In Season: Healthier Asian Lettuce Wraps

I was first introduced to lettuce wraps at Chili’s. It was part of their appetizer menu, and they were pretty great. So great that when they decided to remove them from their menu, I actually emailed their corporate office asking for them back…to which they said no. I was thrilled, then, when at a recent lunch at Cheesecake Factory, Candace ordered the Asian-style Lettuce Tacos and let me try them. I was hooked! They became my go-to option, and since they’re on the lighter side, more room is left for cheesecake! Unfortunately, Cheesecake Factory is in Fresno, and that is too far to drive for lunch on a whim.

Then one night when we were getting together with girlfriends, Candace offered to make lettuce wraps. I knew they would be good, but I didn’t know that they would be as great as Cheesecake Factory’s! I sent her a text asking for the recipe since I wanted to make them, and this is what I got.

Ha! Candace is a “bit of this, bit of that” kind of a recipe gal! But for me, the easier and fewer ingredients, the better! So I set out to make these wraps again, but this time simplify the ingredients and write the recipe to share with you!
Many of these ingredients are in season right now (lettuce, carrots, broccoli, cilantro), so it’s the perfect time to whip this up!

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, seasoned, diced and cooked
1 head of butter Lettuce
2 cups broccoli slaw (you can find this next to the salad mixes or make your own!)
1 cup bean sprouts
2 cucumbers sliced or cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Slivered almonds
Pure Sesame Seed Oil
Rice Wine Vinegar
Ginger Sesame Dressing (I prefer Litehouse or Annie’s)

Servings: Can serve up to 9 wraps, depending on how much you put in each wrap.
Calories: 154 per wrap
Fat: 8g per wrap
Protein: 8g per wrap
WW Points: 4 per wrap

Directions
First, cook the chicken in a little bit of olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, until golden brown, then set aside to cool.
Next pull all of your veggies together: Cut your cucumbers, chop your cilantro, and break off your lettuce pieces and rinse them.
Throw your cucumbers, cilantro, brocolli slaw, and bean sprouts in a bowl.
Mix with Pure Sesame Seed Oil and Rice Vinegar until coated, about 3 tablespoons of the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the sesame seed oil. (You just want to lightly dress it.)
Pull your chicken back out, add 1/2 of the bottle of Sesame Ginger dressing, throw in a handful of almond slivers, and mix.
Finally, build your wraps!
YUM! If you want to go another step, you can add some of the other items that Candace suggested: fresh ginger for brightness, Thai chili sauce for more heat, some lime juice for a little kick, and a bit of chopped basil. Either way, they are going to be delicious––a new favorite of mine!

What do you think? Will these make it on the menu this week?