Stir-Fry Beef Lettuce Wraps

So...it's the middle of the week, and I really need to get to the grocery store, but I'm too tired to get dressed and brave the cold weather. I started looking through the fridge to see what I could come up with for dinner. We make and freeze beans, so I had a large stash of black beans in the freezer as well as some stir-fry beef. We had left-over white rice from dinner the night before and some random veggies.  The first thing that came to mind was stir-fry, but I wanted to try something different. 

I had been browsing through Pinterest this past week and remembered seeing some recipes for lettuce wraps.  I decided that I would pull ideas from some of the more promising recipes and give these wraps a try.  I did some research and found that butter lettuce would be perfect for these wraps because it's a thicker lettuce that can hold food without becoming soggy, causing the lettuce to fall apart. Unfortunately, I didn't have any butter lettuce in the fridge so I batted my eyes, gave my hubby a kiss and a hug, and sweetly asked him if he could make a trip to the grocery store. It works every time. :-)

I don't have exact measurements of the ingredients used in this recipe because I pretty much winged it. Just use desired amounts of the ingredients listed or create your own wraps with items in your fridge. I added tzatziki sauce because I had made a batch for company and had some left over that I didn't want to waste. It ended up working out perfectly. It added some nice flavor, but I'm guessing sour cream would work just as well.  Lettuce wraps can be made with many different foods -- chicken, shrimp, tofu, and various veggies and sauces. Be creative! :-)

I would definitely make this again! It was delicious! I may even try a version with shrimp.

Stir-Fry Beef Lettuce Wraps 

Ingredients:

Butter Lettuce

White rice

Stir-fry beef

Olive oil

Mushrooms, chopped

Red bell pepper, chopped

Green pepper, chopped

Onion, chopped

Black beans

Orange peel

Salt & Pepper

Tzatziki sauce 

Directions:

1.) Cut off bottom of stems of lettuce, wash and pat dry. Set aside.

2.) Fry beef until cooked through. Set aside.

3.) In heated olive oil, sauté mushrooms, red bell pepper, green pepper, onion, and desired amounts of orange peel, salt, and pepper until soft.

4.) Add black beans to pan and cook until beans are warmed thoroughly.

5.) Add beef back into pan and mix well.

6.) Hold lettuce leaf in your hand in the shape of a taco shell. Add rice and fill with beef mixture. Top with tzatziki sauce and serve.

Quinoa & Black Beans

I had never heard of quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) until this past year, but I've really come to enjoy this wonderful grain. Quinoa is actually a seed that comes from a leafy plant similar to spinach, but it is commonly referred to as a grain. It's loaded with tons of protein so it's not necessary to serve quinoa with meat. This grain is also a great source of amino acids, iron, and fiber--it's full of healthy benefits. :-)

Quinoa has a subdued, nutty flavor. Cooking it in vegetable broth (or chicken broth) rather than water brings a lot of flavor to what can otherwise be a somewhat mild taste. Topping it with sliced avocado added wonderful texture and flavor that I wasn't expecting. You won't be disappointed in this dish. It's delicious!  

I made only a few, minor changes to the original recipe. I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil, and I added chopped tomatoes. I may add some olives and mushrooms the next I make this dish.  

Quinoa & Black Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 (15 ounce) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed (we used homemade black beans but canned works well too.)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 ripe avocado, diced (optional, but I highly recommend.)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparing quinoa takes some time, but it's actually very simple. Most boxed/pre-packaged quinoa has already been pre-rinsed. If your quinoa has not been pre-rinsed, you will need to remove the saponins. Just soak the quinoa in water for a few hours, then rinse the quinoa for several minutes in a fine strainer.

Directions:

 1.) Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes or until onion is soft. 

 2.) Add the pre-soaked/drained quinoa and vegetable broth to the pan. Add the cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

 3.) Stir in lime juice and frozen corn into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes or until corn is heated through. 

4.) Stir in the tomatoes, cilantro, and black beans. Simmer until beans are heated through.

 

5.) Put desired amount in bowl and top with diced avocado. Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Tablespoon

Asian Turkey Meatballs With Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce

A new love and extremely addicting pastime of mine -- Pinterest. I have discovered so many delicious recipes and amazing recipe blogs on this site! I've also found a ton of craft and design ideas, but that's for another blog that I may have to start. 

One of the amazing new recipes I found might seem a little strange to some -- Turkey Meatballs. I had never actually made turkey meatballs. In fact, I have typically only had turkey for the holidays -- at least until recently. My last recipe post, Turkey Chili, was fantastic! It was so delicious that I'm not sure I'll ever make a beef-based chili again. The same goes for meatballs. These meatballs were incredibly flavorful! They would also be great appetizers -- just make them half the size and stick toothpicks in them.  

                                   Meatballs served with brown rice and green beans.

Asian Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Panko crumbs

1-1/4 lbs (20 ounces) 93% lean ground turkey

1 egg

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 scallions/green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Lime Dipping Sauce 

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons water

1 chopped fresh scallion

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Mix ground turkey, panko, egg, salt, scallions, ginger, cilantro, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp oil and mix with your hands until combined well. Shape 1/4 cup meat mixture into a ball and transfer to a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

For the dipping sauce mix together lime juice, water, soy sauce, and remaining 1 teaspoon of oil in a bowl. Add scallions.

Transfer meatballs to a serving dish. Stir sauce, then drizzle meatballs with 1 tablespoon sauce.

Serve meatballs with remaining sauce, about 1 tbsp per person.

Makes 12 meatballs.

Source: Skinny Taste