Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

Break Up With Ground Beef: Asian Lettuce Cups

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You know how sometimes, you develop “a taste” for something? For the last few months, I’ve been substituting ground beef with ground chicken or turkey, and I have to say… I’m hooked. Ground chicken tacos. Ground turkey chili. Chicken meatballs and turkey meatloaf. Mmm… so, so good.

Beyond really enjoying the taste and texture, I love that it’s lower in saturated fat, calories and cholesterol, and way easier on the waistline than ground beef. Plus, because of the naturally mild flavour, it absorbs spices and flavourings easily, so your dishes taste brighter and bolder with proper seasoning.

My love affair with ground chicken reached a whole new level this past May, when we dined at the Yak & Yeti Restaurant inside the Animal Kingdom of Walt Disney World. Situated at the base of Mt. Everest in the small town of Anandapur, Yak & Yeti offers Pan-Asian cuisine, including delicacies such as Prawn crisps, Seared Miso Salmon and Dim Sum Basket – or old standbys like Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork.

If you’ve been to Disney World, you know that quick service restaurants can get old – quickly. There are only so many chicken fingers you can ingest! Hence, we made it a point on this visit to indulge in as many family restaurants as possible. Sitting down, taking a break, and enjoying a delicious, healthy meal as a family only complements your Disney experience, and I strongly suggest you budget for at least one dining adventure per trip. You won’t be disappointed!

At the Yak & Yeti, the Asian Lettuce Cups were highly recommended. Perfect! Being on my ground chicken kick, I was only too happy to enjoy what was described as “Minced chicken breast, chopped veggies, maple tamarind sauce, and crisp lettuce cups.” And OMG – were they ever delicious. With Indo-Chinese flavours and just the right amount of kick, the dish was meant to be shared as an appetizer, but I quickly converted it to my main course and swatted away curious hands. Mine, all mine! (Image courtesy of wdwinfo.com)

Upon returning home, I quickly scoured the Internet for a recipe; however, while searching “Yak & Yeti Lettuce Cups Recipe” yielded 923 results, not one offered a concrete ingredient list or method for how I could duplicate these wonders at home. So, I got creative, and created a mash-up of several recipes for Asian Lettuce Cups until I was certain all of the elements were covered. And this is what I came up with:

ASIAN LETTUCE CUPS

1 pound Maple Leaf Prime ground chicken breast
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Asian chili pepper sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 tablespoon unsalted peanuts, chopped
2 tablespoons sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped
2 shitake mushrooms, finely chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced

16 iceberg lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry
shredded carrot and bean sprouts, for garnish

Okay, so it’s a lot of chopping. But it’s easy chopping; and then you just have to throw everything together and stir-fry it until done. And the method couldn’t be more simple: stir-fry the first 5 ingredients together until chicken has browned (about 6-8 minutes); add the second group of 5 ingredients until the sauce is bubbly (about 2 minutes); and finally, add the last set of 5 ingredients and heat through to allow flavours to mingle (about 5 minutes).

Then, dollop about two tablespoons of the ground chicken mixture onto a lettuce cup, and garnish with shredded carrot and/or bean sprouts, if desired. You can also grab a store-bought tamarind sauce for dipping, or find a recipe to make your own. Super easy, super healthy, and a chance to break up with ground beef! Enjoy!

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Comments

  1. These look delicious and most of all fun! I know that my grandkids would love to make these for themselves! It would be messy but it would be a great dining experience for them! Thanks

  2. These would be really fun to serve I know my grand kids would get a big kick out of everyone eating with their hands

  4. This sounds yummy but a lot of ingredients to chop. I guess you could have this with rice as well.

  5. Looks delicious and sounds like a really easy recipe. Hope to try it this weekend and thanks for sharing.

  7. This sounds really yummy! May have to use my FPC for Maple Leaf Prime Grounds and try this out!!

  11. Sound delicious, although I confess would have to omit the pepper sauce or just use a drop or two instead of a teaspoon, I’m not the biggest fan of ground chicken or turkey, but maybe it’s simply because I haven’t found the right recipe for it ;o) This one sounds like a winner and may swing me over to the ground chicken side :o)

  14. These look amazing!! Trying to eat healthier and these look like they would be good!! Thanks for the recipe.

  18. What a unique recipe! This is something I think my hubby would really love! And me, too!

  19. I just showed the kids this and guess where I am heading. grocery shopping thanks I think lol

  22. I like the idea of using lettuce for the wrap, makes it fun for kids and they dont realize its veggies.

  25. Those look so good and I love that they don’t use a bun since I’m trying to cut out wheat.