I need to move to Asia...

...because they don't eat much dairy. =) I'm finding that eating Asian food of any kind is really easy for me these days. The weeone is a fan of Chinese and Vietnamese food, so when I found an old magazine tear out with a recipe for Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps and it looked like I could make it on the fly I added it to this week's menu. Yes, menu. Yes, I'm cooking again. Now pick your chin up off the floor and pretend that softball season never happened. I'm back in the kitchen. It's a nice place to be.

So, back to the Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps. I'm a fan of the lettuce wraps at PF Chang's although those are chicken and I'm certain they're laced with crack since once you start eating them it's tough to stop. This was a recipe that was simple, quick and good. I think you could make some alterations to it and make it with tofu, chicken, or whatever protein you'd prefer.

For the record, the weeone ate one wrap and then asked for a pb&j. So, your kids may not LOVE these. =)

I don't know who to credit this recipe to since the magazine page I have has no reference, so my apologies to the originator of this recipe. I know this much - it wasn't me!

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup matchstick-cut carrots (I added more than this)
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
8 iceburg lettuce leaves
1 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
Lime wedges

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add beef, carrots, and ginger and saute 6 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble beef. Drain, in necessary, and retun beef mixture to pan. Stir in soy sauce and next 3 ingredients; cook 1 minute.

2. Remove beef mixture from heat; stir in green onions, cilantro and mint. Spook beff filling evenly into center of each lettuce leaf; top evenly with diced cucumbers. Serve with lime wedges.

Yield: 4 servings of 2 wraps each

Nutritional Information: Cal 158, Fat 5.5g, Protein 23.7g, Carb 5g, Fiber 1.3g, Chol 60mg, Iron 2.6mg, Sodium 606mg, Calcium 25mg