Food Musings

A Tasty Salad Any Day of the Week!

I don’t go out for Chinese Food very often and rarely do I dine at Chain restaurants at any time (I’m a big fan of locally owned restaurants).  However, when I do partake in a Chain Restaurant that serves Chinese food I usually order their Chicken wrap appetizers as a main dish.

Chicken Wrap appetizers come with big hunks of lettuce and a spicy chicken mixture to the side.  The idea being that you spoon the mixture into a lettuce leaf and make a wrap.

It’s a tasty concept but not very practical since you usually end up eating the wrap as a salad with a fork and knife!

That is the inspiration for this Asian salad.  It’s a combination wrap and salad in one and so easy to make any night of the week.  Healthy and Delicious with those sweet and spicy Asian flavors we all love!  I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did last week.

Spicy Asian Turkey Wrap Salad

Serves 4

• 20 ounces ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 tablespoons *Asian Spice Blend
• 1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce (more to taste)
• 1 head crunchy lettuce, chopped
• Grapefruit or Orange Segments
• Seasoned rice vinegar
• Crunchy Ramen Noodles (uncooked)

In large skillet, sauté the Asian spice blend in both oils.  Add ground turkey and cook until well browned, stirring to break meat into small pieces.
Add water chestnuts, green onions, peanuts and soy sauce. Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.
For each serving, mound the lettuce in individual bowls and sprinkle on the rice vinegar. Mound the meat in the middle and add the noodles and citrus around the sides.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes

*Asian Spice Blend – I keep this blend in a spice jar to use whenever I need:

• 2 tablespoon 5-spice powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 ts cumin
• 1 ts ginger
• 1ts garlic
• ½ ts coriander