Turkey Lettuce Wraps

It seems that we have found ourselves on yet another diet at our house. I think sometimes that I have been hungry for half my life. I remember in Notting Hill when Julia Roberts character says she's "been hungry for the better part of a decade". I can relate.

So in my quest to find foods that fit the narrow criteria of acceptable and also palatable I decided to do some lettuce wraps. I loved Chili's version of lettuce wraps and was so sad when they were removed from the menu. These are surprisingly not a bad substitute.

I did use Splenda in place of all the sugar and cut the oil way back. The next time I make these I am going to add carrots for some color but overall these were a definite do again. Don't let the long list of ingredients and instructions intimidate you...these are really very easy and not too bad timewise.

The NI is figured using sugar instead of Splenda as that is what I will use more frequently.

Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 cup water chestnut
2/3 cup mushroom
3 Tbs chopped onions
1 tsp minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/8 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbs hot mustard
2 tsp water
1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

1. Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
6. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
7. Brown turkey and break up into pea sized chunks
8. Remove turkey from pan and drain well
9. As turkey cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
10. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
11. With the pan still on high heat, 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil.
12. Add turkey, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
13. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce "cups".
14. Top with"Special Sauce".

Servings: 4

Calories 272.71; Total Fat 4.49g; Total Carbohydrates 39.58g; Fiber 2.45g; Protein 23.97g