If you are fortunate enough to be a Talley Farms Fresh Harvest CSA customer, then you know about their exquisite baby lettuces. The best way to feature them is in this recipe for the most scrumptious ever – Turkey Lettuce Wraps!
This recipe is made super simple by using a food processor to do all of the work for you. It calls for fresh ginger, garlic, carrots, green onions, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots – all prepared by mincing them in a food processor! So quick and easy and you don’t even have to clean it in between steps. (If you don’t own a food processor, not to worry, as you can mince the vegetables by hand)
The rest of the process is also quite quick and easy. Just brown the meat, add the veggies and cook until tender. Then add the sauce mixture and cook until heated through. This is so delicious, you will want to make extra and freeze some for another meal. Also simple, as you can just load the extra in freezer bags and flatten out so they will take up barely any space in your freezer!
Dipping sauces will elevate your wraps to the utmost level. I served mine with two sauces that can be used individually or together. One was a Peanut Sauce and the other a Soy/Vinegar Dipping Sauce. They both got rave reviews. To garnish the wraps, I offered chopped peanuts and cilantro.
Quick, easy and healthy. A winning combination!
TURKEY LETTUCE WRAPS WITH TWO DIPPING SAUCES
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 pounds ground turkey
- 1-1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled (1 tablespoon minced)
- 3 garlic cloves (1 tablespoon minced)
- 4 medium carrots
- 10 green onions (white and green parts)
- 1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts
- 1 (8 oz) can bamboo shoots
- 1 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha or other hot chili sauce or paste
- baby lettuce leaves (for a meal, allow 3-4 leaves per person); use any lettuce with small, cup-shaped leaves
- Brown rice, cooked (optional)
- TOPPINGS:
- chopped peanuts
- chopped cilantro
- Sriracha chili sauce
- Dipping Sauces (recipes to follow)
Directions
- MINCE THE VEGGIES: Vegetables may all be minced by hand; however it’s easier to use a food processor if you have one. Process in this order: 1. mince the garlic and ginger together in food processor ; 2. chop the carrots into 1″ chunks and add them to food processor and process until minced; 3. remove garlic/ginger/carrots to separate bowl; 4. chop green onions into 2″ pieces and add with bamboo shoots and water chestnuts to food processor; process until minced.
- COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: Add vegetable oil to skillet and heat on stove-top on med-high heat. Add turkey, cook until browned with no pink remaining; break apart chunks with spatula as turkey browns. Add minced veggies (garlic, ginger, carrots, onions, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts) and cook 5-10 min., until tender. In separate bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil and chili sauce; add to turkey mixture. Stir and cook until heated through, approx. 5 minutes.
- TO SERVE: Spoon rice (if using) and turkey mixture into a lettuce leaf. Add toppings, if desired. Roll the lettuce leaf and eat.
- TO FREEZE: Add turkey mixture to ziploc freezer bags – 2 cups of turkey mix per quart size bag. Flatten the bag, press out as much air as possible, and seal. Put in the freezer on a tray to keep it flat. Once frozen, remove from tray and stack bags in your freezer. May be frozen for several months. Reheats quickly in microwave.
DIPPING SAUCES
Asian Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy or tamari sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce OR 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional–omit or reduce for less heat)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons minced ginger root
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- 3/4 cup (or more) unsweetened canned coconut milk; may substitute water
Directions
- Whisk together Peanut Sauce ingredients in sauce pan over med-low heat. Cook uncovered on low for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in additional coconut milk or water if a thinner consistency is desired.
- Toss with noddles, or serve as a condiment with satay, lettuce wraps, or raw veggies.
- Will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. May be reheated in microwave or over low heat on stove top; if too thick whisk in water or coconut milk until desired consistency is achieved.
- This recipe freezes well. Try making a double or triple batch of peanut sauce and freezing it in 1-cup portions for future use.
Asian Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or spicy mustard
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, mustard, Sriracha, sesame oil and 1/4 cup water.
(Printable recipe can be found in my recipe index under Main Entrees)