Lettuce Cups with Savory Ground Chicken Filling

Description:

Lettuce Cups with Savory Ground Chicken Filling

Ingredients:

These lettuce cups are a sensory treat: the ground chicken filling inside is seasoned with ginger and soy, made pleasantly spicy with chili flakes and cilantro. Scooped into crispy lettuce leaves, the warm filling is a delightful contrast with the cool crunch of the lettuce. We bet you'll finish the whole plate...

Prepare:

8 leaves of butter lettuce, washed and trimmed
Extra Virgin Olive oil
1/2 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8-10 shitake mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
4 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 tblsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tblsp. sugar
1 tblsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. ground or crushed ginger
1 pinch dried chili flakes
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Salt

How to Serve:

In a non-stick skillet on medium heat, brown the ground chicken in a splash of olive oil and the garlic. Reduce heat, and stir in the mushrooms, green onions, pine nuts, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, ginger, chili flakes, cilantro and salt. Saute for another 2-3 minutes until the mushroms are soft. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a plate and scoop a spoonful of the warm chicken mixture into the center of each one.

Experiment: These tasty lettuce cups are best eaten with the fingers. Simply pick up a leaf, fold it around the filling, and take a bite. The crisp crunch of the lettuce perfectly offsets the spicy warmth of the chicken. Serve with ice-cold beer, iced tea, tart lemonade or chilled white wine.

Wine Pairings: Try using ground pork or turkey for a slightly different flavor.