Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Let-tuce Wrap It Up

I've been laying low do to a (self-diagnosed) pulled muscle in my back, and figured it was the perfect time to try some lettuce wraps. This was before I realized how much time I'd be standing on my feet chopping all the ingredients... luckily no harm no foul, the back's almost back to normal!

Can I get a light over here? :)

These aren't something I've eaten alot of, so I consulted some recipes I had bookmarked and ended up using what I already had in my kitchen.

filling


accompaniments

Asian Lettuce Wraps
Serves 1-2



1T neutral-flavored oil (I use Smart Balance blend)
2T chopped shallots
1T chopped garlic
1-2T freshly grated ginger
1/2 block extra firm tofu, pressed quickly to remove water and crumbled
~1c each, finely diced:
mushrooms (i used a blend of shiitake & baby bellas)
carrots
red bell pepper
bamboo (i had an 8oz can)
cucumber
celery
3T hoisin sauce
1T soy sauce
1/2-1t siracha (to taste)
1/2t toasted sesame oil
1 1/2T rice wine vinegar
1T spicy peanut butter (I used PB & Co's The Heat is On, see Nick's recipe to make your own)
butter lettuce leaves (I suspect cabbage or other sturdy leaf would work as well)
freshly chopped cilantro (I used Fresh Frozen)
chopped peanuts

Heat oil in large skillet/wok. Add shallots, garlic and ginger, saute until fragrant, ~2min. Add crumbled tofu and mushrooms, saute until lightly browned, ~5min. Season with some sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Prepare sauce (I used a small measuring cup) by whisking together hoisin through peanut butter. Add red pepper, bamboo, carrots, and cucumber, followed by the sauce. Stir and saute ~4min. I added the celery in the last minute or two of cooking so it would retain some crunch.

Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowl. Separate lettuce leaves and clean. Assemble wraps by adding filling to leaves and topping with cilantro and peanuts, then devour!


What are your favorite ingredients to add to lettuce wraps???

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your lettuce wraps look scrumptious! Such a terrific combination of ingredients and I love the flavors with hoisin & sriracha!

Dewi said...

I love lettuce wrap very much. THis so delicious Shannon. It just give me an idea what to make for lunch.

Lisa (bakebikeblog) said...

What a great idea - LOVE IT!!

Esi said...

I love turkey and ground chicken in lettuce cups (obviously, lol)

Lauren said...

These lettuce wraps just scream for warm weather! Let's hope it's not too long before we see some :).

Elina said...

I've made lettuce wraps with chicken before... kind of like the PF chang's wrap. They were pretty yummy. Yours look great too.

brandi said...

I've actually never made lettuce wraps, but I should! Every recipe I've seen for them sounds great, and I like the idea of having tons of fillings to choose from

Cara said...

Yum, I love lettuce wraps! I use ground turkey and eggplant in my version. Not so traditional, but definitely bulks it up while keeping it lean. Never tried them with tofu, but since I'm becoming more comfortable with it lately, I probably will!

Adrienne said...

The last time I tried to make lettuce wraps, the recipe I was following called for mint, of which I grow three types. Much to my chagrin, I picked the bubblegum mint instead of the standard spearmint. It was... weird. I'll have to try again, because these look way more along the lines of what I was going for!

Kelly said...

I LOVE lettuce wraps...this looks fantastic!!! Glad your back is almost back to normal!! :)

Joanne said...

Gorgeous photos! I've always wanted to make lettuce wraps but all of the chopping has definitely made me think twice about it. yours look so delicious though! Hope the back is feeling better.

FionaFit said...

These look delicious!

Sarah said...

Oh yum!!! Lettuce wraps are so very delicious. I love that you used spicy PB&Co in the recipe- you know I'm obsessed with the brand right now. I need to try The Heat is On.

I hope your back continues to improve!

Bec said...

wow these wraps sound amazing, I always want to try lettuce wraps but in the winter I always like hot meals!

Diana said...

Now that I'm dabbling in a raw food restaurant, I think I could add just about anything to lettuce and wrap it up! I love the crunch as a contrast to a tortilla wrap.

♥Sugar♥Plum♥Fairy♥ said...

This is delight full and Joanne being ur fren too, am inviting u here for her little party(its her birthday dear -i know that u know dear) which is a suprise party for her ...do leave her a wish in the sprinkles ok.....my feeds arent working so am trying my best to find all her pals to leave her a wish in the sprinkles before she gets there or even after....will ya help too to make it a little sucess....and leave her a wish too?

http://vanillastrawberryspringfields.blogspot.com/2010/02/joannes-birthday-middle-eastern-chicken.html?showComment

Kelly said...

Yum. I love to switch it up. I think the best ones I ever made were a thai-inspired lettuce wrap adapted from a recipe I found in the grit. They are pretty yummy:
http://pink-apron.com/2008/11/thai-inspired-vegan-lettuce-wraps/

Gena said...

I love lettuce wraps! This is a great version.

Reeni said...

These look delicious! I love lettuce wraps but have never made them at home. I need to change that.

ARUNA said...

Those lettuce wraps look gorgeous!!!

Kristen @ Change of Pace said...

Haha I was just searching google for a lettuce wrap recipe! I'll definitely have to try this one. I've never made them which is why I was looking for a recipe.

Jess said...

Ouch! You poor thing--hope that muscle heals quickly. Love lettuce wraps!

chrystad72 said...

perfect!!! I have so some butter lettuce sitting in my fridge now and this recipe looks fantastic! Thanks so much! I love anything in lettuce wraps really. Throwing in some hummus and cukes makes a great quick snack I think. Have an amazing day sweetie!

sophia said...

Yum! So fresh, and so fun to assemble! I think you gave me a great idea for my next bible study lunch meet-up!
I like McNuggets in my lettuce wrap-ups. Why not? ;-)

Kerstin said...

These look so tasty and flavorful - yum! I'm glad your back is feeling better!

MichellePC said...

Oooh, these look great! And such an innovative, healthier alternative to a meat-filled sandwich wrap!

Ricki said...

Your wraps look great--and have inspired my lunch today, I think! :)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Blogging tips