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B-Cups?

January 24, 2012

Tatiyana

Please accept my most sincere apology for what I’m about to do to you. Promise you will? Pinkie swear? Because you really can’t go on reading if you aren’t willing to accept it. Um……okay. So you’ll accept? Good. Because this is a little bit of a vent session that ended in me pouting while photographing, which leads to not the best pictures.

Ever have that night where you feel like the entire world is against you? Like you can do absolutely no right? Mine was tonight. Only it started in the morning. Putting on makeup. I think every woman can relate to this. Exact same routine as every morning, except for today, it actually mattered that it looked good. And by needing it to turn out perfect, it wasn’t. I looked…..weird.

The day went by okay enough. Nothing crazy. But then, I walked in the door and it was just like whoosh, the wind outta my sail. And then, something amazing happened. The wind left my sail and I felt like the only way I could get it back was through cooking. I have to admit, it’s been a few months since I’ve really WANTED to cook something. Really got EXCITED about cooking something. Tonight, I felt like the only way life could get back to normal, my day could get back to being okay, was through cooking.

So cook I did. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. A little Bob Marley in the background. A little bickering (never good). And somehow, through the little bit of this, little bit of that (and I’m sure a little Bob), dinner was done. In epic fashion I must admit. And in finishing dinner, something I’ve been missing, something I’ve been craving, was suddenly back.

Savor these lettuce cups with a rum and cran, because I’ve been craving one of those for awhile too!

Better-than-your-average Lettuce Cups

• 1 lb ground turkey breast
• Tajine
• 3-4 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemongrass (sliced thin)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 4 tablespoon wheat free tamari
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon sweet thai chili marinade (from Whole Foods)
• Juice from 1 lime
• Red bell pepper, diced
• ¼ sweet onion, diced
• Shiitake mushrooms diced
• Oyster mushrooms, diced
• Basil, julienned
• Cilantro, roughly chopped
• Green onion, thinly sliced
• 2 jalapenos, diced
• Low sodium chicken stock
• Butter lettuce leaves, washed, and separated

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey breast and some tajine for flavor. Break up with a spatula and allow to cook through.

In a small pot, combine everything from the ginger through the lime juice. Add in about ¼ of the diced jalapeno as well. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer until the sauce has started to thicken.

When the turkey is cooked through, add in the bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms. Add a few tablespoons of chicken stock and some salt, stir, and cover for about 5 minutes to allow the veggies to steam. Remove the lid and add the sauce from the small pot. Lower the heat to medium low, stir to combine and allow to simmer until the veggies soften. Toss in some basil, cilantro, and green onion. If needed, make more of the sauce to top the lettuce cups with, allowing it to come to a boil then lower the heat to thicken it.

Serve with extra sauce, cilantro, basil, jalapeno, green onion, and butter lettuce leaves.

My thoughts: This was one of the first times we’ve ever made lettuce cups with ground meat, and let me tell you, it certainly won’t be the last time. For the first time since we’ve tried to duplicate PF Chang’s lettuce wraps, I feel like we got really, super, awesomely close. The flavor was spot on. The messiness was just enough to make you want to lick your fingers and then have more. I am so excited that there was just enough left for me to bring to work for lunch tomorrow!

Yes, there are a lot of ingredients, BUT, this all comes together blazingly fast. I think I started cooked at 9pm and dinner was on the table at 9:30 (late, yes, but that’s how we roll!).

This entry was posted in Appetizer, Chicken, Herbs, Main Dish, Quick and Healthy, Spicy, Thai. Bookmark the permalink. ← All about the Quickies Happy Birthday Big! →

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