Lettuce Wraps

Any visit to P.F. Changs for dinner and you probably have tried Lettuce Wraps, or about 5 years ago they were a staple on Chili's menu. To find good ones are sometimes not so easy, and since the closest P.F. Changs to me is 30 minutes away I have been thinking baout making these, but have not been really sure where to start.

The other day the January 2010 Everyday-Food magazine came in, and low and behold there was a recipie for Lettuce Wraps. This was the perfect oppertunituy I had to fininally make these for my husband.

This is what I did ...

Lettuce Wraps

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 teaspoons fish sauce

4 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, diced

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 lb. ground turkey meat

2 large heads of bib or boston lettuce

2 carrotts julienned

In a small bowl whisk soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar till sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Heat up a large skillet over high heat. When hot add oil, and swirl pan round to coat the pan with the oil. Add the shallot, ginger, garlic, ginger, and chilli and stir until fragrant (the oils in the shallot and the chilli will over take the other smells). Add the ground turkey and cook, braking up meat as it cooks with a wooden spoon.

Remove the leaves from the head of lettuce. The leaves are going to serve as you "vessel" to hold the meat.

To serve; place piece of lettuce on dish, fill with turkey mix, carrots, and drizzel sauce over. Fold like a burrito and eat.

If you are not sure what a shallot is ... it is a French onion. They are not very big but can be found at any local grocery store, and if you cannot find them I would suggest substituting red onion for one. Sometimes white onions are too strong and a milder onion flavor is needed here.

A secret I can tell you is I did not cut the carrots thin ... I used my potato peeler to make thin pieces of carrots. they came out very delicate and were so super easy to make. sometimes thinking outside the box can achieve the same goal.

One very nice thing came of this ... when we sat down to eat dinner my husband was so excited before he even took a bit. He knew before he ate it that it would be great. When he bit into his first one he asked "where did you get the sauce?" When I told him I made it he did not believe me and thought I purchased it somewhere. That was the best thing I heard all week. YUM!!!