I love that we have access to more fermented foods now! The kimchi in this recipe is found in fridge aisle near the yogurt and other fermented foods (kefir) in most grocery stores. I found this at Nesters, but they also carry it in Superstore and WholeFoods. These Kimchi lettuce wraps are so simple and take no time to make. Packed with veggies and low in fat and carbs. I kept mine vegan, but would taste amazing with ground chicken or prawns. Also if you would prefer not to use lettuce as the wraps, just chop up the lettuce and wrap everything in a whole wheat tortilla.
A little bit about KIMCHI:
Why to try it: Kimchi (or kimchee) is loaded with vitamins A, B, and C, but its biggest benefit may be in its “healthy bacteria” called lactobacilli, found in fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt. This good bacteria helps with digestion, plus it seems to help stop and even prevent yeast infections, according to a recent study. And more good news: Some studies show fermented cabbage has compounds that may prevent the growth of cancer.** Source:Health.com
WHAT YOU NEED
- Romaine Hearts (I buy the organic bag of 3)
- Red bell pepper
- Sweet Onion
- Garlic and Ginger
- Bean shoots
- Cabbage
- 2 Carrots
- 2 Celery
- Broccoli
- Cilantro
- KIMCHI. I used the Wildbrine brand.
- 1 cup of chopped cashews for vegan option
- 1 package of lean ground chicken or turkey (meat option)
- 2 tbsp of Braggs Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp of peanut butter
- 1 tbsp of Coconut Vinegar (optional, if you don’t have this just use more lime)
- 1/2 lime juiced
- Whole Wheat tortilla wraps to make it more filling (optional)
WHAT TO DO
- Chopped up the onion and garlic and fry in a little olive oil in a large frying pan on low-medium heat.
- Chop up the rest of the veggies into small pieces. This matters:) You could even use your grater or mandolin for the cabbage, carrot and celery. It should resemble a raw slaw before you cook the veggies.
- Add the ground chicken or turkey and cook in the onion and garlic until the meat is cooked. (skip this step for vegan option)
- Add the rest of the veggies and the soy sauce, peanut butter, coconut vinegar and lime. Cook until all veggies are soft.
- Add the cashews (vegan option)
- Add the cilantro and bean shoots and remove from heat.
- Using the lettuce as wraps, place 1/2 cup of filling into each lettuce wrap. Top with a spoonful of kimchi (or more if you like)
- This is where you could chop up the lettuce and just put everything into a whole wheat tortilla to make it a more filling meal.
I hope you like this recipe! It was actually my husband who came up with the idea so I would like to give him some credit:)
xoxo
Rebecca