Adding Fiber to Asian Lettuce Wraps

Adding Fiber to the Asian Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps have been around for years, and I enjoy them, especially on warm days. This evening, I fiddled with my basic recipe. I am cutting back on fat and trying to incorporate more fiber in my diet as I attempt to shed a few pounds.

Pork is very flavorful and a little goes a long way – ground pork is fatty. I usually get 3 meals out of a pound of ground pork because of that. To the 1/3 pound of ground pork, I added 6 ounces of frozen Quorn crumbles. Quorn has its fans and foes. It is a meatless protein made of fungus, like mushrooms are fungus. And it is very high in fiber. Even Kroger sells Quorn so you should be able to find it. Alternatively, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken, frozen soy crumbles or reconstituted TVP. If you are allergic to mushrooms, you should pass on the Quorn. To give the mixture bulk and crunch, I used a can of water chestnuts I chopped in a food processor.

Along with the lettuce wraps, I served bun-bun noodles which is basically noodles with a peanut sauce. I used thin spaghetti because I had half a box on hand but you can use rice or soba noodles. Instead of peanut butter, you can use PB2 peanut powder mixed with a little water to make a paste.

And to round it out, stir-fried kale. Gosh, I have gotten my money’s worth of organic kale this week!

Lettuce Wraps with Pork and Quorn

1/3 lb. Ground pork

6 ounces frozen Quorn crumbles

1 drained can of sliced water chestnuts

3 peeled garlic cloves

½ chopped small onion

1 tablespoon chopped ginger (I used refrigerated ginger in a jar that I picked up at the Asian grocery)

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon of chili garlic paste (more to taste)

Fresh green leaf or iceberg lettuce leaves

toppings: grated carrots, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, green onion

Crumble pork in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook until no longer pink. Add Quorn crumbles and onion. In a food processor, chop water chestnuts and fresh garlic and fresh ginger if using fresh. Add to skillet with meat. Add seasonings and soy sauce. Cook till desired consistency. More seasonings can be added to taste.

Make a dipping sauce of ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Bun-Bun Noodles

Noodles of choice, cooked, drained

Peanut butter or PB2, mixed with water to make a paste for the equivalent of 3-4 tablespoons of peanut butter.

¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

drizzle of sesame oil (beware – use sparingly)

chopped green onions

garlic chili paste (start with ½ teaspoon and work your way up)