Turkey Taco Lettuce Wrap ♥ Week One EatingWell LoseIt! Challenge

While I grew up with a salad at dinner, I had yet to expand my love of lettuce as a carrier for savory fillings. h, you can find the occasional shredded lettuce garnish on Tex-Mex cuisine, but as a taco shell? Now, while I like the option of replacing unhealthy flour or corn tortillas with a healthy green option, I have an issue with the traditional Boston/Butter lettuce cusps.

The first time I made this dish, I used butter lettuce and this time of year, not only are they very expensive (no per pound here, per head....yikes!), they were teeny tiny and split when the filling was added, making a very messy, 4 napkin operation.

I had enough leftover to give it another try and today I bought a head of Romaine.

While the romaine leaves offer much better support for the heavy filling, they were not as sweet and flavorful but the crunch was a nice angle.
Final opinion? I loved the filling and would make it again but my choice of lettuce will have to change, yet again.

I think I would break open an iceberg and use the small leaves near the middle. Simple one bite,  no mess, great crunch option.
Much easier for a child to hold and eat. Good way to start a healthy habit.

Cook's note: I omitted the rice and the sour cream option for a spicy guacamole.

Let's get cooking......

Turkey Taco Lettuce Wrap
From EatingWell:  January/February 2015
 
Easy and fun to eat, this gluten-free, healthy turkey lettuce wrap recipe has zesty Tex-Mex flavor. Serve the lettuce wraps with tortilla chips and your favorite salsa.
4 servings | Active Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup brown basmati rice
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder, preferably ancho
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup canned (or cooked) black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup prepared guacamole
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 12 large leaves Boston lettuce (from 2 heads)

Preparation

1. Bring rice and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer, cover and cook until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, 30 to 40 minutes (see Tip). Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add turkey, onion, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and cayenne; cook, stirring, until the turkey is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Add black beans and cook until heated thorough, about 2 minutes. Serve with the cooked rice, guacamole and sour cream in the lettuce leaves.

Nutrition

Per serving : 492 Calories; 24 g Fat; 6 g Sat; 7 g Mono; 77 mg Cholesterol; 42 g Carbohydrates; 31 g Protein; 9 g Fiber; 590 mg Sodium; 922 mg Potassium
2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 1/2 lean meat, 3 fat