Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I came across these on pinterest...thank you pinterest. And thank you people who waste their lives posting awesome recipes! (like me) I've made these a couple of times because they make so much you can freeze leftovers and take them as meals to neighbors with new babies, etc. Or just save them for a quick meal later. Add a fruit/fruit salad and this is a very rounded (?...can't think of the word...pregnant brain) and healthy meal!


The pin originally said these were better than PF Chang's. Although I think these are awesome and I will continue to make them...they do not live up to PF Chang's in my opinion. I make them and freeze the extras. Then when I need to take dinner to a family, I heat these up with some rice and get some lettuce and voila! Yummy dinner quick and easy!

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Makes 10 cups
2 tablespoon canola oil
3 pounds ground turkey breast
1-1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled (1 tablespoon minced)
3 garlic cloves (1 tablespoon minced)
4 medium carrots
10 green onions (white and green parts);
1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts
1 (8 oz) can bamboo shoots
1 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup dry sherry {I used apple juice}
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Sriracha or other hot chili sauce or paste
Boston Bibb (or any other "stable") lettuce

Optional Ingredients:

Brown rice, cooked
chopped peanuts
cilantro
Sriracha chili sauce
Asian Peanut sauce (recipe at www.theyummylife.com/recipes/16)
Asian Spicy Lime & Ginger Sauce (recipe at www.theyummylife.com/recipes/138)

Vegetables may all be minced by hand; however it's easier to use a food processor (FP) if you have one. Process in this order: mince the garlic and ginger together in FP; chop the carrots into 1" chunks and add them to FP and process until minced; remove garlic/ginger/carrots to separate bowl; chop green onions into 2" pieces and add with bamboo shoots and water chestnuts to FP; process until minced.

Add canola oil to skillet {remember you have 3 lbs meat, which means a wok-sized skillet, or an electric skillet} and heat on stove-top on med-high heat. Add turkey, cook until browned with no pink remaining; break apart chunks with spatula as turkey browns. Add minced veggies (garlic, ginger, carrots, onions, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts) and cook 5-10 min., until tender. In separate bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, and chili sauce; add to turkey mixture. Stir and cook until heated through, approx. 5 minutes.

For Dinner: Spoon rice and turkey mixture into a lettuce leaf. Add toppings, if desired. Roll the lettuce leaf and eat. {We keep rice/turkey mixture separate to add how much we would like
To Freeze: Add turkey mixture to ziploc freezer bags - 2 cups of turkey mix per quart size bag {Or whatever will fit, I usually get two quart bags full after one dinner}. Flatten the bag, press out as much air as possible, and seal. Put in the freezer on a tray to keep it flat. Once frozen, remove from tray and stack bags in your freezer. May be frozen for several months. Reheats quickly in microwave.
As Appetizer: Use endive instead of lettuce. Fill leaves with turkey mixture and arrange on platter.

Recipe source: theyummylife.com