July 13, 2022

Recipe: Lettuce Wraps with Fortune Favors Garnish (GF)

Lettuce wraps with filling on a plate
These lettuce wraps check all the boxes: simple, healthy, delicious. They're also 100% gluten-free and can easily be made vegetarian or vegan by replacing ground meat with soy crumbles and swapping fish sauce for soy sauce. Fortune Favors might not have the spotlight in this recipe, but it adds the perfect crunch on top. 

Ingredients

  • 1 lemongrass stalk, finely minced (or 2 tablespoons grated lemon or lime zest)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • ½ bunch fresh cilantro
  • 1 large shallot, chopped
  • 1 red Fresno or Serrano chili pepper, seeded
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce or gluten-free soy sauce
  • 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons pecan oil (or other neutral oil)
  • 1 pound ground lamb, turkey, pork, beef, or soy crumbles
  • ½ cup pecan meal (or corn meal), toasted
  • 8 Bibb lettuce leaves
Garnish for Serving:
  • 1/2 cup Fortune Favors The Classic, roughly chopped
  • Sliced cucumbers
  • Julienned carrots
  • Lime wedges
  • Mint sprigs
  • Cilantro sprigs
  • Thin sliced chili peppers

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, pulse the lemongrass and garlic until finely chopped. Add the cilantro, shallot and chili pepper and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar until dissolved. Set aside.
  3. In a large skillet, heat the pecan oil over high heat. Add the ground meat to the skillet and cook until meat is cooked through and crispy, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let come to room temperature.
  4. In the same skillet, cook the lemongrass mixture, stirring often, until fragrant, about 10 minutes.
  5. Toss together the cooked meat, the lemongrass mixture, and the toasted pecan meal and lime dressing until well incorporated.
  6. To serve, place 2 tablespoons of lamb mixture onto a Bibb lettuce leave. Top with your favorite garnishes. Fold like a taco, eat and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from ILovePecans. Photo from ILove Pecans.