Kate’s Kitchen with Teens: Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps

Welcome to Kate’s Kitchen with Teens.

This is Kate’s favorite recipe on “Kate’s Kitchen”!

Servings: 4

What you need:

1 pound ground pork or chicken

2 cups prepared rice or other grain mix

1 head of butter lettuce – TEEN core leaves

1 cup bean sprouts (optional)

1 cup carrots, julienned (can buy these pre-cut)

1, 5 ounce can of water chestnuts, drained (optional)

½ red pepper, thinly sliced TEEN

1 tablespoon fresh ginger (squeeze bottle style, or fresh)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons sesame oil

3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 jar Thai peanut dipping sauce

If you are making your own rice, get that started first, using 2 cups of water, 1 cup rice (this will yield 2 cups of cooked rice) and 2 tablespoons each of sesame oil and soy sauce combined in a covered saucepan. Heat the rice to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Check but do not stir the rice; it should be cooked through in about 20 minutes (water will be completely absorbed). When cooked, place rice in a bowl.

Prepare your veggies: core and rinse the lettuce leaves; pat them dry and place on a platter. Julienne (cut into matchsticks) the carrots and thinly slice the red pepper. Place those on a platter along with the water chestnuts and bean sprouts. Place the peanut sauce in a small bowl.

Prepare the pork: Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and the minced garlic for 1-2 minutes over medium heat in a skillet–be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the ground pork, ginger, remaining soy sauce and sesame oil, and brown the pork until cooked through.