Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

My husband and I are in the midst of moving so posting is a bit spotty right now.  Luckily, we've found an apartment so I have time to post a recipe I've been meaning to post for a while now.  Jen loves these lettuce wraps and has been asking me to post them.  Today is the day!

For some of you, Sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce and rice vinegar may not be kitchen staples, but trust me they make a lot of Asian food taste more delicious.  If you decide to buy them, I recommend getting them at an Asian market.  They tend to be much cheaper there than at your every day grocery store.  And keep in mind they last a long time and you don't need much in your recipes, so it's a great investment.  Plus, once you try this peanut sauce, you'll know you need these ingredients on hand.  This peanut sauce is that good.  And don't try to make it without the Sriracha.  Believe me, I've tried it.  It was highly disappointing.

Lettuce Wraps
Serves: 6 people

2 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs. fresh ginger, minced
3 green onions, sliced
1 - 8 oz. can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
3/4 c. cabbage, minced
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. Sriracha sauce
3 tbs. cilantro, chopped
1 head green leaf, Boston Bibb or iceberg lettuce, washed and separated into individual leaves
(You can use any of these.  Boston Bibb is my favorite since it's soft enough to fold without breaking.  It is also the most expensive.  Iceberg is fairly traditional, but it breaks too easily for my taste.  Green leaf was a happy, cheaper compromise for me.)

Brown turkey with salt.  Add garlic, ginger and cabbage when the meat has stopped producing so much liquid.  Cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Add green onions and water chestnuts.  Mix all together and cook for a minute.

Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce and Sriracha sauce.  Stir until combined and cook for about 3 minutes for it all to incorporate.

Mix cilantro in when ready to serve.

Eat on a lettuce leaf with peanut sauce drizzled on.


Peanut Sauce

1 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. fresh ginger, minced
6 tbs. water (or chicken broth)
5 tbs. hoisin sauce
1/2 c. peanut butter (I do creamy, but crunchy could be good too.)
1 tbs. Sriracha sauce
1 tbs. brown sugar
1 tbs. lime juice

Saute garlic and ginger in olive oil until fragrant.

Add in water, hoisin sauce, peanut butter, Sriracha, brown sugar and lime juice.  Cook until everything is combined and smooth.

Add more water if the sauce is too thick.  It should be smooth and thick, but still able to drizzle.

Peanut sauce adapted from kolpona.com