Name: Asian Lettuce Wraps with Miso Roasted Kabocha Squash
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 large kabocha squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed; 2 tbsp white miso; 2 tbsp maple syrup; 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 4 tsp low sodium soy sauce (Sub coconut aminos if strict paleo); 4 tsp rice vinegar; 1 pinch cayenne pepper; 2 medium heads butter lettuce (can sub romaine, chard); 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey; 2 tbsp avocado oil; 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced; 2 tsp garlic, minced; 2 tbsp rice vinegar; 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (sub coconut aminos if strict paleo); 1 tbsp coconut sugar; 2 tsp sriracha; 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 1 tbsp yuzu hot sauce (Plus extra for serving); 2 large carrots, cut like matchsticks; 5 green onions, greens and whites thinly sliced; 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup jicama, cut similar to carrots; 3 tbsp Thai basil, finely chopped; 1 avocado, thinly sliced ((Optional))

Lettuce wraps inspired by flavors of Japan and Thailand. Miso roasted kabocha squash, ground turkey cooked with aromatics, crisp fresh veggies, and avocado are all topped with yuzu hot sauce and toasted sesame oil! These are impressively nutritious, damn tasty, and you will not believe that eating healthy can taste this good. These also happen to be naturally gluten free, dairy free, and paleo friendly. #winning

The Inspiration for this lettuce wrap Recipe

After spending four delicious and indulgent days in Las Vegas, where I experienced AYCE sushi, high-end buffets, pastries, gelato, sweet drinks, and all the carby cheesy things I could find… I was more than ready to get back on track. I craved feeling normal again, jumping back into my CrossFit routine, and eating vegetables. (Vegetables? Who dat?) So, on my way home from Las Vegas, I brainstormed all of the flavors I wanted to incorporate into a fresh, healthy, and delicious (always delicious!) recipe. This came out better than I ever could have dreamed of.

This is inspired by my favorite flavors from:

Japan

Miso: (Salty, savory, umami-rich Japanese fermented soybean paste. You can learn more about it here.)

Yuzu: (Japanese citrus that goes well in marinades, dressings, and cocktails <-I had the BEST yuzu cocktail with sushi in Tokyo. You can read more about yuzu here.)

Thailand

Ginger, Thai basil, toasted sesame oil; some of the best things that make Thai food so delicious.

Special Guest: Yuzu Hot Sauce

Whenever I go grocery shopping, I’m always on the lookout for something that piques my interest. Whether it be unique, an ingredient I’ve heard of but never used, or something that just looks rather interesting. Many months ago, I came across this Yuzu hot sauce while at Trader Joe’s. (TJ’s is an incredible place for cool food finds! Keep your eyes out, because they’re constantly cycling through new items. Black garlic was another favorite that comes to mind.)

Anyway, the Yuzu looked interesting, and I was intrigued by the sweet, spicy, sour, and citrusy description. So, I brought it home without any idea for what I would do with it. And then? I forgot about it for months. Nothing seemed like a good recipe to add it to until… these lettuce wraps.

The Components in these lettuce wraps

-Roasted Kabocha Squash

My love of kabocha squash runs deep. This Japanese pumpkin is the perfect combination of sweet, starchy, and squashy. It can be fried, roasted, added to soup… there’s just so much versatility. These miso roasted squash cubes go well in wraps, salads, with eggs for breakfast, on their own straight from the fridge…

-Ground turkey

Lean protein cooked with an assortment of aromatics.

-All the crispy fresh veggies

Carrots, green onions, red bell pepper, jicama

-Butter lettuce wraps

My personal favorite for wraps, but romaine or chard would work too.

-Avocado

Makes almost anything better

-Yuzu Hot Sauce

-Toasted Sesame Oil

-Thai Basil

Asian Lettuce Wraps with Miso Roasted Kabocha Squash

Lettuce wraps inspired by my favorite flavors of Japan and Thailand. Ground turkey cooked aromatics, miso roasted kabocha squash, crisp fresh veggies, and avocado are all topped with yuzu hot sauce and toasted sesame oil!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 6 people (about 3 wraps per person)

Author Lindsey

Ingredients

Roasted Kabocha Squash and marinade:

1 large kabocha squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
2 tbsp white miso
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
4 tsp low sodium soy sauce Sub coconut aminos if strict paleo
4 tsp rice vinegar
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

2 medium heads butter lettuce can sub romaine, chard
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
2 tbsp avocado oil
1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce sub coconut aminos if strict paleo
1 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tsp sriracha
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp yuzu hot sauce Plus extra for serving
2 large carrots, cut like matchsticks
5 green onions, greens and whites thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup jicama, cut similar to carrots
3 tbsp Thai basil, finely chopped
1 avocado, thinly sliced (Optional)

Instructions

To roast kabocha squash:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together ingredients for kabocha marinade. Once smooth, add kabocha squash cubes to bowl and toss until coated. Pour onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 40 minutes, tossing halfway through.

For lettuce wraps:

In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, coconut sugar, and sriracha. Set aside.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add avocado oil, onion, and ground turkey. Use stirring spoon to break turkey into small pieces and stir occasionally. Cook uncovered for five minutes, then add ginger and garlic. Continue cooking until turkey is crumbled and barely has any pink spots, then add in rice vinegar sauce. Stir to coat completely, and cook uncovered for three minutes, tossing occasionally, until the sauce is mostly absorbed. Remove from heat, and drizzle with sesame oil and Yuzu sauce. Let cool.
In a large bowl, combine chopped carrots, green onions, bell pepper, jicama, Thai basil, cooled turkey and juice. Toss everything until combined.
To serve, top a whole butter lettuce leaf with a scoop of the turkey mixture, a few pieces of roasted kabocha squash, and a slice of avocado (if using). Then drizzle with additional toasted sesame oil and Yuzu sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

I buy my toasted sesame oil at Trader Joe's.

Kabocha squash recipe adapted from Ful-Filled.