Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps = asian tacos.  What could be better?  I really can’t think of anything more delicious that is also really quite healthy!  Everyone I’ve made these for (Adam and Jess last year, Katie and Ali tonight) have raved about them and really enjoyed them.  Who needs P.F. Chang’s when you can make lettuce wraps yourself, right?  Good thing too, I’m pretty sure the closest P.F. Chang’s is 2 hours away in Jackson…which is actually pretty impressively close.

The sauce with this recipe is a MUST.  I cannot stress that enough.  The turkey/mushroom mixture for inside the wraps is delicious, but it’s the sauce that really makes dish fantastic.  I know I’m asking a lot with the oyster sauce…when are you ever going to use it again, right?  I’m one of those people, trust me.  But actually, I use oyster sauce all the time when I make asian-inspired dishes (I’ve also substituted it for fish sauce and hoisin sauce in recipes…totally the same thing, right?  Sure…), so you’ll use it.  I promise.  And if you don’t, well there’s just a perfect excuse to make more lettuce wraps!

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 1/s Tbsp vegetable oil, divided

3 c mushrooms, diced

1 lb ground turkey

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger

4 green onions, sliced

1 can water chestnuts, chopped

12 lettuce leaves (cut the head of lettuce in half first, it makes it WAY easier to break the leaves apart)

3 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp chili garlic paste (the best thing you can put in your fridge…just saying)

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Set aside in a large bowl.

2. Heat remaining oil in the skillet and add turkey, garlic, and ginger; cook until the turkey is browned, stirring to crumble.  Add the turkey mixture, onions, and water chestnuts to the mushroom mixture.  Stir well to combine.

3. For sauce: combine last 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk or fork.  Serve sauce with turkey mixture inside lettuce leaves.