Chinese Lettuce Wraps

It may sound barbaric, but I'm a HUGE fan of eating with my hands. Recently we had gone to Rasselas, an Ethiopian restaurant down in the Fillmore district and instantly I fell right at home. The waitress approached our table with the exotic dishes and notioned that our hands/fingers were the utensils..needless to say, my face lite up! Using the "pancake" as the vehicle in scooping up sauteed vegetable medleys, I found myself reminiscing of other cuisines/dishes/recipes that I could devour with unconventional pleasure.

Chinese lettuce wraps are by far an easy recipe with an international swing. Quick and healthy, this recipe will let you walk on the wild side of getting down and dirty with your food.

Ingredients:
1-2lbs of ground beef/pork/turkey (I usually cook with ground turkey as it is the leanest of all meats)
1 stalk of celery - finely chopped
1 carrot - finely chopped
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 onion - chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 small can of chopped water chestnuts
1 cup of chopped green onion
Sesame oil
3 tbs of oyster sauce
1 tbs of sugar
1 head of iceberg lettuce

Directions:
1. Cook ground meat thoroughly
2. Add 2tbs. sesame oil and throw in garlic and onion --cook onions until translucent
3. Add and mix in oyster sauce
3. Add celery, carrot, water chestnuts, bell pepper and green onion
4. Cook for 7-10 mins, mix in sugar
5. Cook for another 5 mins

As for the lettuce, wash, separate leaves and set aside.

How to eat:
- take a leaf of lettuce
- scoop hefty amount of meat into lettuce
- wrap and devour


mmmm