Lettuce Love

Lettuce is kind of boring, isn't it? I mean... I do like salads, but the lettuce is always very much cast in a supporting role. I never eat one and find myself thinking 'what this really needs is more lettuce.'


At the moment I'm alternating my Abel and Cole vegetable boxes so I get mixed fruit and veg one week, and then a salad box the next. But, due to it being in season I guess, this means I keep ending up with lots of lettuce. A lettuce glut, if you will.


So, here are the results of my ponderings on (edible) things you can do with lettuce.


1. Leave it in the fridge 'til it goes brown and soggy. Throw it away and feel guilty.
2. Put it in a green smoothie! It's perfect for this as it doesn't have much flavour but adds lots of water. And you can use the boring middle bit.
3. Make it into a chilled soup. (I've not tried this... cold soup never appeals that much to me.)
4. Barbecue it, apparently!
5. Use the whole leaves as wraps. 


Number five is my current favourite. I've realised I can make a super-quick weekday supper that's actually quite healthy, uses up the lettuce and doesn't taste boring. And you can eat the wraps with your fingers, which saves on that pesky washing up of cutlery.

Obviously, the inside of a wrap can contain whatever takes your fancy. This is just my current default recipe:


Halloumi and Bulgar Wheat Lettuce Wraps


60g bulgar wheat
1 tbsp vegetable stock powder (I use Marigold Boullion) 
50g halloumi cheese (or use flavoured tofu, to make the recipe vegan?)
1 small onion
1 red pepper
6 large lettuce leaves, rinsed


Serves 1 hungry person


Prepare the bulgar wheat by putting it into a large bowl, stirring the stock powder through the dry wheat, then covering with water. Cover the bowl and leave to stand for about fifteen minutes.


Chop up your onions, pepper and halloumi (I prefer tiny cubes of halloumi and bigger bits of pepper, but obviously up to you!) and stir-fry in a pan until the onion and pepper are softened, and the halloumi is browned.


When the bulgar's ready, stir through the chopped veg and cheese.


Load a few spoonfuls into each lettuce leaf and enjoy!

An interesting lettuce fact... it used to be a fairly popular girls name, although it was usually written Lettice. From Laetitia, I think. It's pretty, isn't it?


In non-lettuce news, I've recently started using pinterest. It's quite addictive... You can see my boards, and follow me, here.