Shrimp Lettuce Wraps + Sesame Peanut Ginger Dressing

TACOS. There I said it again. I wanted to make tacos again this week (shocker) but I opted for a lighter twist. I swapped out my go-to corn tortillas for big pieces of butter lettuce. In actuality I made lettuce wraps (like I did here) but I used shrimp. They were just as easy to make & fun to eat as regular tacos except I felt a little bit better about the extra helpings.  I loaded mine with veggies & some sesame peanut ginger dressing. Click through to get the recipe for the tasty shrimp I made for these, plus the dressing! Yep you get two recipes today. You can use them together like I did or just make one or the other (ex: make the dressing to serve with salad all week long or make the shrimp & toss with some quinoa).

Ingredients for Shrimp Lettuce wraps

• 1 lb shrimp, deveined, shelled & thawed if using frozen
• 1 lime, zest & juice
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled & grated
• 1 tablespoon white miso (I found this at Trader Joe's in the refrigerated section)
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicy)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra for sautéing the veggies)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalepeno pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• salt & pepper
• 10-12 large pieces of butter lettuce or any other sturdy lettuce like ice berg or endive

Toppings:

• carrots, shredded
• tomatoes, chopped
• onion, sliced
• sesame peanut ginger dressing (ingredients & recipe below)
• sriracha or hot sauce

Ingredients for Sesame Peanut Ginger Dressing

• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled & sliced
• 1/4 cup white vinegar (or rice vingar)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
• 2 tablespoons creamy natural organic peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Make the Shimp Lettuce Wraps

1. In a medium bowl combine the zest & juice of the lime with ginger, miso, pepper flakes, garlic, cayenne & olive oil together.
2. Toss in the shrimp & coat well with the marinade. Let rest for 15-30 minutes.
3. In the mean time prepare the dressing.
4. Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil to a large skillet.
5. Add the red bell pepper, jalepeno pepper & onion to the skillet. Season with salt & pepper.
6. Cook for 5 minutes or until the peppers have softened, stirring occasionally.
7. Add the shrimp to the peppers. Cook just until the shrimp turn white & you can’t see through them stirring occasionally. This will happen quickly  in about 3-5 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp.
8. Remove skillet from the heat.
9. Serve with toppings of your choice using the lettuce as your ‘taco shell.’ They’re super easy to fold. If you want a sturdier wrap double up on the lettuce.
10. Enjoy!

Make the Sesame Peanut Ginger Dressing

1. Combine the shallot, garlic, & ginger together in a food processor. Blend until the pieces are fine.
2. Add the vinegar & pulse until combined.
3. Add the peanut butter & the olive oil. Pulse until combined.
4. Spoon the mixture into a small bowl & fold in the sesame seeds.
5. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. If you want to use this for a salad later on add some more oil & vinegar to thin it our.