I’ve mentioned my affinity for meatballs and contempt for dieting before, but have I told you about my carbohydrate addiction? Meals without carbs are sad, hangovers without carbs are endless, and diets without carbs lead to sudden cravings and a general lack of friends. Fortunately, I learned to make these chicken lettuce wraps.
Alas, sometimes said “friends” adopt ridiculous tendencies like juicing, all-protein diets or (gasp) sobriety, and suddenly my kitchen becomes the fiery hell of their self-proclaimed angelic regime.
(What, your kitchen doesn’t have every shape of pasta imaginable and a case of wine on hand at all times?) They won’t come over for fear of being fed real food and leaving intoxicated, and I start to get lonely. I’m pleased to report, though, that my neediness led to these pretty little lettuce wraps – packed with veggies, and look, Mom, no carbs! Can you believe it? They also happen to be delicious. Delicious and diet-friendly. That means we can have more wine, right?
Earthy Homemade Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
1 medium serrano chilis - minced
1 medium green onions (scallions or green shallots) - thinly sliced
1 ½ medium lime juice - juiced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 drizzle sesame oil
¼ cup olive oil
1 bunch cilantro (coriander) - chopped- 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium Portobello mushrooms - thinly sliced
1 dash salt
1 dash chili flakes (chilli flakes in British English)
4 cloves garlic - minced
1 inch ginger - minced
1 pound ground chicken (minced chicken)
4 medium carrots - shredded- ¼ head Napa cabbage - thinly sliced
- 10 medium radishes - thinly sliced
1 head butter lettuce - separated into individual leaves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the serrano chile, shallot, lime juice and soy sauce. Set aside. The lime juice will soften the shallots and chiles and bring out their flavours.
- Preheat about three turns of the pan’s worth of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms with a bit of salt until brown and soft – about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add more oil if needed, and cook the garlic and ginger until fragrant – about three minutes. Add the chicken with salt and crushed red pepper to taste. Use a wooden spoon to break it up and evenly distribute the seasonings. Cook through – about 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, radishes and lettuce leaves on a platter for serving. Add the sesame oil, olive oil and cilantro to the dressing and whisk to combine. When the chicken has cooled a bit, add it to the dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately and have diners build their lettuce wraps.
