The Low-Carb Phenom is Back: Lettuce Wraps 2.0

I can remember being on a date in college and ordering lettuce wraps as an appetizer at P.F. Chang’s. My date had the “but where’s the bread?!” look on his face, but ate three regardless. (They looked a little like the photo below. Only the recipe below from Steamy Kitchen uses green apples … sounds fantastic!)

That was nearly 8 years ago. Today, lettuce wraps are taking new form. You don’t have to use Iceberg lettuce anymore. Whip out your red cabbage, romaine and any other leaf you can find. It’s not just an Asian restaurant thing anymore either. Grill up any combination of meat, chicken salad, tuna salad, whatever. I’ve even seen a recipe called the “Inside Out Sandwich” that stuffed a lettuce wrap with bread. Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of a lettuce wrap? I digress.

Anyway, making a sandwich or a wrap out of a vegetable is a fantastic concept. You cut out a lot of unnecessary calories and add a ton of nutrients. But you don’t feel full if you don’t eat bread? Stop it. Some recipes I’ve found include rice. You’ll be fine. Plus, if you have any special dietary requirements, or have to feed someone who does, these are almost naturally gluten-free recipes. Some can be made entirely vegan, too.

With Labor Day weekend coming up, I thought it might be a good idea to start thinking about party food. The usual suspects – burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs – are getting a little old in my house. And with my little guy (my nephew) coming over (who has Celiac disease and isn’t thrilled about it), I’m going to need to make some fun gluten-free options. So I think this year I’m going to mix it up. I found this recipe that uses ground turkey, which I already love, from Melanie at Melanie Makes. Possible contender for my bash this year.

With my famous turkey burgers, chicken chili and fruit kabobs will come lettuce wraps this year. I hope it’s not too crazy to please even the pickiest of eaters. You know who I mean. The ones that can’t have their food touching, are disgusted by all things cheese, and can’t touch raw meat without puking. Yes, they all live with me.