thats a wrap

cool. crisp. delicious.

asian lettuce wraps. my way.

this is the best leftover recipe ever. in fact, whenever i have "left over" meat, of any kind, i like to freshen it up in this very recipe. beef. chicken. pork. they all work fantastic.

i started eating these wraps at "p. f. changs" years ago. i fell in love with them. in fact, they are really the only thing i like to order at the aforementioned restaurant. here's the thing...i would order them for me, and then my kiddos would end up eating the entire plate. leaving me with only one. sigh. that single lettuce wrap was definately not enough to satisfy my hunger. so i started thinking about how i could create these fine little delicacies on my own. it was a win ~ win situation. my kids loved them. and i loved them. and so, to work i went.

it didn't take me long to create my version. really, i just had to inspect my fridge and see what ingredients i had on hand to play with. i needed meat. a filler, you know something to bulk it up. i had half a head of cabbage, and that seemed to do the trick. some typical asian seasonings and off i went.

it's so fun to serve these. and eat them for that matter. it's something just a little different. different in a good way. i like to serve these as a main course with a side of edamame. it is so healthy and delicious! i even found my oldest (she's only 7) eating the filling right out of the pan. sneaky little thing. that must be why we never seem to have leftovers. that's another good thing!

asian lettuce wraps

1 lb ground beef

(this is where i use anything i have left over - tonight i used flank steak)

1 tbl olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 c mushrooms, sliced

6 c shredded cabbage (i use cole slaw mix)

1 tsp sesame oil

1/4 c hoisin sauce

lettuce leaves (iceberg, butter, whatever your preference)

in a large skillet heat olive oil. add ground beef and sauté until beef is fully cooked. Drain and remove from pan, set aside. in the same pan sauté onions, mushrooms, garlic, and cabbage. when reduced, add meat back to pan. mix well. stir in sesame oil and hoisin sauce. mix well. scoop about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf. wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito. enjoy!