...

oh yummy!

AUSTINSGRAMM said...

Your picture sure looks yummy!! We love this dish also. And it is so delicious at PF CHANG.

Thanks for your recipe.


bobbi

Emily Leiphart said...

Delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe. :D

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