Low-Carb Asian Lettuce Wraps

 Prep Time:  10 min    Cook Time 10 min

Serves 4
Perfect Partner:  Basmati Rice and Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Chicken (can substitute ground sausage or ground turkey)

1-1/2 T. sesame oil

4-5 mushrooms (diced)

8 oz can water chestnuts (drained)

4 T. low-sodium soy sauce
3 T. minced ginger (I like to use the pre-minced ginger you can find in the produce section)
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 c. water (if needed)

3 T. chopped green onion

1 head iceberg lettuce

1. Heat sesame oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat, turn down to med-high once oil is hot.
2. Add ground chicken, mushrooms, water chestnuts, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to the hot oil and sauté until chicken is browned, mushrooms are tender, and water chestnuts are crisp-tender.  Add water 1/4 c. at a time if it seems to begin to dry out as cooking. 
3. Add chopped green onion to chicken mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes longer.
4. Spoon into iceberg lettuce.

I like to serve this with Basmati rice for those in my family who want to eat carbs.  They can add a spoonful of rice to each lettuce wrap.  For my picky eater I serve the chicken mixture over the rice, and serve the lettuce with some salad dressing.  My family also enjoys eating this with egg drop soup.  I just stop by the local Chinese takeout place and pick up a pint.  Serve the egg drop soup with freshly cracked pepper and chopped green onion (and those crispy chip things it comes with).  This will satisfy most of my Chinese food cravings for a fraction of the calories, sodium and cost.

VARIATION: Instead of serving this as lettuce wraps, you can add cabbage and serve as a "casserole." You can thinly slice fresh cabbage, or for a quick "cheat" buy coleslaw cabbage already sliced.  Add once the chicken is nearly cooked through, and cook until the cabbage is tender. Adding a little water and covering with a lid for a minute or two also can help the cabbage steam and cook more quickly.  If making this recipe you can also add 1/4 c. julienned carrots (you can also buy those pre-cut).  I have seem similar variations call this "egg roll in a bowl."