With summer on its way the days are finally getting longer, and while the weather isn't quite hot (yet!) it's time for dinners to get lighter which for me means less carbs. I'm usually happier when stockpiling rice and pasta, but this dish does that magical thing of making me not miss the missing carbs so much. In fact, it’s the only carb-less meal that I actually look forward to.
The saltiness of the terriyaki is perfectly tempered by the cool crisp lettuce, with additional crunch and texture provided by water chestnuts and toasted cashews. Add a few crunchy spring rolls on the side and, honestly, you won't miss the carbs at all.
I like to use turkey thigh mince for this but it works just as well with pork or beef mince.
INGREDIENTS
500g turkey mince
2–3 garlic cloves
spring onions
can of water chestnuts (available in Real Foods)
100g unsalted cashew nuts
250ml bottle terriyaki sauce
60ml (¼cup) Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
good glug ketjap manis (or dark soy sauce) to taste
1 tsp sugar to taste
2 tsp corn starch
white pepper
vegetable oil for cooking
little gem, iceberg or cos lettuce
METHOD
While the nuts are roasting, rinse the spring onions before topping and tailing, and then chop (or snip with scissors) all the way down, separating green parts to one side and white parts to the other
Tip the mince into a medium-sized mixing bowl, or any bowl of an equivalent size that will give you enough room to mix everything up. Toss in a handful of the white bits of spring onion, add the minced garlic, 2 tbsp Terriyaki sauce, sprinkle over 1 tsp sugar and then 1 tsp corn starch. Season with white pepper before mixing thoroughly. Leave to marinade for about 20 minutes.
While the mince is marinading, drain and rinse the water chestnuts. Roughly chop and then stir into marinading meat mixture.
Also while the mince is marinading, take the roasted cashew nuts and crush roughly. Hubby likes to pop them in a freezer bag before taking a rolling pin to them – it's mess-less and very theraputic apparently!
Place a wok over a medium flame and add 2 tsp vegetable oil. When the oil is heated, add the marinaded meat and give it a good toss around the wok before leaving it to cook through – this should take a couple of minutes.
Add the Shaoxing Wine and ketjap manis, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the meat is browned through.
While the meat is finishing cooking, separate the lettuce leaves and then wash and drain them – or give them a good shake – and then pile them up on a plate.
When the meat is browned and looks ready, add another 100ml (⅓ cup) Terriyaki sauce and then taste and season or add more sugar if required. Cook for a further 5 minutes, until most of the cooking liquid has been absorbed.
If you still need to thicken the sauce then add 1 tsp corn starch to 3 tsp water and mix into a paste before adding to the meat and stirring through. Keep it on a high heat for about a minute to thicken.
Plate up the mince and scatter the green bits of spring onion over it just before serving with the lettuce leaves.
There are plenty more recipes, tasty tips and foodie thoughts on Fiona's own blog at www.fifigoesnom.com/
