Paleo Turkey Lettuce Wraps

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As soon as we moved into our new home, I made a point of stocking the fridge with healthy ingredients and getting the kitchen set up immediately. I wanted to set us off on a healthy foot by cooking our first few meals at home instead of going out and exploring the nearby restaurants. We have all the time in the world to explore, but what we do in the first few days seems like it will create a habit for us.

I wanted that habit to be a good one. 

Our first night, I filled the house with the aromas from this recipe. It's delicious, spicy, and full of asian flair. Kind of like a way healthier version of P.F. Changs' Chicken Lettuce Wraps (don't tell them I said so...).

Paleo Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1.25lb ground turkey breast, lean
• 2 tbsp sesame oil, divided
• 2 tsp fish sauce, divided
• 2.5 tbsp liquid aminos or coconut aminos, divided
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 head of small romaine (they are about half the size of normal romaine)

Directions:

1. Combine ground turkey, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp fish sauce, and 1 tbsp aminos in a pan on medium heat. Break into small pieces as it cooks and stir frequently.
2. Meanwhile, rinse romaine and then cut off the white part of it that connects them. Dry with a paper towel and set out in a bowl or on a plate for serving.
3. Make the sauce! In a small ramekin, combine 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp fish sauce, .5 tbsp liquid aminos, and 1 tbsp sriracha.
4. Season turkey with salt and pepper and stir, then remove from heat and set out in a bowl.
5. Serve! Place a few tablespoons of turkey inside each romaine wrap, and then sprinkle with the sauce (do this sparingly if you are sensitive to heat - it is spicy!).

Note:

• If you are really spice-sensitive, try reducing the amount of sriracha in your sauce.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

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Just about everyone I know is obsessed with the lettuce wraps at P.F. Changs.  After seeing an attempt to crack the secret here, I was inspired to create my own.

    

The recipe below will yield what I made last night.  I fed five people, everyone got as much as they wanted, and there was a tiny bit left over.  If you're cooking for two people, and are only eating this as a side, I made a note next to each ingredient suggesting how to alter the recipe.

WARNING:  This recipe breaks my low ingredients rule by a long shot.  It has almost 10 ingredients and requires a lot of slicing and dicing.  That said, it's full of vegetables and low carb, so I suppose that combined with its sweet amazing tasty goodness will make up for the work it takes.

What You Need:

• Large pieces of iceberg lettuce (to use as a wrap)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil [1/2 tablespoon for side]
• 16 ounces of ultra lean ground beef [4 for side]  (Can substitute chicken here)
• 1 large green pepper, diced [1 small green pepper for side]
• 2 cups shelled & steamed edamame beans [1/2 for side] (I couldn't find shelled edamame beans at the grocery store, so I actually did the labor of steaming them and then squeezing the beans out of the pod.  It wasn't horrible - but I'd still recommend pre-shelled beans if you can find them).
• 3/4 cup soy sauce [3 tablespoons for side]  (If you don't have this much, it's alright to under-do it a bit on the soy sauce).
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds [1/2 tablespoon for side]
• 1 large cucumber, diced [1/2 cucumber for side]
• 1 cup chopped green onion [1/4 cup for side]
• 2 handfulls of cilantro, chopped [one small handful for side]
• Lime juice from 2 limes [1 lime for side]

How to Make it:

1. Using a saute pan, cook ground beef with the green pepper and the canola oil.
2. While beef is cooking, chop the cucumber, green onion, and cilantro, and juice the lime.  Set this to the side (to be used in a few minutes).
   
3. Once beef is cooked, add the steamed edamame beans, sesame seeds, and soy sauce.  Stir and heat for a few more minutes.
   
4. Remove from heat and put into your serving bowl.  Add the chopped cucumbers, green onion, cilantro, and lime juice.  Toss together.
   
5. Serve with lettuce pieces!

Enjoy!