Meat, Gluten Free, World CookingRebecca Shetler Fastturkey, cilantro, basil, mint, ginger

Thai Spiced Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Meat, Gluten Free, World CookingRebecca Shetler Fastturkey, cilantro, basil, mint, ginger
Thai Spiced Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Inspired by a fantastic lettuce wrap my sister made for a family dinner, we created these Thai Spiced Turkey Lettuce Wraps for a light weekend meal. These quick to make Thai lettuce wraps are healthy, filling, and flavorful, with the characteristic Southeast Asian flavors of garlic, ginger, crunchy water chestnuts, and vibrant fresh herbs. 

Yield: Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

   Lettuce Wrap Mixture:

  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 cup chopped thai basil
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
  • 1 cup snap peas, cut into thin strips
  • 2 large heads of bibb lettuce, leaves washed and separated 

   Thai Spiced Turkey:

  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 pounds ground turkey
  • 11 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 4 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 4 tablespoons Chinese black bean paste
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 2 cups diced water chestnuts
  • juice of two limes

Steps:

  1. To prepare the lettuce wrap mixture:  In a small bowl, toss together the lettuce wrap mixture ingredients (green onions, basil, mint, cilantro, carrots and snap peas).  
  2. For the Thai spiced turkey: In a large nonstick skillet, heat sesame oil at high heat for 2-3 minutes until almost smoking.
  3. Add the ground turkey to the skillet and cook 6-8 minutes until well browned, stirring infrequently to maximize surface browning. 
  4. Add to the skillet the ginger, garlic, black bean paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce and water chestnuts. Cook for 2 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is fragrant and the seasonings are well incorporated.
  5. Remove the turkey mixture from the heat, and add the lime juice. Add the fresh herbs and vegetables to the turkey and mix to combine.
  6. Serve the turkey mixture hot in individual bibb lettuce leaves.


World Cooking, Gluten Free, MeatPaul Shetler Fastbeef, chickpea, carrot, tomatoComment

Beef and Apricot Tangine

This weekend Paul has been feeling a bit under the weather, and after a few too many bland 'sick meals' of rice and bananas noted that his taste buds were crying out for flavor. I responded with this warmly spiced Beef and Apricot Tangine. Two bowls in, Paul claimed optimism about his imminent recovery. North African tangines are traditionally cooked in an eponymous earthenware pot and often rather complex. By virtue of the necessity of (calmly and serenely) cooking between gleeful crawling baby and voluble toddler chatter, our simplified take of a Beef and Apricot Tangine takes inspiration from Morocco's tangines, while simplifying the cooking process and ingredient list. This stew is rich in texture, deeply spiced, and a lovely balance of sweet and sour; a perfect late February weekend meal.

World Cooking, Gluten Free, MeatPaul Shetler Fastbeef, chickpea, carrot, tomatoComment
Beef and Apricot Tangine
Salads, Seafood, Spring, Gluten FreeRebecca Shetler Fastlettuce, crab, radish, avocado, cilantro, lime, ancho, cucumber4 Comments

Crab Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Lime Vinaigrette

Following a weekend of holiday feasting, we usually find ourselves craving something light, and refreshing.  After we had stuffed ourselves to capacity,  these Crab Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Lime Vinaigrette were the refreshing light meal to bring us back from a carb induced holiday daze. While crab is a splurge, this dish allows the sweet and delicate flavor of blue crab to shine. It is worth every penny. If you're truly adventurous, you can buy crab fresh, cook it and remove the meat.  We generally buy a high quality canned crab, which is quick, easy and consistently available. To make these crab wraps, Rebecca used avocado, some stunning watermelon radishes, cucumber, and a sweet and spicy lime vinaigrette. She used hydroponic Bibb lettuce fresh from our CSA for the wraps.   We found these cute little lettuce cups were a neat way of holding this light and healthy crab salad together.

