NC Porch Lettuce Wraps

I found this recipe on The Post Punk Kitchen and have been wanting to try it for awhile! Ask my fiancé, Mark, he'll tell you how many times I mentioned it before today! Ha ha! Let me just say that I should definitely have made this sooner because it is delicious!!

You can find the original recipe here: http://www.theppk.com/2011/07/portland-porch-lettuce-wraps/

I tweaked the recipe a little since the time of year was not right for nectarines in my neck of the woods and I was trying to use more easily found ingredients for my area. ;)

For the edamame pesto: (the original recipe made twice as much pesto than we wanted/needed)
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup packed basil leaves
5 oz package edamame, thawed (preferably shelled so the chopped up shells don't get stuck in your teeth like popcorn kernels)
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the beans:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
4 cloves garlic, minced
Several dashes fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound of asparagus, sliced on a bias (3/4 inch pieces or so)
1 1/2 cups great northern beans, rinsed and drained (a 15.5 oz can)

To serve:
1 head of red bibb lettuce, or similar

Prepare the pesto:
Place garlic and basil in food processor and pulse a few times to get it chopped up. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until relatively smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula to make sure you get everything. Add a little more vegetable broth if it seems too stiff. Set aside until ready to use.

Now prepare the beans:
Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat (cast iron is preferred.) Saute the shallots in olive oil and a pinch of salt until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds more. Season with black pepper and salt. Add asparagus and toss to coat. Cook for about 7 minutes. The asparagus should be a bright Green.

Add beans and toss to coat. Cook until they are warmed through, about 2 more minutes. Taste for salt. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes or so, so that the flavors can meld.

In the meantime, prepare red lettuce leaves. Just peel off the good big ones, rinse and dry them.

To assemble wraps:

Place a few leaves on each plate, spoon in some beans and plop on a nice big scoop of the pesto.

*We found that the bean mixture was amazing by itself as well as with the pesto. And my 20 month old ate it up almost without stopping for breath!