If you’re looking to mix up your routine this is an awesome meal to indulge in! It’s 15 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking. Remember, you can always substitute vegetable oil with coconut, avocado, olive, or sesame oil (depending on what flavor you’re going for). This meal has 29g of protein, 11g of fat, and 31g of carbohydrates and serves four.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 ounces brown rice vermicelli noodles
- 1/2 cup shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 cups cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 limes, divided
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced into 1-inch long strips
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce (or substitute with low-sodium soy sauce)
- 1 head Bibb or Boston lettuce, leaves separated
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Cook brown rice vermicelli according to package directions. Drain the noodles and toss with 1 Tbsp oil to keep the noodles from sticking. Set aside to cool.
- Combine sliced shallot and cucumber in a small bowl. Add the juice of 1 lime and salt and pepper to taste. Let marinate while you prepare the chicken sauté.
- Heat remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger and ground chicken to the skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes or until nicely browned and cooked through. Stir in the fish sauce and remove from the heat.
- Fill the lettuce leaves with equal portions of vermicelli noodles and chicken sauté. Top with shallot-cucumber salad and serve with lime wedges.
A note from the Chef: Explore additional flavors by garnishing your cups with fresh herbs (mint, basil and cilantro are all great choices) or kicking up the heat with a little thinly sliced Thai chili. For simplicity’s sake this recipe calls for tossing the vermicelli in vegetable oil, however sesame oil will add some nice nutty notes to the dish if you’re feeling inspired!
Credit: Habit
