Asian Lettuce Wraps
You are back. I guess this sort of means that we are on our second date. And while I haven’t even asked you to “Go with me” yet, I do have a confession. One of the greatest movie series of all times is Rocky. Now this cinematic masterpiece agreeably “jumped the shark” after Rocky 4 but one of my favorite quotes comes from the second installment. (Rocky 2 was released in 1979 but please grant me poetic license as I didn’t see it until the early 80’s) Before fighting Rocky again, Apollo gets this motivational speech from his trainer, Duke: “You’re number one…Girls love you – Men, old people love you. Young people love you. You’re the best. You’re the man…” You might be asking, “Bob, why do you bring this up now. Seems kind of early to be telling me some of your darkest secrets…some of which I am not sure I want to know.” Well today, we just might make you a champ, a rock-star even. My first recipe will have anyone and everyone falling in love with you. This recipe has loads of flavor, texture, veggies, and carnilicious goodness. Bet you $100 that you won’t be able to tell this dish has no meat in it. (Can’t actually cover that bet, but you know what I mean). This stuff rocks the party, and if you make this dish, you will become a champ just like Apollo. However, if you don’t box, maybe being a rock-star better fits. So go ahead and tape up for your final bout or blow out your hair, put on some spandex, load up on lots of eye-makeup, and make my version of ASIAN LETTUCE WRAPS. Cue “Eye of the Tiger”…
Ingredients
- 1 Lbs. Extra Firm Tofu (pressed and frozen)
- 5 Oz. Pineapple Juice
- 2 Tbs. Fresh Grated Ginger
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves (minced or grated)
- ¼ Cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ Cup Sweet Chili Paste
- 1 Head of Iceberg Lettuce
- 1 Large Carrot (grated)
- 1 Med. Cucumber (sliced thin)
- 5 Scallions (chopped)
- 1 Med. Red Bell Pepper (seeds removed and sliced thin)
- 1 Cup Fresh Basil (chopped)
- 1 Tbs. Canola Oil (for cooking)
- ½ Cup Natural Peanut Butter
- 2-4 Tbs. Sweet Chili Paste
- 2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbs. Fresh Grated Ginger
- ¼ Cup Lime Juice
- 2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbs. Rice Wine Vinegar
- Agave to taste
- Water to thin dressing
Instructions
Pull out your frozen tofu and press it for a second time. If you don’t have time to freeze the tofu or you like a bit softer texture then just give it a good single press. Now, whisk together the pineapple juice, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and chili paste in a mixing bowl. Crumble your tofu into this mixture and allow it to marinate for about an hour.
Meanwhile, wash, grate, slice, and chop your vegetables. Carefully pull apart at least 6-8 whole lettuce leaves and wash them. Put the leaves and veggies back into the frig.
To make the dressing, combine the peanut butter, chili paste, soy sauce, ginger, lime juice, garlic powder, rice vinegar, and agave to make the dipping sauce. Whisk to combine all the ingredients. It may be a bit thick so you can whisk in some water to thin it out. I like my dressing to be the consistency of runny yogurt.
** If you have peanut allergies you could use sesame oil instead of the peanut butter. However, I would put all the ingredients in a blender to ensure that you have a nice creamy sauce.
Drain the tofu from its marinade. Add your oil to a skillet and cook the drained tofu over medium high heat. I use a cast iron skillet because it browns things nicely, but anything you have will work. Cook until well browned, breaking up any large clumps, as you want the consistency of ground meat. Don’t worry if you get some bits sticking to the bottom of your pan. Just add a tablespoon or two of water to loosen them up. The water will create steam that helps remove these yummy browned bits off the bottom.
https://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/asian-lettuce-wraps/Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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