Ground turkey works so well in Asian-inspired dishes like this. It has a mild flavor so it soaks up all the flavors of the dish. This meal feels like something you’d order at a restaurant, but it is so easy to make at home! The basil and red bell pepper make this a beautiful dish and the sesame sauce packs a real punch of flavor that will leave you wanting seconds. Reprinted with permission from Fast & Flavorful Paleo Cooking by Amanda Torres, Page Street Publishing Co. 2020. Photo credit: Jean Choi
1mediumred bell peppersliced into bite sized strips
1mediumonioncut into thin half moon strips
4clovesgarlicminced
1cupfresh basilchiffonade cut, see notes
butter lettuceoptional
Instructions
To make the sauce, in a small bowl, mix together the lime juice, coconut aminos, sesame oil, ginger, sesame seeds and sriracha sauce (if using).Set aside.
To cook the turkey, heat a large skillet for several minutes over medium heat until hot. Add the avocado oil and swirl to coat the pan.
Crumble the ground turkey into the pan with the salt and cook until it’s mostly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the bell pepper and onion and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute,and then add the sauce and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil.
To serve as lettuce cups, remove the leaves from the butter lettuce and place 2 to 4 on each plate. Fill each with a few tablespoons of the turkey.
Notes
To make toasted sesame seeds: heat them in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. They will brown and become fragrant as they toast.To perform a chiffonade cut for the basil leaves, stack them on top of one another then roll them up from stem to leaf tip. Cut the roll crosswise into thin strips.