- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Difficulty:
easy
- Serves:
4
Crispy-Ginger Tofu Lettuce Wraps
Description
When Tatjana and her friend Leah gobbled these lettuce wraps up before I could cool the recipe long enough to store it, I knew I was onto a winner. This scrumptious, low-carb, vegan dish can also be adapted for you meat lovers out there – just substitute ground pork, turkey, or chicken for the tofu, but be sure to cook the meat until it is no longer pink.
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add to shopping list Ingredients
1 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
1 package Firm tofu, frozen, thawed, drained well, crumbled
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1 can water chesnuts, drained and chopped
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 head lettuce, separated into leaves
Preparation
1). Heat 1 teaspoon of peanut oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the crumbled tofu and brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the tofu onto a plate and set aside.
2). Add the remaining peanut oil to the same pan, and heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, Cook until fragrant, stirring well, about 1 minute. Add the shredded carrots, mushrooms, and green onions, stir well and cover for 2-3 minutes to soften. Stir in the water chestnuts.
3). Add the peanut butter, and stir until melted and mixed in, about 1-2 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce, teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar, stirring frequently. Add the tofu, and stir gently until sauce is incorporated and all the ingredients are coated nicely, another 1-2 minutes.
4). Take a lettuce leaf and drizzle with hoisin sauce (optional), then top with a spoonful of crispy ginger tofu.
Variations: Try with ground pork, turkey or chicken instead of tofu. In addition to browning – make sure the meat is cooked through, until it is no longer pink.
Note: The trick to getting a ground meat like texture from the firm tofu is to freeze it, and defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Small crystals will form during the freezing process that create little caverns in the tofu when defrosted and drained. Be sure to squeeze out any excess liquid before cooking.
Post a Question or Comment
blog comments powered by DisqusReviews
6/08/11
rmay says:
These look fantastic. PF Chang's has a lettuce wrap appetizer that was the first of it's kind that I ever tried -- amazing dish, whichever way you make it. I've made a similar version to yours with ground chicken -- turned out fantastic.
6/08/11
I always double, triple, and quadruple the batch, so I have plenty to freeze for a later date. Prep, cook, and clean-up once for as many meals as possible. Freezes great too (without the lettuce leaves).
6/08/11
Theresa111 says:
Jewels, Thanks for this recipe. My husband particularly likes tofu and this would be a way to see if I might learn to like it as well. I can always prepare a little chicken for mine. It looks flavorful!
6/08/11
I'm not a huge fan of tofu either, but this recipe is still one of my personal favorites - try it. The sauce has so much flavor and the texture is like ground meat - you won't believe it's tofu.
