Whole30: Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Day 11 of the Whole30! Good news, the second week goes WAY faster than the first. Then again, I don't think any week can feel as long as the first week of any diet. Still feeling good, still craving cookies like crazy. The last few nights I've even had dreams where I suddenly realize I'm eating something non-compliant, like a loaf of bread. It's terrifying.

Well, in my last post I mentioned that I wanted to post a recipe for Lettuce Wraps by @tara_eats_whole that I found on the Whole30 website. So, that's what I'm going to do. However, I did change it up a little bit to fit my own tastes.



Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 lb ground meat chicken, cut into small pieces (remember the left overs from Butterflied Chicken?)
1 Tbsp oil (coconut, avocado, or olive)
1 small onion, diced
2 cup chopped mushrooms (I hate mushrooms)
4 cup shredded carrots + cabbage Chopped
bell pepper (as much as desired) (I hate bell peppers)
1 tsp fresh or ground ginger
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground mustard
1/4 cup coconut aminos (compliant substitute for soy sauce)
Salt + pepper to taste
Optional garnishes – cilantro, chives, cashews, mustard, etc.
Lettuce for wrapping (She used butter lettuce, I used Romaine, though typically Iceberg is used)
My additions:
Water Chestnuts (for that delicious crunch)
Green Onions (add to pan right before you other veggies are done)

Brown meat in a skillet or if using cooked chicken, simply heat it up in skillet. If using a very lean meat add a tablespoon of oil. Once meat is cooked through, add in veggies and seasonings. Stir and sauté until vegetables are cooked, about 10-15 minutes. Wrap meat mixture in lettuce, top with cilantro, chives, cashews, and mustards if desired.

Now, this was pretty good, but if you're like me and you love the lettuce wraps from P.F. Chang's than this recipe will be a little dry for you. So I added this amazing Ginger Dressing I found on The Clothes Make The Girl.

Ginger Dressing

1/2 cup light tasting olive oil (not extra virgin!)
1/4 cup rice or cider vinegar
1 tbsp coconut aminos or homemade substitute
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into chunks
2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated (about 1 tablespoon)
1 medium clove garlic, peeled and smashed
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Add all ingredients to a food processor (or blender or magic bullet, whatever you have) and puree. She suggests letting it sit for 10 minutes so the flavors can blend.

I didn't do anything to this recipe besides adding more ginger, carrots, and onion to fit my tastes. Just play around with it. This sauce made some good lettuce wraps into really tasty lettuce wraps and added the moisture I was looking for. I was thinking that adding some hot mustard would be good as well, if it's compliant.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps = Success!

P.S. Sorry, my pics aren't beautiful and professional. Oops!