Asian Quinoa Lettuce Wraps Recipe

I’m always looking for healthy ways to add proteins into my meal making and quinoa is a big favorite of mine. I like how it can sort of mimic ground meat, when flavored well. I first created this Asian Quinoa Lettuce Wraps recipe as an appetizer for a friend’s birthday party and have since been serving it to Colin and the boys as a main dish for dinner. The first time I served it, one of the boys said, “Wow mom, this is actually really good!”

and top with peanuts. The brown sugar peanuts add a nice flavor pop and crunch to the savory filling:

Notes: The quinoa mixture will taste slightly salty on its own, but you’ll find it’s just right once eaten in the wrap, as it needs the flavor to shine through the lettuce wrapping. If you would rather use meat, substitute one pound of ground chicken for the cooked quinoa. Heat pan with sesame oil on high heat, add chicken to pan before the vegetables. Cook for one minute, then add vegetables, soy sauce, and chili paste all at once. Cook until chicken is all cooked, soy sauce and chili paste are beginning to caramelize, and mixture is beginning to slightly brown. You can find Ground Fresh Chili Paste in the Asian food section of most grocery stores. If your store doesn’t carry it, you can order it on websites such as Amazon.com.