Thai Basil Shrimp Lettuce Cups with Coconut Basil Rice

Ingredients:

1/4 c. lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1/4 c. veggie oil
3 Tbs. Thai Red Curry paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Whisk the lime juice, veggie oil, curry paste and garlic together. Add the shrimp, stir together and marinade for at least half an hour in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, put the rice together.

Rice ingredients:

1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk, light
2 (.25 oz) containers fresh basil, chopped
1/2 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. salt
4 green onions, thinly sliced, separated
2 Tbs. salted butter
3/4 c. brown rice
1/2 c. basmati rice
1/2 c. chopped roasted peanuts
Butter Lettuce Cups

Puree the coconut milk, 3/4 of the fresh basil, jalapeno and salt in a food processor and set aside. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the  white part of the green onions and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add the rice, 1/2 c. water, the coconut basil puree and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to stir. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for approximately 15 more minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and keep covered.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan to medium heat and spray with non stick cooking spray. Skewer the shrimp and place on the grill pan. Cook the shrimp for about two minutes, and flip to cook the other side for two more minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.

Remove the shrimp from the skewers. To assemble the lettuce cups, add a few of the cooked shrimp. Top with chopped fresh basil, peanuts and the greens of the green onion. Serve with a cup of the coconut basil rice, and lime wedges.

Chicken Stir-Fry Lettuce Cups

I think I have a thing for stuffed lettuce cups now....it seems to be a trend on my page but they are so versatile and delicious that I can't even help it! I found a recipe for veggie-packed chicken fried rice, and didn't feel like dealing with the rice so I decided to tweak it to fit my lettuce cup needs. They turned out delicious and filling to the point where the rice wasn't even missed.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil (or regular sesame oil)
2 mini red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 mini yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 c. broccoli, chopped
1 c. shredded carrots (pre packaged bag)
1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into thin slices

1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 Tbs. fresh ginger
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1/4 c. green onion, sliced (extra for garnish)
1 head butter lettuce, leaves taken off

Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to medium heat in a large pan. Add in the bell peppers, broccoli and carrots to the pan and toss to coat with the oil. Cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan into a bowl temporarily. Add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan along with the sliced chicken. Cook the chicken for about 2-3 minutes, flipping or stirring half way through until the chicken is no longer pink and fully cooked. Add in the garlic, ginger and soy sauce and cook for another minute. Add the vegetables back in, along with the green onion and cook for two more minutes, stirring frequently. Let the mixture cool slightly. Place a few tablespoons worth into each lettuce cup and top with extra green onion.

Lemon Pepper Lettuce Cups

This fresh and easy recipe is one that most of the hard work is again done by the slow cooker, and why not? The only thing you have to do is assemble and chop a few things, and other than the meat cooking, this can be put together in minutes! 

 Ingredients:

1 Hormel lemon pepper pork tenderloin

1 head butter lettuce, leaves pulled apart 

1 avocado, cored and cubed

Cilantro

Lemon Aioli:

1/2 c. mayonnaise 

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

1-2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. Dijon 

1 garlic clove, minced

Cook a Hormel lemon pepper tenderloin in the slow-cooker for 8 hours on low (6-8). Remove from the liquid and shred. Place back into the liquid until ready to serve.

Mix all of the aioli ingredients together in a small dish and set aside. To assemble the dish, lay out the butter head lettuce on your serving platter. Place 1-2 teaspoons of pork on top of each lettuce cup. Top with a small amount of the aioli, diced avocado, and fresh cilantro. If you want people to assemble their own, make a large plate with all of the toppings and add the pork to a small serving dish.

Skinny Korean Beef Lettuce Cups

Butter lettuce is slowly starting to replace tortilla shells for me. It is very pliable, and perfect for some lettuce cups stuffed with amazing flavors! Many of my recipes lately have been of the same flavor profile, using the garlic, ginger, and soy. I'm starting to think that Italian food might not be my favorite anymore.....which isn't necessarily a bad thing! I absolutely love ginger and garlic, and this recipe has a great balance of both!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
2 tsp. garlic (minced)
1 tsp. sesame oil
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. hot chili powder
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbs. rice vinegar
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Butterhead lettuce, broken off by each leaf
Fresh cilantro
Shredded carrot (a few tablespoons)
Lime wedges (to squeeze on top of the lettuce cups)

In a medium skillet on medium heat, cook the ground beef, stirring occasionally. When the beef is fully cooked, drain the liquid from the pan. Place the pan with the beef back on medium heat and add in the garlic, sesame oil, brown sugar, chili powder, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar and most of the green onion. Stir together and cook for 2-3 minutes to let the flavors adhere to the meat and so that the green onion can cook. Pour into a serving dish, and assemble the toppings on a large plate. Take a lettuce cup and put about 2 tsp. beef mixture inside. Top with shredded carrot, cilantro, and squeeze a little bit of lime juice on top!

Taco Chicken Lettuce Cups

I am one of those people that love using leftovers, but can't eat it the same way over and over again. These juicy and delicious lettuce cups actually use two of those recipes. One batch of the shredded chicken taco meat has literally been used for multitudes of recipes (such as Shredded Chicken Taco Quiche and Shredded Chicken Taco Sliders ). I also used this recipe to make leftover mini burrito's for lunch the next day, which I'll add that recipe to the bottom of the page. My advice to people who always throw leftovers away is to be inventive. No one says that you have to eat something the same way twice!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. Shredded Chicken Taco Meat
1- 1 1/2 c. Avocado Cabbage Slaw
1/2-2/3 c. aged White Cheddar (mine was 5 years, or use extra sharp)
Butter lettuce, 8 leaves

Lay your leaves out on your serving dish. Place about 2 Tbs. of the avocado slaw (pictured above) in the bottom of the cups. Heat the chicken in the microwave or saucepan if it is cold. Top the slaw with about 2 Tbs. of the salsa chicken. Finish with a sprinkle of the aged white cheddar.

Still have a large amount of the chicken and cabbage slaw left? Here's a great way to re-purpose the leftovers for the next day!

Replace the lettuce cup with a fat free tortilla. Layer the slaw, chicken, sharp cheddar and lettuce. Roll like a burrito, folding the end closest to you over the ingredients, tucking the sides in, and then rolling upwards. Perfect lunch for the next day!

Oriental Pork Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground pork, lean
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onion, chopped
2 tsp. dried minced onion
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs. fresh grated ginger
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
Romaine lettuce leaves


Cook the pork in a skillet on medium high heat until cooked, about 3-5 minutes (drain if there is excess liquid left in the pan). Add in the remaining ingredients and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes to let the ingredients incorporate together. Let cool slightly before scooping 1-2 tablespoons towards the top part of the romaine leaf and rolling up towards the end like a taco.

(Makes approximately 10 servings, 2 WW points per serving.)