Healthy Spin on Asian Flare

     Ordering take out Asian food can not only impact your wallet, but definitely can make a big impact on your waste line. The other night I was looking for a satisfying meal that would hit all the same notes as food ordered from my favorite Chinese or Japanese restaurant, but with all of the great health and nutritional value I like to include in my current lifestyle.

This recipe for Beefy Asian Lettuce Cups is super simple to pull together and definitely can be on your table faster than take out. It boasts a huge nutritional impact and is full of veggies and vitamins all for 175 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 18 grams of protein per serving. This is a great way to start cooking for yourself by introducing some healthier ingredients with an easy recipe and can be enjoyed by beginners or experienced cooks with busy lives alike.

Beefy Asian Lettuce Cups

1/2 lb extra lean ground beef (or ground turkey)

4 brown or white button mushrooms finely diced

1 small red onion finely diced

1/2 red bell pepper finely diced

1 celery stick 6-8 inches finely diced

1 carrot finely diced

2 garlic cloves grated or finely minced

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

1/4 cup edamame (frozen is fine)

1 inch of ginger peeled and grated

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

12 bibb lettuce leaves

Dice all vegetables to prepare for cooking and set aside. In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, brown ground beef until cooked completely. Drain in a colander and set aside. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Spray with cooking spray.  Add all vegetables and garlic to skillet and cook on medium high heat until lightly cooked and onions become translucent about 5 minutes. Add beef to vegetables in skillet stirring to combine. Add ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook about 3-4 minutes until everything is well combined. Add cilantro off heat and stir. Serve in lettuce leaves about 1/4 cup per leaf. Makes 2-3 servings. for 175 calorie serving, make 4 lettuce cups with 1/4 cup filling in each

This filling also is great stuffed in tomatoes. Cut off the top of tomato and scoop the inside out with a spoon. Stuff with filling and serve.

Enjoy!!