Asian Lettuce Wraps

With your protein of choice.

In an attempt to eat more protein, I'm trying to get myself to like chicken again. So I made this with ground chicken, but I'm thinking it would be great with tempeh. And I'm sure it would be good with beef, if you're into that sort of thing.

I pieced this together from several recipes on the internet, and settled on this version because it was easy and didn't require many ingredients. This works well for a tired weekday dinner.

Aside from my uncertainty about eating chicken, this was delicious. I'll be making it again with tempeh soon.

The Recipe (serves 2):
1/2 head green leaf lettuce, leaves separated
1/2 lb ground chicken, tempeh, or other protein
1 tb canola oil
1 red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tb fresh ginger, grated
2 tb hoisin sauce
1 tb soy sauce
2 tb rice wine vinegar
1 tb chili-garlic paste
2 ribs celery, minced
4 green onions, sliced
1 tsp sesame oil

Saute onion in canola oil for 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook about 5 minutes more, until onions are soft and chicken is browned.
Add garlic and ginger, stir, and cook 1 minute.
Add hoisin, soy sauce, vinegar, and chili-garlic paste. Stir well to combine.
Add celery, green onions, and sesame oil. Stir and turn heat to low. Eat immediately or simmer on low until ready to eat.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: B

Overall reason: A bit too sweet from the hoisin, but tasty and fairly healthy.

Time to prepare: 30 minutes

Husband quote: (He was wrapping big quantities of filling in whole lettuce leaves, while I was breaking off small pieces and wrapping a bite at a time. He was making a gigantic mess.) Jess: "It's like sloppy Joe's without the Joe." Me: "How come my plate is so much neater?" Jess: "I don't know." Me: "It's because I'm breaking off smaller pieces." Jess: "Oh. I didn't know that was an option."

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