Asian Lettuce Wraps

I've been to Original Joe's in Regina a couple times this year, and the item that most appeals to me on their menu is their Dragon Boat Lettuce Wraps. They're on the "Start & Share" menu, described as consisting of chicken, vegetables, chow mein noodles, cashews, cilantro & lime in a hoisin peanut sauce. All that savoury, crunchy yumminess is served with lettuce leaves, of course. And I find that it's more than enough to fill me up. 

So while I loved the flavour and some of the ingredients, when I wanted to make a homemade version, some things had to go. 

First, the cilantro. Ugh, soapiness! This is a personal thing that I share with a certain percentage of the population. While I'll tolerate cilantro that's well-mixed into a dish (servers told me it couldn't be taken out of Original Joe's version), I refuse to buy it. So cilantro is out of my version. But if you love the flavour, all the more power to you if you want to add it in. 

Second, no need for any salty, high-fat noodles in my dish. I give the option of brown rice if you need some filling starch, but also bulk up the recipe with lentils and more vegetables. Lentils soak up the flavours beautifully, as well as give great nutrition in the form of fiber, protein, iron, and folate. 

Your meal-sized dose of vegetables in this meal includes the lettuce, which you clearly see, plus carrots, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and green onion in the filling. Adding lentils and veggies to the filling helps stretch just a pound of meat to cover 4-6 servings, instead of 2-4. And with all that plant power, you also get a good dose of potassium, which helps balance out the sodium in the sauce. 

Hosin sauce, although salty, is worth buying if you like this type of Asian dish. I developed this recipe with inspiration from related recipes at thekitchn.com and lentils.ca. 

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients
1 cup dry Brown Rice (optional)

Sauce:
1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce (Low Sodium)
2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Sesame Oil
2 tsp Cornstarch
1/4 cup Cold Water

1 lb (~500g) Lean ground turkey

1 tsp Canola Oil
200 g Mushrooms
3 medium Carrots (and/or onions, bell peppers)

1 can Water Chestnuts
3 cloves Garlic
1 Tbsp Ginger Root
1 bunch Green Onions

1 cup Lentils, drained and rinsed

1 head Romaine Lettuce
1/4 cup  Peanuts

Directions

1. Start rice, if using. 
2. Mix sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. 
3. Prepare ingredients: 
1. Carrot: Peel & grate 
2. Mushrooms: wipe off and soil, and chop small
3. Water chestnuts: Drain & chop small
4. Garlic & Ginger: Mince 
5. Green onions: Slice into small pieces, and save half for garnish
6. Lettuce: Wash, if needed
7. Peanuts: Chop
4. Heat skillet over medium heat, and cook ground turkey. Be sure to break it up as you cook. When it's finished, transfer the cooked meat to a small clean bowl. 
5. Add oil to the pan, and cook mushrooms and carrots until tender, about 5 minutes. 
6. Add water chestnuts, garlic, ginger, and half the green onions. Cook for just a minute. 
7. Add cooked meat, sauce, and lentils. Stir until thoroughly combined and heated through. 
8. Taste, adjust seasoning if needed, then serve. 
9. To assemble: Choose a lettuce leaf, spoon in a little brown rice (or not), add a scoop or two of the filling. Top with chopped peanuts and green onions, if desired.  

Cooked filling and fresh lettuce leaves will keep in fridge for a few days. Just reheat filling in the microwave with a few drops of water to enjoy again later.

Nutrition Information, per serving (One of Six Servings)

• Calories 257
• Total Fat 8 g
• Saturated Fat 2 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9 g
• Monounsaturated Fat 0.9 g
• Cholesterol 60 mg
• Sodium 459 mg
• Potassium 585 mg
• Total Carbohydrate 25 g
• Dietary Fiber 6 g
• Sugars 4 g
• Protein 23 g

• Vitamin A 87%
• Vitamin B-12 0 %
• Vitamin B-6 13 %
• Vitamin C 22 %
• Vitamin D 6 %
• Vitamin E 4 %
• Calcium 5 %
• Copper 16 %
• Folate 29 %
• Iron 19 %

One of Four Servings, with Rice

• Calories536
• Total Fat 17 g
• Saturated Fat 4 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
• Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
• Cholesterol 90 mg
• Sodium 689 mg
• Potassium 1,002 mg
• Total Carbohydrate 61 g
• Dietary Fiber 11 g
• Sugars 7 g
• Protein 37 g

• Vitamin A 131 %
• Vitamin B-12 0 %
• Vitamin B-6 20 %
• Vitamin C 32 %
• Vitamin D 10 %
• Vitamin E 8 %
• Calcium 7 %
• Copper 26 %
• Folate 46 %
• Iron 30 %