Fast + Fresh Lettuce Wraps

I love a good lettuce wrap. The sweetness and tang in each bite, the crunch of the lettuce, the sauce that gets in every nook and cranny... What's not to like? This recipe is highly adaptable in that you can use ground pork, turkey, chicken, or a combination. You can also easily sneak extra diced veggies in to bulk up the meal. My kids thankfully enjoy most vegetables, but it's always great when I can hide even more inside a tasty meal. This is in the Fast Faves category because you can make this easily in under 15 minutes. Perfect for a summer night on the deck!

FAST + FRESH LETTUCE WRAPS

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 T sesame oil olive oil works fine if you don't have sesame on hand
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1 small carrot, cut lengthwise then diced
- 1/2 a bell pepper, any color, diced
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 3 T soy sauce
- 2 T rice wine vinegar
- 1 to 2 inch nub fresh ginger, grated on microplane
- 1 t chili sauce or more, depending on preference
- 1 8-oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained and diced
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 head butter lettuce
- ¼ cup cilantro to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Add sesame oil and ground meat of choice to a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned, and drain excess fat.
2.) Stir in garlic, diced onion and carrot
3.) While the veggies cook, in a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup hoisin, 3 T soy sauce, 2 T rice wine vinegar, ginger and 1 t chili sauce. Add to skillet and mix.
4.) Stir in water chestnuts (I always dice the rounds to mix them even more uniformly with the meat), bell pepper and 2/3 of green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes.
5.) Season with salt and pepper.
6.) Spoon a few scoops into each piece of butter lettuce, and top with additional scallions and cilantro.

Voila! Dinner is served.