Thai Quinoa Turkey Laab

Laab is a Thai/Lao dish it is traditionally made with ground chicken, beef, or pork. It is flavoured with fish sauce, lime and fresh herbs. The ground meat is eaten by wrapping it with a lettuce leaf. When I was thinking of what to cook for dinner the other night I decided to make a Thai Quinoa salad, but when I was wandering around the grocery store I decided to make a variation of Laab that would be a complete meal, not just meat in lettuce.


Quinoa
2 cups Quinoa
4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt

Soak Quinoa for 1/2 an hour and rinse. Put quinoa, salt and water in pot and cover and bring to boil. As soon as it starts to boil, turn down and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the quinoa goes a bit transparent, except for the spiral sprout. If there is excess water turn off the heat and leave covered for a few minutes, water should be absorbed. Set aside let cool.

1 Tablespoon oil
2 stalks of lemongrass (minced)
450g ground turkey (or chicken)
1 birds eye chilli minced
3 shallots chopped
1 yellow capsicum
1 red capsicum
2 teaspoons fish sauce
juice of 2 limes
1 head of lettuce

Heat oil in a wok, add minced lemongrass, chilli and ground turkey and sauté for  5-7 minutes until turkey is cooked, turn off the heat. Add chopped shallots, capsicum, fish sauce and lime juice and stir. Stir in cooked Quinoa and chopped basil and mint.

For serving wrap Laab in lettuce leaves, fresh basil and mint.