Red Gem Lettuce Wraps

This is one of those meals that feels like assembling more than cooking. Cool lettuce, warm rice, your favorite protein, and a bright crunchy slaw that gets better as it sits. Put everything on the table and let everyone build their own.

Ingredients

Serves 4

From the Market

• 1 head red gem lettuce

• 1 bunch Easter egg radishes

• 1 pint sugar snap peas

• 1 bunch cilantro

• 1 shallot (or substitute onion)

• Blue Moon brown or white rice

• Herdman’s cheese, finely grated

• Curio Spice Taco Seasoning (optional)

• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

• Protein of choice:

  • Ground pork

  • Ground beef

  • Chicken

  • Fish

  • Or another favorite

From Your Pantry / Grocery Store

• 1 lime

Instructions

1. Prepare the Lettuce

Carefully separate the red gem leaves, keeping them as intact as possible.

Rinse well and set aside to dry.

These will become your wraps.

2. Make the Crunchy Slaw

Peel and cut the shallot in half, then slice into thin strips.

Trim tops and bottoms from radishes, cut in half, and slice thinly.

Add shallots and radishes to a bowl.

Season generously with salt and squeeze the juice of 1 lime over top.

Cut sugar snap peas on a bias into small pieces similar in size to the radishes and shallots.

Add to the bowl.

Roughly chop the cilantro and mix in.

Toss everything together and refrigerate for 1 hour, mixing every 15 minutes.

The vegetables will soften slightly and become bright and punchy.

3. Cook the Rice

Prepare Blue Moon rice according to package directions.

Keep warm.

4. Cook the Protein

Cook your protein of choice.

We like adding Curio Spice Taco Seasoning for extra flavor.

Season to taste.

5. Prepare the Cheese

Finely grate Herdman’s cheese and place in a bowl.

6. Build Your Wraps

Set everything on the table:

• Lettuce leaves

• Rice

• Protein

• Crunchy slaw

• Grated cheese

Fill each leaf with rice, protein, slaw, and finish with cheese.

How to Think About This Dish

This is all about contrast.

• Cool lettuce

• Warm rice

• Rich protein

• Sharp vegetables

• Fresh herbs

• Salty cheese

There’s no right ratio.

Build each wrap differently and find the combination that feels good that day.

Market Tip

The slaw method works with almost anything—swap in whatever crisp vegetables are looking best at the market that week.