Have you ever experienced PJ CHANGS lettuce wraps? Before children, my daughter and I would share this appetizer with a glass of Chardonnay and I felt like I was on vacation. It was totally different than anything I had ever fixed at home, it was healthy, satisfying and delicious. This recipe took me back to those precious outings and I can’t wait to share it with you. Don’t forget the Chardonnay….and if you could eat this AL FRESCO, it will add to your experience. 🙂 I did not tweak any part of this recipe , but you could substitute seasoned pan fried tofu in place of the ground turkey and it would be delicious as well. It is very messy to eat so have plenty of napkins. My husband really liked these too and he is not crazy about messy food. Another way to serve this would be over a small bed of romaine lettuce instead of a romaine lettuce wrap. I’m sticking to the wrap cause that’s where the memories lay.
Produce:
1 red bell pepper ( core, deseed and dice)
1 small yellow onion (diced)
Romaine lettuce ( Trim and discard root end of romaine and separate leaves)
1/4 oz. Cilantro (finely chopped) I have fresh mint growing on my patio so I use this as a substitute for cilantro)
1 lime (quartered)
PEANUTS: (You are going to make candied peanuts in this step. )
In a non-stick pan, over medium hear, add1/2 oz. peanuts, 1 tsp of sugar and 2 TBL. of water. Cook till peanuts are coated and lightly toasted 3-5 minutes. * keep peanuts separate from one another or they will stick together and you get a clump. That is not nearly as pretty for your presentation as a sprinkle of peanuts. ha!
SkILLET:
Large drizzle of olive oil
add: red pepper and onion and salt and pepper
cook till tender..5-8 minutes…transfer to bowl
In the same skillet, add the 10 oz of ground turkey and salt and pepper.
Return the veggies to the skillet and add:
1 TBL. butter
4 TBL of soy sauce
2 TBL. sugar
1 oz. of sweet chili sauce
Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.. Remove from the heat and squeeze 2 quarter of lime into the mixture
Fill your lettuce leaves with meat mixture and serve with remaining lime wedge. Garnish with candied peanuts and cilantro
