Lettuce Wraps Bowl

Who doesn’t like Lettuce Wraps as an appetizer?I had my first lettuce wraps at a PF Changs in Anaheim, CA. 2011 was the year I got addicted. Researched the internet for a recipe of this delicious appetizer. I finally came up with my own version of lettuce wraps. I made it back in Germany for friends and family and everyone liked it. But let’s be honest. It is a messy dish… your plate will be a mess and your fingers dirty? So how did I fix this? I made a salad bowl out of it.

Lettuce Wrap Bowl

You need 30 min for two bowls or 4 little ones as appetizer:

Ingredients

16 oz Turkey, ground
1 can (5oz) water chestnuts
1/2 Onion
1/2 cup Mushroom (white or brown cap)
1 Tbsp. Coconut oil
3 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce (store bought)
4 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Ginger, grated (fresh or store bought)
1 Tbsp. Lemongrass, grated (store bought)
1 Tbsp. Brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1/4 cup Cilantro
1/4 cup Green onions
1/2 cup Rice noodles, broken down
1 1/2 cups Vegetable Oil for frying
1 Bag Lettuce (I like the sliced version to have no work with it)

Directions

Let’s start with the salad topping. I like to add some crunch to it and fry some rice noodles (Pad Thai style). For this heat up the 1 1/2 cups oil in a small pot to a temperature of 375F. Control the temperature of the oil. When it is on temperature fry the rice noodles in the oil for approx. 15 sec (yes 15 seconds!) until they pop up white and fluffy. Take them immediately out of the oil and let it trip over some paper towels. Place aside.
In your wok, yes you need a wok! or in a big pan bring the coconut oil to high temperature and roast the ground turkey for 5 min. Meanwhile chop the onion, water chestnuts, mushrooms to small bites. Add to the ground turkey and stir in. Add the Hoisin sauce (this is a soy based cooking sauces), soy sauce for some saltines, ginger, lemongrass brown sugar and the chicken broth. Spice it up with the cayenne pepper and add sliced green onions and cilantro which I like to cut the stems very small and the leaves a bit bigger.
In bowls add the lettuce, the turkey sauce and sprinkle the rice noodles on top.