Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Hi friends!! Thank you for coming to my blog and reading my content. I hope I am able to inspire you to take care of your healthy with nutritious and delicious food. This time of the year is filled with my family's farm fresh produce. We had a ton of rain a couple weeks ago that hurt our pea plants, so we were unable to have a "pick-your-own" peas this season. We had a week of "pick-your-own" strawberries, usually we like to have a longer season for "pick-you-own". The rain, not much heat and sun, and many pickers coming out made for a small "pick-your-own" strawberry season. As for the peas, we were fortunate to have a few for the store, but lost a good amount 😕.

How do you eat your peas? I love to snack on them right from the pod. It is a great snack since you take time to open the pods and their are nutritious (see below for nutrition value).  This year I incorporated peas into a recipe (I will be sharing the recipe at my Duffield's Dietitian board in the farm market as well).

I love PF Chang's chicken lettuce wraps, but do not enjoy the high salt and sugar content with it. So as I always do, I tried to make a healthier lettuce wrap filled with veggies, low salt, lower sugar, and delicious. I succeeded since my husband LOVES them and takes them for leftovers. This recipe has become a weekly meal for us now. As seasons change, I will probably change the veggies that I add into the mix. Check out the recipe below so you can make them at home and skip the high salt/sugar elsewhere (plus saving money). Did I mention... this recipe takes about 20 minutes to make?! FAST, EASY, HEALTHY, AND DELICIOUS! You can not beat it! (Sorry I am so excited about this recipe).

Chicken lettuce wraps

 

Serves: 4
Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh peas
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce OR coconut aminos 
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1.5 tbsp honey (I used garlic infused honey)
• Pinch of red pepper flakes 
• 1 head of bibb leaf lettuce  
• Olive oil spray
• Toppings: brown rice, green onions, Sriracha sauce or gochujang sauce, toasted sesame seeds

 

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet on high heat, spray pan with olive oil. Add chicken, break into pieces, and  cook until brown for about 5 min.
2. While the meat is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and pinch of red pepper flakes.
3. In the skillet reduce heat to medium, add onion, garlic, chopped red pepper, fresh peas, and ginger. Cook for 3-5 minutes until veggies are soft. 
4. Pour sauce onto chicken and veggies, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. 
5. Wash bibb lettuce and dry. Fill the lettuce with the chicken mixture, top with optional toppings.
6. Enjoy!

Benefits of Peas

• 1 cup=116 calories, 7g protein, 22g carbs, 8g fiber
• Absorbed in small intestine
• Phytonutrients: lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health 
• Good source of manganese: important for enzymes in metabolism of carbs, proteins, and cholesterol; formation of healthy cartilage and bone; wound healing 
• Good source of phosphorus: for bone mineralization, energy production, cell communication, regulation of acid-base balance
• Good source of copper: energy production, iron metabolism, connective tissue formation, central nervous system, benefits in immune function, plays a role in pigmentation of hair/skin/nails, antioxidant, helps in iron transport
• Good source of thiamine (vit B1): energy metabolism 
• Provides some omega-3 fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA): lowers risk of cardiovascular disease
• Good for the environment and soil by taking up nitrogen from the air and converting it to provide for the soil
• Eat raw (not the pods) or cooked