spicy diet OR asian beef lettuce wraps

I've been doing this wild diet.

Lots of fresh veggies and fruit- which I usually love.  But I can only handle salads for lunch every day for a limited amount of time before I get bored.  I am used to making the grain the star of the show at dinner- but since I'm abstaining for a season- it's hard for me to make veggies full of that same flavor.  Truthfully, speed and ease is also an issue.  I like to be able to make dinner in about 30-45 minutes...sometimes to really inject some oomph into veg it takes a bit longer.  The food I've been making is yummy, but has not had as much flavor as I am wishing for. 
I've added fresh herbs. 
Lots of citrus. 
Tried eating raw.  Or with a reduced sauce.
But nothing seems to quench that burst of flavor I've been wanting. 

Then I found this recipe and decided to try it for dinner one night.  The heat, the spice, the crunch.  Everything came together perfectly.  Kismet.  My tastebuds were screaming for more!  I made another batch and secreted it into the back of the fridge to save exclusively for my lunches for the next few days.  Selfish?  Maybe- but also necessary. 

This wonderful recipe taught me the value of chili garlic paste and how a little spice can actually make "diet food" super delicious.

ASIAN BEEF LETTUCE WRAPS
from The Comfort of Cooking

Yield: Serves 4 (3 wraps each)

Ingredients:

12 leaves lettuce (iceberg, romaine, Boston or green leaf)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1-2 Tbsp. chili sauce *
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
4 green onions, chopped

Directions:

Gently rinse lettuce leaves and pat dry, careful not to tear them. Set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add bell pepper and onion, cook 3 minutes. Add ground beef and cook 5 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Drain grease and return pan to stovetop; reduce heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic, soy sauce, hoisin and chili sauces, ginger, rice vinegar and honey. Cook until sauce has thickened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in green onions.
Spoon meat mixture into a medium bowl and place on a large serving platter. Arrange lettuce leaves around the bowl and serve.
Enjoy!

* This is a thick red paste with medium-high spice, made from red chilies, vinegar and salt. It can be found in the Asian or ethnic sections of most grocery stores.  One tablespoon was about my heat limit!