Cara Greenstein celebrates intentional and exceptional cuisine in her award-winning food and lifestyle blog, Caramelized, which offers recipes and restaurant reviews, food-focused travel itineraries, and endless tablescape tips. Follow @cara_melized on Instagram for daily inspiration and bookmark her recipes at Caramelizedblog.com

Light and lean, these lettuce wraps perfectly accompany later sunsets and rising temps — a refreshing-meets-enriching bite of protein, leafy greens, and approachable flavors from your pantry. 

Serves 1-2 / Makes four lettuce wraps 

Ingredients: 

  • 4 leaves iceberg or butter lettuce 
  • 6 ounces ground pork 
  • 1/4 yellow onion, diced 
  • 1 garlic clove, minced 
  • 6 baby bella mushrooms, chopped 
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
  • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos (or soy sauce) 
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 
  • Chives, to garnish 
  • Sesame seeds, to garnish 
  • Chili crisp, to garnish (optional) 

Directions: 

Heat sesame oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion and ground pork and cook. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat. After three minutes, add mushrooms and coconut aminos (or soy sauce). Continue to stir until the mushrooms are soft. Then, turn the heat low and stir in ground ginger and salt. Spoon into lettuce boats and season with sesame seeds, chives, and chili crisp.