Delicious Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Today was a great Saturday.

I woke up at 7:00 am to the smells of fresh coffee brewing.

Yesterday we treated ourselves to a bag of coffee beans from Saltspring Island and they were well worth the little bit of extra money they cost.

That's the thing I've discovered about food - some things are just worth paying a little more for.

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After a bowl of delicious cinnamon blueberry oatmeal, two cups of coffee, and some time spent reading the paper, we put on our hiking clothes and took the dog for a 7 km up and downhill hike.

Determined to stay in the moment, I noticed everything: moss on trees, the stillness of the water, and that feeling telling us the long days of winter hibernation are coming to a close.

This is why I love March.

It is both an ending and a beginning.

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After our walk, we drove downtown, situated the dog in his car crate with a bone and some water, and took ourselves to the library.

I don't know about you - but I love libraries - always have. It's like a whole world of possibility opens every time I walk through the door and I'm free to roam the stacks, browsing for titles, ideas, and inspiration.

I came away with two fabulous cookbooks - one that is so good I'm tempted to take it to work and photocopy the whole thing, and the other, a book from Weight Watchers filled with the most amazing salads, soups, and appetizers.

And then I found a real treasure. Alexandra Stoddard, author of Living a Beautiful Life has written a new book: Time Alive, Celebrate Your Life Everyday.

As a lover of her all her books because they celebrate home, family, beauty, and living well, I can't wait to get up early tomorrow morning to dive right in.

In the meantime, I'm excited to share my recipe with you for Delicious Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps.

I have had lettuce wraps many times before, but have to say, this little concoction of mine is so absolutely delicious, you just have to try them - I know I will make a convert out of you :-)

Delicious Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps
For printable recipe click here

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients

• 16 iceberg or butter lettuce leaves
• 1 pound ground turkey
• PAM cooking spray
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin or honey hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Asian chile garlic sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 2-4 green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Directions

1. Prepare the lettuce by cutting out its core (this will make removing the leaves easier. Now gently pull apart the leaves, starting with the leaf-end rather than the core-end. Pile the leaves back together on a serving plate or store in a ziplock bag in fridge until ready to serve.
2. Spray a non-stick skillet with PAM and bring to medium high heat, brown the ground turkey stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Set aside to cool.
3. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sweet chile sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile garlic sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked turkey; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
4. Arrange lettuce leaves on a large plate. Serve warm meat mixture in a dish or bowl next to it. Invite each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

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Author:

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, and a website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.

Visit her daily on her blog, The Kitchen Witch or on her YouTube Channel, CHARMED With The Kitchen Witch.