Try this tasty dish that's one of Voyageuse's favorites!Many jaws drop when I profess my dislike for peanut butter and peanut-y foods. Yes – no PB& J’s for me when I was growing up…and no snickers or Reese’s, but oddly, I do enjoy a few Peanut M&M’s every so often. Although I don’t mind peanuts alone, I don’t like them as additives to food and I used to be hesitant about Thai food, since some foods are based on a peanut sauce. So if possible, I order Pad Thai without peanuts and I love Thai Lettuce Wraps. But because the latter is usually too spicy for my taste (blame it on the bland Polish food I’m used to), I decided to make them at home. This recipe is the second I’ve tried and it works for me because it’s easy and I can take out what I don’t like. Note that these make for a great appetizer, but can be potentially messy.
Ingredients:1 head fresh iceburg lettuce (this type works best for this recipe)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger), grated
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced (omit altogether if you prefer very mild wraps)
2 shallots, sliced finely
1/2 cup firm tofu, cut into "matchsticks"; (OR 1/2 cup cooked chicken or pork, shredded, OR 1/2 cup cooked baby shrimp)
1 carrot, grated or cut into thin strips
4-5 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 egg (optional if vegan)
1/2 cup shredded cabbage (red is very good, but any type will work)
3 spring onions, sliced lengthwise into matchstick-like pieces
approx. 2 cups brean sprouts
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
2 Tbsp. fish sauce (if vegetarian, use vegetarian fish sauce)
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce (if vegetarian, use vegetarian oyster sauce)
TOPPING:
1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped if leaves are large
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
OTHER:
2 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
Preparation:1. Place oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, galangal (or ginger), chilli, and shallots. Stir-fry one minute, or until fragrant. Stir-frying tip: add a Tbsp. water whenever the wok/pan gets too dry instead of more oil.
2. Add tofu (or meat/shrimp), carrot, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, and spring onions. As you stir-fry, add the lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir-fry about 1 minute.
3. Push ingredients to the side of the wok or pan, and crack in the egg. Stir-fry the egg quickly, breaking the yolk. Mix in with the other ingredients.
4. Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry briefly (to mix). Remove from heat and do a taste test for salt, adding 1 Tbsp more fish sauce if not salty enough.
5. Cut off the stem part of the iceburg lettuce so it's easier to separate the leaves. Now place the lettuce, the sir-fried filling, and the toppings on your table, allowing family or guests to make their own wraps.
6. To assemble wraps, take a whole lettuce leaf and place 1-2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center. Top with a sprinkling of fresh basil and peanuts. Then wrap it up and eat. (For those who like it extra spicy, Thai chilli sauce can be added as another topping.)
Yield: Depends on how much you want to stuff your piece of lettuce
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Recipe courtesy of
www.eatingwell.com.
