Months ago Martin Yan came to our town and the cafeteria at -s’s work turned into a Martin Yan Feast for lunch. We went to taste all the yummies, and I fell in love with the lettuce cups. After talking to Martin Yan, he told us the lettuce cup recipe is in his Quick and Easy cookbook. Of course I just had to have that cookbook! These lettuce cups are delicious!

Note: -s loved the lettuce cups too, and after finishing his lunch at the cafeteria, I told him that there were mushrooms in the dish. He didn’t believe me, so when I got the cookbook I showed him the recipe, and sure enough there were mushrooms! Because he liked the dish with the mushrooms in it, he said if I put mushrooms in it, he would eat it! YEAH!!!

Ingredients:

• 4 dried black mushrooms (I used shitake)
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 3 tsp. cornstarch
• 4 tsp. Chinese rice wine
• 2 TBSP vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. minced ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 c. red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 c. water chestnuts, finely chopped
• 4 tsp. cilantro, chopped
• Iceberg Lettuce cups

Sauce:

• 1/2 c. hoisin sauce
• 4 tsp. soy sauce
• 3 tsp. chili garlic sauce
• 2 tsp. sesame oil

Directions:

1. In a small combine the mushrooms in warm water, cover and soak for about 15 minutes. Drain and discard stems; then coarsely chop.
2. In a bowl, combine the turkey, cornstarch, and rice wine and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Make sauce by combining all sauce ingredients, mix well and set aside
4. Heat skillet over medium high heat, until hot. Add the oil; then add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the turkey mixture and stir-fry until crumbly and no longer pink. Add the bell pepper, water chestnuts, and mushrooms, and stir-fry until the pepper is soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro.
5. Assemble: In a lettuce cup and the turkey mixture then top with sauce or put sauce on the lettuce and top with turkey mixture.

Martin Yan’s Lettuce Cups: