Light and healthy...and no crock pot!

Varying from my favorite crock pot world this week, I revisited an old favorite that we hadn't had in a while. It does take a fair amount of chopping, and eating with both hands (which new parents seldom have available). However I thought I would include it in the blog for those who occasionally have 2 hands free, if only for a few bites (or those with toddlers who eat a variety of textured foods already and want to share an "eat with your hands" meal with them).This mix of ingredients is so strange that whenever I see a few of them clustered together I immediately start craving these...

Lettuce Wraps I lb ground turkey 1 c. walnuts, chopped fine 3 lg carrots chopped fine 1 can water chestnuts chopped 1/4 to 1/2 c.  Asian style sauce (I use a mixture of wok sauce from TJ's, teriyaki, hoisin, oyster, or whatever sauce I have on hand)

I lg head lettuce, either Bibb or Butter works best, but we use Romaine too.

Sesame seeds, crunchy noodles, spicy chili sauce, etc, to garnish.

This is a one pot meal, I just cook things in stages. I brown the ground turkey and add walnuts just until mixed (they don't really need to cook). See this mixture aside in a bowl and cook the grated or finely chopped carrot with a little of the sauce. Add the chopped water chestnuts, meat mixture, and sauce or seasoning to taste. Cook 2 min and serve warm on clean lettuce leaves with garnishes.

Enjoy this meal as a group if possible; it is far more fun shared. Also works great as yummy lunch leftovers (if you have fresh lettuce). Takes about 20 min to cook, and all the chopping can be done with a food processor (I use a hand chopper) which speeds things up considerably.

I have experimented with adding ingredients and I haven't made a bad batch yet...this is just my favorite version so far. (Both my mom and my aunt make killer versions of this, so I have tried to simulate their approach, but of course mine is different each time!)

I think this might make a nice meal to bring over to a new family; it interrupts the flow of lasagna or pasta each night (not complaining, just sayin') and provides lean protein and some good fiber which is great for a mom recovering from birth. And it is not boring!

Have a better version? Give me a shout on Facebook or comment here.