2 teaspoons canola oil

1 pound lean ground turkey

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

3 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts divided

1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 cup carrot shreds

1/2 cup fresh spearmint leaves

Boston butterhead lettuce leaves

Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey to the skillet and cook, stirring as needed, until the turkey starts to lose its pink color. Add the garlic, ginger and the white part of the green onions to the meat and continue to cook until the meat is thoroughly cooked and juices in the skillet have evaporated. Stir in the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha sauce, toasted sesame oil, green onion tops and water chestnuts, and heat through. Transfer the meat mixture to a bowl. To assemble the lettuce wraps, place a lettuce leaf on a plate and add a few carrot shreds to the center of the leaf. Top with a spoonful of the seasoned meat mixture and a couple of spearmint leaves, roll the lettuce around the filling and enjoy a perfect bite!

Lettuce wraps are a snap to make, and this finger food is fun to eat, too! The ingredients may be placed in the center of the table to allow each diner to customize his own wrap, or the lettuce cups may be preassembled and placed on a platter. Lettuce wraps are perfect as an appetizer or even as a light main dish.

Gigi Kerns – New Iberia