zucchini, turkey & mushroom larb with cabbage cups.

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here’s my riff on one of the bon appétit recipes i made this summer that’s been in our regular dinner rotation! i had to document it here because it is worth learning & customizing to your own preferences. man, it is very refreshing, light and so so delicious.

the BA spicy mushroom larb recipe is made up of all mushrooms as the base of the larb. i’ve been adding ground turkey and zucchini to bulk it all up - and because my huz-b glares at me when i try to make meatless meals. he huuuuungryyy.

follow the bon appétit recipe to learn how to brown mushrooms properly. i’ve been cooking mushrooms all stupid and wrong for years.

i can’t say enough good things about the bon appétit brand - safe to say i am fully obsessssT, and have been in love with the magazine itself for a long time. watching the whole brand evolve over the years has been soo interesting, and i feel like i am so “in it,” if that makes sense. like when you’re really familiar with what’s going on in a certain news story or show or celebrity - i’m right there with you, BA! i’m tracking tracking tracking on instagram, healthyish, basically, the podcast, the emails, all of it. if i could pick a “brand” that is killing it right now, i’d say bon appétit magazine.

[disclaimer from the future, 2020: reading this section back of myself singing all the praises of BA is definitely cringeworthy given the very public reckoning that bon appetit has faced over the course of this year. it is safe to say that i have been thoroughly disappointed in discovering their unfair compensation practices amongst beloved staff members. it is a reminder to carefully examine all of the things we think are great, and to really consider the reality of what may going on behind the scenes. this applies to many things that have been brought to light this year - as for my own interests, that includes BA, ellen, and many brands i’ve loved. it is a healthy exercise to be aware, curious, and informed of any dangerous or harmful inner-workings at various companies. i want to fully support the mission behind brands i love before giving them my high praise, or my money. needless to say, all the previous content i’ve written in major support of bon appetit is a bit embarrassing now in retrospect - but it has just been a part of this year’s huge cultural paradigm shift and so many incidents that have opened our eyes to many kinds of injustice. we all need to better examine the content that we each choose to consume and decide if it’s really worth engaging in or supporting.]

{…back to the past, 2019:}

remember when…my girl whitney and i got to tour the test kitchen at the world trade center a few years ago!?🤩

anyway, i’ve come out of my BA love potion stupor for a second to tell you that this larb recipe is simply fabulous!!!!!

so much flavor and texture, and feels so healthy. i love how gingery, zingy, spicy and minty it is, while being so savory & satiating with the turkey, zucchini and mushrooms. i’ve seen all kinds of larb recipes on the internets, but here’s the video that was my gateway to making it at home.

so glad i did! you know how you have a handful of go-to dishes that you make on a weekly basis? this has become one of those around here. especially because it takes kind of a while to go through a whole head of cabbage.

it makes most sense to chop up and prep all your ingredients before beginning to cook anything in the pan.

once you start cooking the turkey or the mushrooms, you need all your other stuff ready to go so you don’t freak out. the zucchini cooking portion is time sensitive because you don’t want it to soften too much.

then at the very end, you fish sauce it up for extra umami saltiness, mint it up, and lime it up, add nuts or seeds of your liking, scoop it up and eat it up! i love all the crunch & flavor and the hot & cool factor. you want the mixture to be salted well since the cabbage or lettuce cups will be raw.

pete and i also like to add some plain greek yogurt on the base of the cabbage or lettuce cup before building your little bites. the greek yogurt really helps to tame the spiciness of the red chiles and all the shallot & garlic! all around, not a traditional asian larb in any way, but these flavor & texture combos just do it for me!

pleeease enjoy.

Zucchini, Turkey & Mushroom Larb with Cabbage Cups

Serves 2-4

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground turkey - browned with olive oil, salt, pepper & red chile flakes

  • 4 small or 2 medium zucchini squash, chopped into 1/4” bits

  • 2 cups quartered crimini mushrooms, stems popped out

  • 2 TB. vegetable oil

  • 6 green onion stalks, chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced

  • 1” knob fresh ginger, grated or finely minced

  • 1 - 2 tsp. kosher salt (to taste)

  • 1 large shallot, sliced into rings - rinsed well in a strainer to tame the bite

  • 1 red fresno chile or 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, sliced into rings

  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves, torn

  • 1 TB fish sauce

  • 1/4 head of green cabbage - cut so that there are several sturdy triangular “cups” (or sturdy lettuce leaves)

  • lime wedges, for serving

  • pepitas, or chopped peanuts, if desired

Instructions-

Chop and prep all ingredients prior to cooking the turkey or mushrooms. Have everything at the ready as it all comes together quickly once the turkey, mushrooms & zucchini are cooked. Keep the cut cabbage triangles chilling in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Add 1 TB of extra virgin olive oil to a large, non-stick pan on medium heat. Add the raw ground turkey and cook to brown, turning and separating it into tiny bits with a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks. Add a hefty pinch of kosher salt, some black pepper and red chile flakes. After about 5 minutes of browning, add an extra dash of olive oil and toss to keep the turkey from drying out. Let turkey drain on a plate with a paper towel.

Use the same pan to brown the mushrooms. Heat 2 TB vegetable oil in the pan on medium-high. Add the quartered mushrooms and toss to gently coat, then cook them, undisturbed, for 5 minutes until the bottoms and sides are browned. Toss the mushrooms and reduce heat if necessary. Let cook a few more minutes.

Add the chopped zucchini to the browned mushrooms. Add a hefty pinch of kosher salt and toss to combine. Let that mixture cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then toss again. You want the end result of the zucchini to be tender, but not mushy.

Add the cooked ground turkey back into the pan with the mushrooms and zucchini around medium to reheat, also adding the green onion, ginger, and garlic. Incorporate everything and heat until fragrant - 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat, drizzle in the fish sauce and stir. Add the rinsed shallot, chile, and lots of fresh mint. Toss to combine. Salt to taste. Add pepitas or peanuts for texture. Serve with green cabbage cups, extra mint, lime wedges, and plain Greek yogurt, if desired.

Enjoy immediately!


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