Lettuce Wraps

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For the Love of Lettuce! Recipes that Cut Out The Extra Calories

Did you know that 2 slices of whole grain bread contains about 256 calories? By substituting those slices with one large iceberg lettuce leaf, you can cut those calories out. An entire head of ice burg lettuce costs about $1 at your local grocery store and you can pack just about anything into it. Here are 2 great recipes for lettuce wraps you can try.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Pack these lettuce leaves with chicken, mushrooms, water chestnuts, carrots and any other veggies you want. Make ‘em Asian with a touch of ginger, rice wine vinegar and teriyaki sauce.

What You’ll Need:

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium Teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon reduced – sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Tamari
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup julienned green onions
12 iceberg lettuce leaves
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

In a large non-stick skillet coated with 1tbs extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil, cook chicken for 3 minutes; drain. Add the mushrooms, water chestnuts and ginger; cook 4-6 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and remaining oil. Stir in the carrots, onions and chicken mixture.

Spoon onto lettuce leaves; sprinkle with almonds. If desired, fold sides of lettuce over filling and roll up. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts:

1 serving: 2 wraps

Per serving: 230 calories, 9 g fat

Asparagus and Avocado Wraps

What you’ll need:

24 spears asparagus
1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups cooked cold brown rice
3 tablespoons plain non-fat yogurt
3 (10-inches in diameter) whole wheat tortillas
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped red onion

Directions:

In a medium-sized saucepan over high heat, bring ¼ cup water to a boil. Place the asparagus in a steamer basket, cover, and steam until just tender, approximately 5 minutes. Remove the asparagus and immediately rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain thoroughly.

In a small bowl, mash the avocado, lime juice, and garlic into a coarse puree; set aside.

In another small bowl, stir together the rice and yogurt to mix well; set aside.

Heat a large dry frying pan (not one with a non-stick surface) over medium heat. One at a time, heat the tortillas in the hot pan until softened, approximately 20 seconds per side.

Lay the tortillas flat on a clean work surface. Spread the avocado mixture equally among the tortillas. Top each with an equal amount of the rice mixture, asparagus, cilantro, and onion. Fold in both sides and the bottom of each tortilla up over the filling; then roll to close.

To serve, cut each wrap in half crosswise. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts:

1 serving: 2 wraps

Per serving: 5.6 fat grams, 193 calories