Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce Wraps

1 TBS chili garlic sauce

1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

3 TBS soy sauce or tamari

1/4 C hoison sauce 

2 TBS rice vinegar

2 TBS cooking sherry

8 oz extra firm organic tofu

2 tsp canola oil

2 TBS grated ginger

4-5 scallions, greens and whites separated and finely diced

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1/4 C chopped peanuts

1/2 C diced water chestnuts

lg head of Bibb lettuce, leaves separated

Slice tofu into thin layers (or crumble) and allow to drain on paper towels for about 15-20 minutes. You can also use a cheesecloth or a clean dish towel to squeeze the water out by twisting, or a tofu press.

In a medium size bowl, combine the chili sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, hoison sauce, vinegar and sherry. 

When the tofu is drained, crumble it into the sauce and stir well, breaking up any large chunks. Set bowl aside.

Add the canola oil to a large saute pan. Heat pan over medium high heat and add the white scallions, red pepper and ginger. Saute until the pepper begins to soften and the scallions start to become translucent. Add the tofu and sauce, stirring to mix well. Cook for another minute or two, until the tofu has had a chance to heat. Stir in the green onions, water chestnuts and peanuts.

Arrange lettuce cups on plate and add a few spoonfuls of filling to each. You can also serve the filling in a bowl and allow people to fill the cups themselves.

Makes about 12-16 lettuce cups.

Notes: Don't be lazy about draining the tofu. Squeeze out as much water as possible or your filling will be mushy. I grind a large batch of peanuts in my processor and keep them in an airtight container so that I have them handy. 

Vegetable Pad Thai

1 8 oz box Brown Rice Noodles

3 TBS Tamari or Soy Sauce

1 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice

1 TBS Honey, Brown Rice Syrup or Agave

1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Peanut Oil

1/2 C Peanuts, ground

2 Carrots. grated

1 C shredded Red Cabbage

1 C Mung Bean Sprouts

1 bunch Green Onions, diced

4 Shiitake mushrooms, sliced

3 Cloves of Garlic, finely diced

1/4 C chopped Cilantro

8 oz Organic Teriyaki Tofu, cubed

In a small bowl, combine Tamari, Lemon Juice, Honey, Red Pepper Flakes and set aside. Fill a stock pot with enough water to cook the noodles and bring to a boil. 

In the meantime, Add a few tablespoons of peanut oil to a large, deep saute pan. Add all ingredients, except for the tofu, peanuts and cilantro. Saute over medium heat until the veggies start to soften.  Add the tofu, peanuts and Tamari sauce. 

Add your noodles to the boiling water. Be careful to not over cook them! They should only take a few minutes. Drain and add to the saute pan. Combine well with the veggies, sauce and cilantro. Serves 4.

Notes: You can use other vegetables, like broccoli, zucchini, etc. Adjust the spiciness by decreasing or adding more red pepper flakes.