A-Z Foods on Monday

L...is for..Lettuce..
Leafy, green, scrumptious, crunchy LETTUCE!
I love lettuce!

Low in calories and rich in nutrients, both Green and Red Romaine are packed with nutrition. It’s an excellent source of vitamin A (notably through its concentration of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid, beta-carotene), vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, manganese, and chromium. With these nutrients and its high fiber, Romaine can contribute to a heart-healthy diet.

love it shredded on Tacos..

a leaf or two on my Hamburger,Please..

 as the basis for my salad..
my preference  is crunchy Romaine..
but a mixture of lettuce varieties  can make a colorful, as well as tasty salad,,

with the addition of tomatoes, cucumbers,peppers, chopped meats,boiled eggs, cheeses..
all topped by a favorite dressing or vinegarette...
the salad side dish now becomes the featured entree..

another recent selection added to the menu is the lettuce wrap..
this is essentially a sandwich in which lettuce has replaced bread.

a healthy alternative, much desired by vegetarians..
L.. is also for Leftovers.. 
as my vegetable and meat leftovers during the week are saved and frozen..
and on the weekend, they become MUSTGOES..
which are plopped into the crockpot to become Vegetable stew!

Another tasty use for leftovers..
Five Spice Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Five Spice Turkey Lettuce Wraps

From Eating Well

Ingredients
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup instant brown rice

2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (see Note)
1 teaspoon five-spice powder (see Note)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 heads Boston lettuce, leaves separated
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil, mint and/or chives
1 large carrot, shredded

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice; reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey and ginger; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, bell pepper, water chestnuts, broth, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder and salt; cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
3. To serve, spoon portions of the turkey mixture into lettuce leaves, top with herbs and carrot and roll into wraps.Serves 4.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: 285 calories, 11g fat, 66 mg cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrates, 26 g protein, 5 g fiber, 543 mg sodium, 390 mg potassium.


Let's grab our forks and head on over to Jen's Unglazed..
for more good L foods!