RECIPE: Manoa Lettuce Wraps

Manoa lettuce, or butter lettuce leaves are great choices for holding this delicious filling.  You can chop and grate your ginger, garlic, onion, green onions, carrots and water chestnuts ahead of time – and assemble in minutes, when it is time to cook the chicken!

Ingredients:

16 Manoa lettuce leaves (or any green leafy lettuce)

1 pound ground chicken (or ground turkey is good too!)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons chili sauce* (or more to taste)

1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1 small carrot, grated

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1/4 cup dry roasted mac nuts, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and gently pat dry; set aside.  Pour oil in medium skillet and brown chicken.  Drain, and set aside to cool.
2. Cook the onions in the same pan, stirring frequently.
3. Add garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chili sauce to the onions, and stir.
4. Stir in water chestnuts, green onions, grated carrot, sesame oil, and cooked chicken; continue cooking about 2-3 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Place 2 tablespoons of filling into lettuce leaves and serve. Garnish with chopped mac nuts if using.  Makes 4 servings.

* The Sriracha brand is an example found in local stores.

This post has been a contribution by Kristin Frost Albrecht on behalf of The Food Basket, Hawai’i Island’s Food Bank.