Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These super easy, yummy chicken lettuce wraps are perfect for busy weeknights or multiple lunches. Water chestnuts, green onions, red peppers, and carrots offer crunch to the sweet and tender filling that's bulked up with shiitake mushrooms to boost the savory flavor while keeping the filling moist. For the juiciest filling, look for ground chicken that is a combination of both light and dark meat. Using only ground white meat reduces fat and calories but has a dryer texture.You can add additional mushrooms for moisture. Ground turkey works well also. Chicken is considered a lean protein, rich in protein but with less saturated fat than most beef cuts. Shiitakes are a highly nutritious mushrooms, providing unique compounds that may boost immunity, fight cancer, and lower cholesterol. Red bell peppers and water chestnuts are high in antioxidants and fiber.

Makes: 4 servings
Time to cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients

3 ½ tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon grated garlic

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 pound ground chicken

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 (5-ounce) package sliced shiitake mushrooms, chopped

1 (5 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained, and chopped

5 small scallions, thinly sliced (3/4 cup), divided

12 butter lettuce leaves

¼ cup matchstick carrots

Cooking Instructions

1. Stir hoisin, vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic together in a small bowl.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; break into clumps using a wooden spoon. Cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 8 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, breaking up the chicken into small pieces, until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. (Do not wipe the pan clean.)

3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the chicken, water chestnuts and the reserved hoisin mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in ½ cup scallions.

4. Place ¼ cup chicken mixture in each lettuce leaf. Top with carrots and the remaining ¼ cup scallions.

Nutrition per serving – 3 lettuce wraps
342 calories; 21 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 23 grams protein; 455 milligrams sodium; vitaminC – 59% dv; vitamin K – 59% dv; vitamin B12 – 42% dv

Recipe by Liz Mervosh, Eatingwell.com

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