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Fun and Healthy Recipe (Five-Spice Turkey & Lettuce Wraps)

By
Real Estate Agent with Exit Buyers Plus Realty

Based on a popular Chinese dish, these fun wraps also make appealing appetizers for entertaining. Make it a meal: Serve with chile-garlic sauce and rice vinegar for extra zip; toss diced mango and strawberries with lime juice for a quick dessert.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Ready in: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings, 1 1/4 cups filling each
Ease of Prep: Easy
Recipe Ingredients
  1/2 cup water
  1/2 cup instant brown rice
  2 teaspoons sesame oil
  1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
  1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  1 large red bell pepper , finely diced
  1 8-ounce can water chestnuts , rinsed and chopped
  1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (see Note)
  1 teaspoon five-spice powder (see Note)
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  2 heads Boston lettuce , leaves separated
  1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs , such as cilantro, basil, mint and/or chives
  1 large carrot , shredded



Recipe Directions

  1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice; reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey and ginger; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, bell pepper, water chestnuts, broth, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder and salt; cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
  3. To serve, spoon portions of the turkey mixture into lettuce leaves, top with herbs and carrot and roll into wraps.

Prepare the filling (through Step 2), cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Serve cold or reheat in the microwave.

Notes: Hoisin sauce is a spicy, sweet sauce made from soybeans, chiles, garlic and spices. It will keep in the refrigerator for at least a year.

Often a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns, five-spice powder was originally considered a cure-all miracle blend encompassing the five elements (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, salty). Look for it in the supermarket spice section.

Health Advantages: healthy weight, diabetes appropriate, heart healthy, low sat fat, high fiber, low calorie.

Nutrition Information
Servings Per Recipe: 4
  Amount Per serving
  Calories: 285 cal     Carbohydrate Servings: 1
  Carbohydrates: 24 g   Dietary Fiber: 5 g   Cholesterol: 66 mg
  Fat: 11 g   Sodium: 543 mg   Saturated Fat: 3 g
  Protein: 26 g   Potassium: 390 mg   Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g
  Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (150% daily value), Vitamin C (140% dv), Iron (25% dv), Folate (20% dv).
  Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat

Comments (3)

Leander McClain
North East, MD
Cecil & Harford County Realtor

Hey pam,

this recipe looks great.  It seems that you are getting the hang of this blogging thing.  Keep up  the good work and your potential clients will thank you.....and you will thank them

Have a great and prosperous weekend

Leander

Sep 19, 2008 07:12 AM
Pamela Pierce
Exit Buyers Plus Realty - Burlington Township, NJ

Thanks Leander,

I had an excellent teacher.  You are the bomb, and I look forward to learning much from you.

Pam

P.S. have a better than great day.

 

Sep 20, 2008 01:37 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Sounds yummy, Pamela. Actually, my husband makes this recipe except he uses a rice cooker for real brown rice. I would think that instant rice would make the rice fall apart by losing its consistency, but what do I know. :)

elizabeth weintraub sacramento real estate agent in land park

Sep 23, 2008 01:58 AM