For celebration of Chinese New Year, Stella requested a theme of Chinese dishes to be cooked up in the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors. So, Charlene prepared three Asian dishes and a popular dessert that you find in Chinese restaurants.

The first dish is an appetizer called Asian Lettuce Cups. Other than lettuce cups, you can also serve the filing in small pita pockets.

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1.5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
• freshly ground black pepper

Filling:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 stalks scallions, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
• 2 cups mixed vegetables (frozen vegetables are fine)
• 1/2 green apple, finely diced

• 1 head iceberg or bib lettuce, leaves washed and separated

Source: adapted from Jaden Hair’s Steamy Kitchen

Prep time: 30 mins;  Cook time: 6 mins;  Serve 4 to 6

Helmut and Lorna worked on this recipe.

Instructions

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add scallions, ginger and garlic and fry for just 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add turkey or chicken, stirring often and break up the ground meat, until cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Add the vegetables, and sauces and let simmer for 2 minutes to heat through and thicken. Mix in the apples. Immediately remove from heat to keep the apples crunchy.

To serve, place a large spoonful of filling in each lettuce leaf. Roll up and enjoy. Helmut and Lorna, thank you for preparing the Asian Lettuce Cups.