Last week, someone asked me what I predicted the big food trends of 2016 will be. I thought that was a really fun question! I usually see a ton of articles about it this time of year, but I haven’t seen many at all this time around.

My predictions for the top food trends of 2016 – based solely on my current cravings and the ingredients that have been inspiring me lately – are: 1) meatballs; 2) Thai flavors; 3) whole grains used in interesting ways; and 4) Nordic-inspired cuisine.

I’m drooling just thinking about it – I have a feeling that 2016 is going to be a very delicious year.

I’ve been making these Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps a lot lately. They’re super easy, versatile, and jam-packed with flavor. They started as something that I just threw together on a busy weeknight, but I eventually realized I should probably photograph them and share them here. I know you’ll love them just as much as I do!

The first time I made these Thai lettuce wraps I used ground pork. The flavor was incredible, but they were a little greasy. Since then I’ve found that I prefer to use turkey which, to my surprise, has just as much flavor. I season them with Thai seasoning, fish sauce, and a little chili paste, then top them with cashews, scallions, and lime juice. If you like a little extra crunch, you can also add some chopped water chestnuts into the turkey.

This recipe comes together in practically no time, so it’s perfect for weeknights. If you’re looking to make things even easier on yourself, you can also prepare the filling on Sunday and then reheat it later in the week. It also freezes well for a convenient make-ahead meal (if you don’t have fresh lettuce, the filling is also delicious over rice.)

For more lettuce wrap ideas, try: Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps // Ground Chicken and Eggplant Lettuce Wraps // Avocado Tuna Lettuce Wraps // Duck and Shiitake Lettuce Wraps

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Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Lauren Keating

Equipment

• Thai Stir-In Seasoning

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ onion chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 4 ounces crimini mushrooms chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups cole slaw mix
• ½ bell pepper diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons Thai seasoning paste
• 1 tablespoons chili sauce optional
• ¼ cup water chestnuts optional
• 1 lime juiced
• Green leaf lettuce chopped cashews, and scallions for serving

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
• Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the mushrooms, cole slaw mix, bell pepper, fish sauce, Thai seasoning, chili sauce (if using) and water chestnuts (if using). Stir until combined. Cook 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice.
• Serve the turkey filling in lettuce leaves. Top with cashews and scallions, as desired.

Notes

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It snowed this weekend. Not flurries – I can live with those. I’m talking about big, fat snowflakes. They didn’t stick, but they did incite some yelling and a few not-so-nice words. I guess summer is really over.

On the plus side, that means I can finally share this recipe for pot roast stuffed baked potatoes. I photographed it back when it was still way to nice outside to be at home with the oven on all afternoon, but it’s perfect for this time of year. It’s pretty much the ultimate cozy weekend comfort food.

I’ve always been a huge fan of pot roast – I grew up eating it every week – but serving it stuffed inside of fluffy baked potatoes was a new idea for me. It makes so much sense though! It’s so easy to overeat when you serve pot roast over mashed potatoes, but this way it’s like built-in portion control. You get one baked potato and about 1/4 cup of pot roast – just enough to leave you satisfied but no stuffed.

The pot roast recipe I’m sharing here is full of delicious, earthy flavors like caramelized onions, mushrooms, and red wine. I also throw in a palm full of whole black peppercorns. They soften as they cook and give you little bursts of peppery flavor as you eat. In my world, no pot roast is complete without them.

A generous splash of balsamic vinegar stirred in at the end adds a touch of bright flavor to the recipe. I also love to top it with gremolata, a mixture of finely chopped parsley, lemon zest, and shallot. It picks everything up and prevents the flavors of the dish from getting to muddled. A dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt is also a welcome addition.

Since you’re putting to much thought and care into the pot roast, it’s important to make sure your baked potatoes are perfect, too.

For baking, Idaho® Russetts are a perfect choice. They’re low-moisture, so they bake up nice and fluffy inside and the skins get shatteringly crisp.

I rub the potato skins with oil and sprinkle them with sea salt to highlight the flavor of the skins, then bake them directly on the rack of my oven. They take about an hour, which means if you add them when the pot roast is halfway done everything will be ready at the same time.

For more potato recipes, try this, this, or this.

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Pot Roast Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Gremolata

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours

Servings 6

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds chuck shoulder
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¼ cup red wine
• 1 ½ cups low sodium beef stock
• ½ cup water
• 6 Idaho® Russett potatoes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• sea salt
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 lemon zested
• 1 small bunch parsley chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• sour cream for serving if desired

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 400ºF. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
• Set a large oven-proof pot over high heat. Add the oil. Cook the beef for 5 minutes on each side, or until deeply browned. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and cook 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms, rosemary, peppercorns, and tomato paste; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the beef to the pot; add the beef stock and water; bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven.
• After 1 hour, poke the potatoes several times with a fork. Rub them with the vegetable oil and sprinkle them with sea salt. Place them in the oven, directly on the rack.
• After another hour, check the potatoes for doneness – the skin should be crispy and the insides should feel tender. When the potatoes are done, remove them and the pot roast from the oven. Use two forks to shred the pot roast; it should be very tender and fall apart easily.
• Stir in the balsamic vinegar and let the shredded meat rest in the pan juices for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the gremolata by mixing together the lemon zest, parsley, and garlic cloves.
• To serve, cut a slit in the center of each potato, lengthwise. Gently squeeze the opposite ends toward each other to help it open up. (If necessary, you can use a spoon to scoop out some of the inside of the potato.) Spoon about 1/4 cup of pot roast into each potato. Top with gremolata and sour cream, if desired.

I developed this recipe for my client, Idaho® potatoes. Be sure to check out their web site for tons of amazing potato recipe ideas!