Spiced Lettuce Wraps, Moroccan Style

Worth keeping to be introduced to new flavor combos.

This past weekend I stopped over to my sister Julie’s for a speedy hello and I was instantly greeted with the most intoxicating smell. I couldn’t put my finger on it, I could smell onions cooking with garlic and spices and all I knew at that moment was that I had to find out what she was making asap!

Never mind my daughter and I only had lunch and that I wasn’t even hungry. I was not about to leave my sisters without a taste… and the recipe. Julie then handed me a spoon and I went for it.

I tasted ginger, a mixture of spices and a little sweetness from raisins. It was crazy-good! The first thing that came out of my mouth after swallowing my bite was “MMMMM! This makes me want to wrap it in lettuce!”

So I did.

Now as you know this is hardly authentic, but it’s satisfying and sooooo straightforward.

Start by chopping a yellow onion, you’ll need about 1 cup.

Smash, peel and mince up 1 large clove of garlic.

Peel a small-ish piece of fresh ginger…

…and mince up two teaspoons.

Chop up enough raisins and peanuts {or pistachios or cashews} to equal 1/2 cup each.

Heat up a large skillet and add in a tablespoon of grapeseed or olive oil.

Once the oil is glistening in the pan, throw the onions in…

Throw in the garlic and ginger, toss it all in the oil and cook for 5 minutes or so or until softened.

While the onions, garlic and ginger are cooking; coarsely chop 8 ounces of cremini or white button mushrooms. As you can see I should have used a larger cutting board. Typical.

Once the onions are soft and translucent…

Add in the chopped mushrooms…

Stir and cook for 4 to 5 minutes…

Until the mushrooms have shrunk a bit.

Spoon the onion/mushroom mixture out of the pan and into a small bowl.

Add a teaspoon more of oil and add in the ground turkey, beef, chicken or lamb. Fee free to use whichever you like, it’s completely up to you!

Once fully cooked, drain majority of fat and season with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom and 1/4 teaspoon ground clove.

Add the onion/mushroom mixture back in…

…along with the chopped raisins…

…and 1/2 cup chopped peanuts or cashews.

Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

I also added a heaping tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley. Use chopped cilantro or mint if you have it… for some green.

I wish you could smell this. Strike that… I wish you could taste this. SO worth the pot. I’ve always had a thing for lettuce wraps. It has something to do with the cool, crispy lettuce wrapped around a warm well-seasoned filling. And of course there’s the whole eating with my hand bit.

And these moroccan spiced lettuce wraps do not disappoint. They are bursting with flavor and so incredibly healthy. Every single bite is filled with a subtle sweetness from the raisins, robust spices and nuttiness from the roasted nuts. It’s a harmonious union of satisfying flavors. Dependable for lunch or dinner.

This moroccan spiced lettuce wraps recipe makes quite a bit leaving me with leftovers to enjoy for lunch all week long. Brilliant.

Enjoy! And if you give this Moroccan Spiced Lettuce Wraps recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

My cookbook: 120 Wholesome From-scratch Recipes Made Straightforward is now available! CLICK HERE for details and THANK YOU in advance!

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