Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps (Larb)

I have a house full of Giada wannabees. I don't know if it's the colorful spotless designer dresses that never show oil splatters, the snappy Italian pronunciations (prosciutto! bruschetta!) or the sunny carefree California parties she's constantly hosting. Whatever the case, my kids love Giada. I mean they love Giada.

Seriously, has your 4-year-old wistfully pined for Giada De Laurentiis to be her mother? Have you, after explaining back to said 4-year-old that Giada seems nice but how sad that would be since then you couldn't be her mother, experienced your 4-year-old reassuring that 'we could still be friends'? Given the opportunity my kids would dump me for Giada in an instant.

Well, in case you haven't heard, Giada spent some time in Thailand recently and this month she's sharing a few Thai-inspired recipes in Food Network Magazine, including one for this yummy Turkey Larb. Since we can't hit the Thai restaurant scene much due to Roo's nut allergies, I'm all for making Thai food at home. Larb is right up our alley, low carb for Mufasa, ground turkey for Roo, limes for the ladies, and most importantly, Giada made it!

But here's the thing. My kids are weird about cooked onion. Basically it makes them gag if they figure out it's in whatever they're eating. So, my strategy here is rather than mince, I slice the onion and shallot. That way, the larb gets infused with lots of flavor, but I can pick out slippery onion bits from the kids' servings before any retching occurs. Win win!

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps (Larb)
adapted from Food Network Magazine

For the Dressing

1/3 cup fresh lime juice
juice of 1 large lemon
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp honey

For the Larb

3 tbsp canola oil
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
Zest of 1 large lemon
1 & 1/2 pounds ground turkey
ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
1 head butter lettuce, separated into leaves
1 or 2 Thai chiles (or serranos), stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced (leave the chiles out until you've served the kids if they can't take the heat) 

Zest the lemon and reserve the zest. Set aside. You're going to need it in a minute for the larb.

To make the dressing, combine the lime and lemon juices, fish sauce, and honey in a little bowl. Whisk it all together and set aside.

Heat the oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, shallots, salt, and lemon zest. Cook about 5 minutes until the onion starts to get soft. Add the turkey, season with more salt and black pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is cooked through (about 5-7 minutes). Add the dressing to the pan and cook a few minutes more. Remove from the heat, stir in the mint leaves and check seasoning. Add more salt and/or pepper to taste.

Spoon the turkey mixture onto lettuce leaves and serve. If you like a little (or a lot) of heat, sprinkle a few raw chile slices on top. Serve with sticky rice and lime wedges.

Middle Eastern Night

Sultan's Market in Chicago is quite possibly my favorite restaurant on the face of the earth. The magicians behind the counter somehow manage to keep the falafel patties superbly crisp even when they're nestled beneath a thick, creamy layer of Jerusalem salad, a hearty squirt of Sriracha, and wrapped in a cozy pita bread hug. The golden chicken shawarma is perfectly spiced, the kefta kebabs succulent, served with zesty onions and juicy tomatoes, and don't even get me started on the baked egg and cheese pie. There have been days I would have gladly traded bodily appendages for a piece of that eggy, cheesy goodness. All that and dinner for two is almost always under twenty bucks.

At home, hummus is a mainstay in the fridge. Bean and Roo like to dip their baby carrots. Looly is underwhelmed by hummus, but she does love a good hunk of feta cheese. I make falafel from time to time but it's usually from a box and the littles rarely try more than a crumble. Even pita is hit or miss with them. Basically, they are not that into Middle Eastern food, which is a complete and utter calamity.

So, in an effort to open the eyes and the mouths of the young to this glorious cuisine, I mandated Middle Eastern Night. The menu was varied but straightforward featuring a few "safe" foods alongside some newer flavors. Pita bread, hummus, garbanzo beans, sliced cucumbers, black olives (Looly's suggestion), and feta cheese are all relatively familiar fare for our crew. Falafel, tabbouleh salad, and Cat Cora's Middle Eastern Turkey Links, a recipe I found in a recent Parenting Magazine, were the floaters for the night.

Looly was anxious to help crumble bread for the turkey links, though not quite as enthusiastic about sampling the finished product.

crumbling bread for the turkey links

 

Overall the night went much as expected. The hummus and garbanzo beans were a hit with bean-loving Bean and Roo, while Looly preferred her plain pita bread above all else. Cucumbers, feta, and black olives were tolerated by all. The turkey links proved a bit spicy for the kids' delicate palates, but Mufasa was happy to take their extras. Bean and Looly sort of liked the zingy tabbouleh, but it made Roo gag. And the falafel? The best I could summon from the crowd was a cumulative "meh". What is wrong with these people?!