Week 87: Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Recipe courtesy of: Fat Girl in a Skinny Body

I know what you're thinking. I can hear you know:

"But, Jennifer, you guys have already made lettuce wraps. Isn't the point to make something NEW???"

This is true. Only these lettuce wraps are different because they're vegetarian. Instead of chicken, they use tofu.

Another important difference was the Peanut Satay Sauce. No lettuce wraps needed...just grab a spoon. I won't judge.

Sidenote: Does anyone else find it horribly difficult to get whole lettuce leaves off of the head that are actually good for holding all the filling? I find this to be SO hard.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
Lettuce Wraps:
14 ounces firm tofu, drained
2 cups diced mushrooms (shitake are best, but any will do)
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup stir fry sauce (I used one from Trader Joe's)
1 tbsp sherry wine vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp brown sugar

1 head iceburg lettuce

Peanut Satay Sauce:
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Combine stir fry sauce, sherry, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until almost translucent, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes then add crumbled tofu. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the sauce.

Cook for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce reduces to a consistency you like.

To make the satay sauce, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Put out at room temperature at least 15 minutes before serving. If the sauce if too thick for you, just whisk in some water.

To serve, place desired amount of tofu mixture in lettuce leaf, spoon on peanut satay and wrap to enclose.

Week 50: Cool Asian Noodles With Tofu, Cashews, and Sesame Vinaigrette

Abby commented that she was looking for a cool-me-down recipe since her classroom has been really hot in the afternoons. This cold pasta dish...almost an Asian pasta salad...fit the bill. We DID make a few minor adjustments.

We used tempeh instead of tofu. This was kind of by mistake, but it was yummy anyway. We just steamed the tempeh according the the package directions, crumbled it in a bowl, and threw it in the bowl with the oils, lime juice, and salt so it could soak up all the yumminess. Through a little research I learned that tempeh is actually healthier than tofu. Since it's less processed, it has more protein and fiber than tofu.

We used roasted peanuts instead of roasted cashews, just out of personal preference.

We cut our carrots a little bigger than "shredded" which turned out to be just dandy.

We also decided that we might use whole wheat pasta if we made this again, and were actually buying spaghetti from the store rather than using what was already around the house.

Year of Yum Rating: 3 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
5 ounces spaghetti (about a 1/3 of a box)
1 carrot, shredded
1 Kirby cucumber, cut into ¼-inch pieces
4 ounces firm tofu, cut into cubes
¼ cup chopped roasted cashews
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
1.Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and run under cold water to cool.
2.In a large bowl, toss the pasta, carrot, cucumber, tofu, cashews, oils, lime juice, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
3.Divide the salad between 2 containers and refrigerate for up to 1 day.