I could seriously eat lettuce wraps every day.  I love the whole process of assembling each one.  The fact that you can customize and dress them up any way you please makes dinner time that much more fun!

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 tsp sumac*
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 head butter lettuce (sometimes called bib or Boston lettuce)
• 1/4 cups pine nuts, toasted
• handful fresh mint, chopped

Yogurt Sauce:

• 3/4 cup plain, fat free yogurt
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sumac
• salt and pepper

For sauce, simply combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.  It’s best if made a few hours ahead.

Spray your pan with non-stick spray over medium – high heat and toss in garlic and onions.  After about a minute, add in your chicken.  Season with spices, break up the meat a bit with a wooden spoon and then add in your apricots.  Continue to cook until chicken is browned, about 10 minutes.

To assemble, lay a lettuce leaf out on your plate and top with chicken mixture, finish off with a bit of your yogurt sauce, pine nuts and some fresh mint.

These were a big hit as is but I think next time I make them I’ll throw in some golden raisins too for extra sweetness.

*sumac can be found in Middle Eastern grocery stores or at a variety of places online.

Lettuce wraps are a great way to trick people into eating family style: cook up a pan of filler, set out a head of lettuce and some toppings and let your guests do the work!

This version leans more towards hawaiian/polynesian flavors with carrots and pineapple chunks complementing the hoisin ground pork, while a touch of red pepper flakes finishes with a kick.  We find that boston lettuce holds up best for wraps, but here we used iceberg to save on the total cost a little bit.

Make sure to revisit our vietnamese pork lettuce wrap recipe for another take on the lettuce wrap.

• 1 lb lean ground pork
• 3 tbs hoisin
• 1 20 oz can pineapple chunks in juice
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flake
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 2 scallions, chopped
• handful fresh mint, chopped for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts for garnish
• 1 head iceberg lettuce

Brown pork, drain off any fat.  Add in hoisin, spices, pineapple and carrots and cook about 5 minutes on medium heat.  Add in scallions and cook a minute longer.  Top lettuce with a generous spoonful of pork mixture, top with fresh mint and peanuts.

Realizing this is my fourth Asian inspired recipe on the site, I’m seeing a pattern here….

Anyway, this recipe is great for a quick and easy lunch on the weekends.   Light, flavorful and fast. 

Dressing:

• 1 tbs Asian fish sauce (see tips)
• juice of one lime
• 2 tsp minced ginger (see tips)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2  tsp minced lemongrass
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• splash of rice wine vinegar

Whisk all ingredients and set aside.

Pork Rolls:

• 2 tsp grape seed oil (you can substitute with canola if you’d like)
• 1 lb boneless pork cutlets, about 1/2″ in thickness
• 2 cups shredded napa cabbage
• 1 seedless english cucumber, julienned (see tips)
• 1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
• head of butter lettuce, ribs removed (see tips)
• salt and pepper

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Season cutlets with salt and pepper to taste.  Saute until lightly browned, about 2 mins per side.  Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly and slice into thin strips.  Toss with half of the dressing.

Toss your cabbage, red pepper and cucumbers with the remaining dressing. 

To assemble rolls, lay lettuce leaf out on flat work surface and top with a few slices of pork, and your cabbage mixture.  Be careful not to overstuff or they won’t roll easily.  Place rolls seam side down and cut in half to serve.  If you’d like, secure rolls with a toothpick.

Tips:

• Fish sauce can be found in the International aisle at your local grocery store.
• Instead of mincing all that garlic, ginger and lemongrass, why not try Gourmet Garden? 
• To julienne is to create what resemble little matchsticks.  Do this by halving the cucumber lengthwise, then again crosswise and slice into 1/4″ thin strips.
• Cut a ‘v’ in the leaf to remove the hard white part, or rib, as it can cause the leaves to break while rolling.