Thai Lettuce Wraps

Submitted by: Suman Zafar, Program Specialist, Office of Admissions

Food blogger Suman says about her site: "I like to allow some wiggle room for how to consume the dish based on your own preference, such as serving over white rice, brown rice, or salad. I like to cook a variety of meals that are relatively easy, so my readers can try new things and new cuisines!"

About this dish: "These are bursting with flavor and really healthy. I love making these, because they are so simple to make, yet so flavorful. The peanut sauce drizzled on top really brings the dish together with a delicious nutty flavor. You can definitely substitute some spring greens for the leaf lettuce and eat it as a salad instead. It’s a perfect recipe to get your protein and greens in! You can also sub out the ground beef for ground chicken, ground turkey, or some tofu!" Meat Mixture 3 pounds ground beef 1/4 cup soy sauce 3 tsp rice vinegar (or white vinegar if you don’t have rice wine vinegar) 3 tsp honey 2 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp grated ginger 1 minced onion 2 tsp chili powder 2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp cumin Peanut Sauce 1/4 cup of peanut butter (smooth is preferred but use whatever you have) 1/4 cup water 2 tsp Hoisin Sauce (can substitute honey) 2 tsp soy sauce 2 tsp lemon juice Green lettuce leaves (to fill) Garnishes: thinly sliced or shredded carrots, cilantro, Sriracha sauce, and sesame seeds Cook ground beef in a pan on medium high heat. Halfway through, add in the onions, garlic, and ginger. Once your beef has browned, add in the dry spices, and let them toast up for 2 minutes. Add in the soy sauce, honey, and vinegar, and let the meat soak up the juice. In a small bowl, add in all the sauce ingredients, and whisk until a sauce forms. You can add a little more water to dilute the sauce if it is too thick. Wash and dry your green leaf lettuce, spoon on the meat mixture, and top it off with the peanut sauce. I like to add thinly sliced carrots, cilantro, Sriracha, and sesame seeds.