Salads, Seafood, Spring, Gluten FreeRebecca Shetler Fastlettuce, crab, radish, avocado, cilantro, lime, ancho, cucumber4 Comments
Crab Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Lime Vinaigrette
Meat, Soups, Gluten Free, World Cooking, DIYPaul Shetler Fastchicken, soy sauce, fish sauce, basil, cilantro, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, green onions, mint, radish, red onionComment

Vietnamese Chicken Soup, Phở Gà

Food has the power to connect us to people and places around the world. In 2007, Rebecca and I spent three months traveling through South East Asia together. Leaving Cambodia on the back of moto-bikes, we arrived for the night, hot and dusty, in a small village in rural Vietnam. After dropping off our packs, we sat down on the rickety plastic stools of the town's only food stand, famished. Without asking what we wanted, two pungent bowls of Phở Gà, Vietnam's famous chicken noodle soup, were plunked down in front of us. We were hooked! As we made our way north over the next several weeks, we enjoyed many local variations of Phở: from the dark, rich, and beefy to bright and spicy with shrimp. Our favorite Phở, on which our recipe is based, was eaten from steaming bowls one early morning overlooking Hạ Long Bay. This version used chicken that had been marinated and grilled, rather than boiled in the soup, giving it a crispy texture and sweet charred flavor. 

Each sip of flavorful broth reminds us also of the people and culture that created it. Phở is an aromatic and visual dish, one that we like to serve in our  Vietnamese blue petal bowls made in the Kinh family workshop in the famous pottery village of Bat Trang, Vietnam. By partnering with a local non-profit and Ten Thousand Villages, women potters are able to make a living for their families, continue a rich cultural tradition, and gain access to tools, education, training, interest-free loans, and literacy classes. We buy many of our dishes and gifts from Ten Thousand Villages each year, and appreciate their commitment to ethical partnerships with local artisans around the world. 

Meat, Soups, Gluten Free, World Cooking, DIYPaul Shetler Fastchicken, soy sauce, fish sauce, basil, cilantro, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, green onions, mint, radish, red onionComment
Vietnamese Chicken Soup, Phở Gà
Meat, Gluten Free, World CookingRebecca Shetler Fastberbere, chicken, onion, garlicComment

Berbere Spiced Chicken, Doro Wat

Berbere Spiced Chicken evokes memories of Ethiopia, the place where Paul and I first became friends. During our time in Addis, I got sick and Paul was appointed my hospital companion. I found a kindred spirit and we spent the rest of our time in Ethiopia together at every opportunity. A few months later, back home again, our relationship evolved into something more. The nuanced spice of berbere is a shared food memory; the start of a relationship, excitement of plans, passionate discussions, and the flash of recognition at finding a life partner.

Berbere is a distinctive spice mixture from Ethiopia -- fiery hot balanced with pungent garlic and warming spices. Many households prepare their own berbere mixture, and tarps laid out with drying chilies and spices were a common sight and smell in Ethiopia. Berbere Spiced Chicken is our greatly simplified and adapted version of the classic Ethiopian Doro Wat. Once you hunt down some berbere seasoning at your local spice store or online, this dish can be made in an hour and half with everyday ingredients.

Meat, Gluten Free, World CookingRebecca Shetler Fastberbere, chicken, onion, garlicComment
Berbere Spiced Chicken, Doro Wat
Gluten-free, Grilled, Meat, Regional SpecialtiesRebecca Shetler Fastpeanut butter, ginger, lime, garam masala, jalapenoComment

Thai Peanut Sauce Smoked Chicken Wings

Christmas in Indiana this year had as hankering for these Thai Peanut Smoked Chicken Wings. Given the challenges of finding both chicken wings and a smoker in Haiti, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to chow down on an old favorite while back in the US. This pungent Thai sauce is chock full of vibrant flavors, tangy lime, creamy peanut butter, garlic, and spicy jalapeno. For those without a home smoker, the recipe includes an easy adaptation for oven roasting.

Gluten-free, Grilled, Meat, Regional SpecialtiesRebecca Shetler Fastpeanut butter, ginger, lime, garam masala, jalapenoComment
Thai Peanut Sauce Smoked Chicken Wings