Quick Lettuce Wraps

Thanks to a generous invitation, we enjoyed a long, relaxing weekend in Maine with a great group of friends.  Long days on the beach, plenty of fresh air, and of course lots of seafood!  

Lobster, whether served chilled in a hot dog bun (called a "lobsta roll") or cracked out of a steaming shell, is a classic Mainer meal.  Chowda is another local favorite, which is a delicious combination of cream, potatoes, bacon, and the obvious...clams.  Yum.

Back in Jersey, we were in the mood for some bold flavors, but also something light (lobsta is also served with butta & Mainers also love their blueberry pie).  Cooking Light has a lot of recipes that fit this bill, and are surprisingly tasty despite the reduction in tasty tasty fat. 

We settled on a lettuce wrap recipe that featured tofu, fresh veggies, and a spicy peanut-hoisin sauce.  The watery crunch of the crisp lettuce gives the meal a natural lightness.  

The bold Asian flavors of this dish help you forget about the missing bun bread, tortilla, etc. (or in this case, even the meat).  If you don't like tofu, feel free to swap in finely diced chicken breast.  But give tofu a chance...we're still learning to appreciate it.  One tip is to buy the extra-firm tofu, which improves its texture substantially.

Recipe

Ingredients

Sauce:

1 tsp canola/safflower oil

1 T minced shallot (or sub red onion)

1/3 cup water

2 T peanut butter (preferably the 'natural'/non-Skippy kind)

4 tsp hoisin sauce

Dash crushed red pepper, or more to taste

1 T fresh lime or lemon juice

Filling:

1 (14oz) package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled [see note in directions]

1 T. dark sesame oil

6 green onions, thinly sliced in 1" pieces, divided

2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

3 T soy sauce

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 tsp agave (or 2 tsp white sugar)

1/2 tsp Sriracha, or more to taste

1 cup carrots, julienned

2 cups rice (served hot)

8 lettuce leaves (select fresh, undamaged lettuce; Bibb, Green Leaf, and Romaine are good options)

Directions

1. Cook the rice.  Wash and dry the lettuce leaves.

2. Spread crumbled tofu in a single layer on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 20 minutes, pressing down occasionally.

3. To prepare sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add canola/safflower oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots/onions, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add 1/3 cup water and peanut butter, hoisin, and red pepper flakes, and stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in lime/lemon juice.

4. To prepare tofu sauté, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of the green onions; sauté 1 minute. Add tofu; sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro, soy sauce, ginger, sugar, and Sriracha; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in carrots and remaining green onions.

Serve with rice, peanut-hoisin sauce, cilantro, and lettuce leaves.  Spoon a little rice onto each lettuce leaf, then top with a couple big spoonfuls of the tofu mixture.  Add the peanut-hoisin sauce and sprinkle with cilantro.

Hope you enjoy this delicious dish just as much as we did.

-Jeff

A little more love for/from Maine:

For the original recipe, check out the Cooking Light recipe link.