Asian Lettuce Wraps…with Zucchini!

Fall is in the air!  There is nothing quite like the changing colors, the anticipation of a new school year, and the harvest of delicious produce!  Everyone in our neck of the woods shares the spoils of their garden freely, and OH WHAT A TREAT!  Tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, onions, pumpkins, carrots, apples…yum-o!  So today I’m sharing a recipe that uses your zucchini.  It’s healthy and yummy.  Enjoy these easy and healthy Asian Lettuce Wraps (with zucchini!).

Fall is in the air!  There is nothing quite like the changing colors, the anticipation of a new school year, and the harvest of delicious produce!  Everyone in our neck of the woods shares the spoils of their garden freely, and OH WHAT A TREAT!  Tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, onions, pumpkins, carrots, apples…yum-o!

There is only one problem…my kids…and husband HATE zucchini.  DARN!  However…they still get to eat it.  HA!

I have tried many times to hide zucchini in recipes.  Most of the time they call me on it!  I get all kinds of comments…”EW…it is so slimy!”  “Ehhh…(while making convulsive gagging motions) I just ate zucchini…*cough*, *gag*, *convulse*… I get lots of thankless reactions from my kids.  Thankfully my husband is much more refined in his response.

When I come across a recipe that hides zucchini so well that NO ONE whines about it, or even suspects zucchini is lurking…it’s a WIN-WIN for all!  YAY!  Here is one of our FAMILY FAVS!  The kids haven’t known for years that their favorite Asian Lettuce Wraps were made with mounds of zucchini.  Once they were old enough to know the secret, they let go of some of their zucchini aversion.

Full disclosure:  You know at the beginning of the school year when teachers have the kids fill out “get-to-know-you” sheets and kids can list all their favorite things.  When it comes to their favorite foods…my kids always list Asian Lettuce Wraps as one of their favs!  YES!  It sure beats Cheese Whiz and Captain Crunch!

Yes, this is even on the TOP 5 list of requested birthday dinners!  The sweet and savory, ginger-garlic sauce with a hint of spice pairs perfectly with your favorite sticky rice!  Piled atop cold crisp lettuce and you’ll add this to your top 5!  A great recipe for family dinner or entertaining!  Grab some napkins!  You eat these with your hands people!  DELISH!

Love and family food critics,

Amy J. 🙂

Mince up all this amazing produce.  You can use a hand chopper, food processor or your favorite knife.  Let’s get choppin’!

This time I used my grating blade on my food processor.  

These are the sauce elements.  These ingredients can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store.

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Asian Lettuce Wraps with ZUCCHINI

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• Author: Amy Jensen, recipe contributor

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• Asian Lettuce Wraps…with ZUCCHINI!
• Divide these 8 ingredients in half and cook in two small batches!
• 2 Tble               vegetable oil
• 1 tsp                 minced garlic
• 2 tsp                Fresh ginger paste…can also use minced fresh ginger
• 1 lb                   ground turkey
• 1 cup                button mushrooms, minced
• 1 can                water chestnuts, minced
• 3                      green onion, chopped
• 2 cups              minced zucchini
• Romaine or leaf lettuce, large
• leaves, washed and chilled
• Steamed sticky rice!
• (If you don’t have a rice cooker:  In a sauce pan put 3 cups Cal-Rose sushi rice and 4 ½ cups cold water.  Stir to combine.  Bring rice and water to a boil.  Cover and turn heat down to low.  Cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes.  Turn off heat and let pot sit while you finish preparing turkey mixture.  Serve hot.

Sauce Ingredients

• *Whisk all together
• 1 tsp                 vinegar
• 2 Tble               Oyster sauce
• 6 Tble               soy sauce
• 4 Tble               brown sugar
• 1 Tble               corn starch
• 1 tsp                chili garlic sauce (small Rooster jar)
• Dash red pepper flakes

Instructions

*Using HALF of each ingredient as you cook.  This enables even cooking

1. In a saucepan sauté, oil, garlic, fresh ginger paste (can also use peeled, minced fresh ginger…but the fresh ginger in the tube is super convenient.  Can find it next to fresh herbs in the produce section), and half of the turkey over med-High heat.  Once turkey is cooked through,
2. stir sauce mixture well (the corn starch may have settled to the bottom) and pour half of sauce mixture into saucepan with turkey.   Cook 2 minutes, then add half of mushrooms, water chestnuts, green onions and zucchini.  Stir fry for 2 minutes.
3. Simmer until mixture thickens in sauce.  Pour into baking dish and keep warm while you repeat with remaining ingredients.
4. To serve:  Top lettuce leaf with sticky rice followed by turkey/veggie mixture.  ENJOY!