show-stopping lettuce wraps

When it comes to at home cooking, I generally like to keep my meals on the healthy side. After rotating Lemon Chicken with Artichokes one too many times though, I started looking for a new recipe to change things up. Needless to say, I was over the moon when I discovered a new blog called Eat Yourself Skinny. I lost myself in the amazing, yet healthy recipes posted on the site and resolved to make her Asian Lettuce Wraps that very night.
Well, let me just tell you that they were AMAZING! The sauce was super flavorful and I was honestly stunned at how good it was and how quickly it all came together. No joke, 20 minutes tops! I did tweak the recipe a bit by adding a few fresh veggies into the mix (inspired by the amazing lettuce wraps over at Deli Lane in South Miami) so here's my version. It's definitely a must try and won't disappoint!

 

Filling:

1 lb. fat-free ground turkey

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1/2 small spanish onion

1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 small yellow squash, chopped

12 Boston lettuce leaves

Sauce:

3 Tbsp hoisin sauce

2 Tbsp lower-sodium soy sauce (green top)

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 Tbsp. roasted red chili paste (I used Sambal and it's hella spicy so be careful!)

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and grated ginger to pan and sauté for about 2 or 3 minutes. Before they start to brown, add turkey and season with salt and pepper. Crumble the turkey with a wooden spoon for about 6 minutes or until it is brown.

 

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat another tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add chopped zucchini and squash, then cook until browned (about 4 minutes). Add shredded carrots and cook, covered for another minute or so. Once this is cooked through, add it to the turkey mixture and stir to combine.

 

To make the sauce whisk together hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar and roasted red chili paste in a small bowl, then drizzle over the turkey mixture. Toss to coat completely, adding a tablespoon or 2 of water if necessary to thin it out. 

To serve, add about a 1/4 cup of the turkey mixture to each lettuce wrap and enjoy!