Asian Turkey Cabbage (or Lettuce) Cups

 Rob and I wanted to make a couple of light meals for the dinners prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. This is one of our favorites - so easy, delicious, and light. The ingredients are common in Asian cooking, but if you don't cook Asian food a lot, then you may not have them on hand, making the recipe not quite as simple to pull together. When I make it, all I need to make sure I have is cabbage (or this time we had lettuce) and a lime since those are the only ingredients I don't always have. 

This is a Cooking Light recipe, I only make very small changes.

Asian Turkey Cabbage (or Lettuce) Cups

1.5 lbs ground turkey (I've never tried it with beef, but I'm sure it's fine in not better)

1 tsp minced ginger (or grated fresh)

1 Tbl brown sugar

2 Tbl juice from a lime

1 1/2 Tbl fish sauce (the smelliest but most delicious ingredient you'll ever use - whatever you do, don't taste it!)

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. sesame oil

1/2 c + thinly sliced green onion

1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro, chopped

Napa cabbage or butter lettuce leaves (I usually use the cabbage, but tonight we had lettuce. I think I actually like the cabbage better - and it's less expensive anyway!)

1/4 c. chopped peanuts

 

Add ginger to the turkey and brown the turkey.

After it's browned add the brown sugar, oils, fish sauce and lime juice.

Add green onions and cilantro. Then take a bite... because it's ready!

Chop some nuts.

Suggested toppings: Siracha and Sweet chili sauce. Okay, maybe they're not suggested, maybe they are mandatory for the most possible deliciousness. And if the meal is too healthy for you, steam up some wontons. (In the very first picture you can see that Rob also added fried chow mein noodles, but we don't usually do that).

Rob is demonstrating the eating of the cups. Doesn't that look tasty and fresh!?