I am fully aware that my camera-phone desk-lunch picture leaves something to be desired– but just go with me on this.
As a lover of all things lettuce-wrapped, spicy, and vinegar-y, when I saw this recipe, I knew I needed it in my life. Of course, I can’t do anything by the book, so I changed it up a bit. AND I’m happiest when I’m charting and logging and office-supply-ing, so I worked out the calorie info for the ingredients I used.
Buffalo Wing Chicken Lettuce Wraps
1 lb ground chicken
½ c. onion
½ c. finely diced carrots
½ c. grated zucchini (I had some leftover from another dish I was making, so why not?)
6 tbsp Louisiana Wing Sauce
Garnish: lettuce cups, diced celery, bleu cheese crumbles
Throw everything in a pan except the sauce. Cook it until the chicken is cooked. You can use whatever kind of oil you like to use if you’re into that. I am watching calories pretty intensely, so I used a smidge of cooking spray to keep business non-stick. Drain meat if it needs draining. Mine didn’t. Pour on sauce. Serve in lettuce cups with sliced up celery and bleu cheese crumbles for garnish.
Makes 3 cups – ½ c. servings (so 6 servings total). Including 1/8 c. of reduced fat bleu cheese crumbles, each serving is 210 calories. That’s cool if you’re having it with a side. For my lunch, I just ate lettuce wraps, so I had 2 servings. I went a bit light on the bleu cheese, so I came in at a 375 calorie lunch. Not too shabby. I like a lot of lettuce, so I will take a full lettuce leaf, spoon a teaspoon or so of the chicken mix in the cup, a heaping teaspoon of celery and a scant teaspoon of bleu cheese crumbles. Wrap, insert into mouth until consumed. I would also like to note that lettuce wraps are not a great food to eat, like, in front of people you need to respect you later. There is no way to be dainty. But I think I got about 6 wraps out of this serving. My belly is full, my mouth is happy. I will make these again and again. I think next time I’ll also add some spinach to the chicken mix to bulk it up and stretch it out a little.
The Petulant Dieter 