Two for You!

It has been my intention for a while now to post more recipes. I'm trying, really I am!

The first one is easier to make than it looks. Some of the ingredients may sound foreign to you (and they are) but you will find them useful once you have them on hand. For example hoisin and fish sauce are great when thrown into a stir fry. And a stir fry is a cost efficient way to clean out all the leftover fresh veggies in your fridge before they go bad.

In the lettuce wraps below I usually use venison or beef. Sometimes I leave out the lemongrass.

You asked for inexpensive recipes and this fills my PF Chang cravings for MUCH less $$$!


Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Meat Filling
1 ¼ lbs ground turkey
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
2 Serrano peppers, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
3 tablespoons lemongrass paste or finely chopped fresh lemongrass
6 stalks green onions, chopped
1 cup loosely chopped mushrooms
¼ cup loosely chopped water chestnuts
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/8 cup peanut oil

Sauce
2 tablespoons grated carrots
¼ cup fish sauce
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 limes, juice of
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons sugar

To Serve
1 head iceberg lettuce, separated into cups or 2 heads boston lettuce leaves,
separated into cups
¼ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, lemongrass paste, fish sauce, and salt/pepper until thoroughly mixed and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan or wok, heat peanut oil and stir fry green onions, Serrano peppers, ginger, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and garlic until soft (about 4 min.) Now add the ground turkey and hoisin sauce then cook until done (turkey is brown).
3. Chop the fresh herbs and place each in a small serving bowl.
4. To make the sauce: In a small mixing bowl soak the crushed red pepper in lime juice for several minutes. Add the garlic, sugar, and fish sauce and stir to dissolve the sugar. Transfer to s serving container and add grated carrots. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerated, the sauce will keep in a tightly covered container for up to 5 days.
5. To serve: Arrange lettuce on a large platter surrounded by the containers of chopped herbs and sauce. To make a wrap, take the lettuce leaf in hand, scoop a tablespoon of meat on to the lettuce leaf, then add any herbs you like. Add a teaspoon of sauce onto the mixture on the lettuce leaf and roll and eat!


OK. The next recipe may shock you. In my defense I must say that we usually make this ONCE a year on vacation. The recipe is one of Mark's favorites that his mother made through his childhood. And I must say that it is perty tasty!

Orange Biscuits

1 can of biscuits (yes, premade as in not from scratch. I told you it was shocking)

Tang (I know, this recipe keeps getting worse, but stay with me)

Peach preserves


Take each biscuit and roll in dry tang powder until well coated. Place on cookie sheet and make an indention on top of biscuit. Spoon in a teaspoon of peach preserves. Bake according to package instructions.

P.S. Don't try the frozen biscuits. They don't work.