It’s a super special week for our dear friend Jaden from SteamyKitchen.com, her newest cookbook Healthy Asian Favorites is out. She’s been working so hard over the past two years recipe testing, writing and shooting her labor of love. We’re so happy for her. Let’s all give her a round of applause and support!

Jaden’s latest book, Healthy Asian Favorites,  is chock full of healthy and easy recipes that you can enjoy everyday. We know how good her cooking is because we tasted practically half the book when we went out to help her on the book last year. Jaden’s cooking is always so approachable, delicious and full of flavor. What’s she’s so good at is taking  classic recipes and making them easy to cook and this time, she’s focused on making them healthy. Seriously, who doesn’t love a cookbook that’s loaded with delicious and healthy recipes. We could all use these recipes every day and throughout the week.

Aside from the Asian classics, Jaden is also very good at creative inventive, fresh and modern recipes. She makes tasty magic with just a few simple and healthy ingredients. This is the kind of cooking that nurtures us every day. Healthy Asian Favorites is a truly wonderful collection of recipes you can trust and turn to on a daily basis.

There’s been a fun round of recipe-sharing celebrations for Jaden’s cookbook this week. Jeanette made Dan Dan Mien Noodles, Maria made Cauliflower steaks with Ginger Soy Sauce, Shauna made Miso Soup and more recipes soon to be shared by Recipe girl and Katies Cucina.

Today we’re sharing Jaden’s fabulous, repeat-fabulous, Thai larb lettuce cups. We just can’t get enough of lettuce cups. They’re so fresh, crisp, satisfying and the perfect way to have fun eating a salad. Be prepared to make a huge batch because they’re so addicting. This is one of the perfect-party dishes that’s so much fun to eat and that leaves you feeling full and happy.

Congrats Jaden on a beautiful cookbook!

hugs,

diane and todd

Watch Jaden’s cookbook trailer that we produced!

print recipe

Thai Larb Lettuce Cups

Yield: Serves 4

Total Time: 15 min

Printed with permission by Jaden Hair, copyright © 2013. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

Jaden's headnote excerpt: Larb is an Asian salad that’s considered the national dish of Laos. It features a sour and spicy warm stir-fried meat on top of cold, crisp lettuce. The dressing is made of fish sauce, spicy fresh chiles, and fresh lime juice. Fresh mint leaves provide a refreshing finish. On the list of my favorite sounds would be the crisp snap crunch of super-cold lettuce as you peel off the layers, one by one. Use iceberg, Boston bibb, or any kind of lettuce that has cup-shaped leaves for this recipe. Keep the lettuce refrigerated until ready to eat.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1/2 pound ground chicken breast
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, very finely minced
• Minced fresh chiles, Jalapeño or Fresno (amount up 
to you)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, leaves separated into “cups”
• 1 handful of cilantro and/or mint, cut into chiffonade

Directions:

1. Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. When hot, swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the chicken. Use your spatula to break up the meat and spread out over the surface of the pan. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes.
2. Push the ground chicken to one side of the pan and swirl in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil. To the oil, add the shallots, red onion, garlic, and fresh chiles and sauté the aromatics until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, and soy sauce.
3. Serve with lettuce cups and herbs.

Recipe Source: WhiteOnRiceCouple.com.

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Recipe Note for Salt: All recipes containing salt are based on kosher or sea salt amounts, not table salt. If using table salt, reduce the amount used to taste.