My brother’s wonderful girlfriend, Crystal, taught me how to make these delicious tofu lettuce wraps. Since then, we’ve made them several times and LOVE them everytime we do. Crystal is quite a chef!! If you aren’t a fan of tofu you can always substitute chicken in this recipe…however, give the tofu a try! It is SO tasty and very good for you. This recipe would work well in two ways: larger portions for a main course or smaller portions for an appetizer or first course. Yummy!
Ingredients:
1 package Firm Tofu (buy Extra Firm if it is available), cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup vegetable oil, for frying tofu
1 teaspoon sesame oil
6 green onions, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
¼ cup Hoisin Sauce (available in the Asian section of most grocery stores)
A few dashes of low-sodium soy sauce or to taste (if you have regular soy sauce just use a little less)
A few dashes of rice wine vinegar or to taste
½ cup water chestnuts, chopped roughly
1 cup slivered carrot
1 cup bean sprouts
½ cup shelled edamame beans (we buy them pre-shelled in the frozen section at our grocery store)
1 head butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce
Directions:
1. Allow cubed tofu to sit on paper towels to drain excess water for 20-30 minutes. This will help it to cook faster in the oil.
2. In a wok or other heavy-bottomed pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Cook tofu until golden browned (about 7-10 minutes).
3. Remove tofu from pot and place on a paper towel to drain oil. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the tofu.
4. Add onion to oil and turn down heat to medium. Cook until onion is softened, then add garlic and ginger and cook for about a minute.
5. Next, add Hoisin, soy sauce, and vinegar. Stir and then add remaining veggies and allow to cook together for about 1-2 minutes.
6. Toss sesame oil in and stir once more.
To serve: Pile tofu mixture into lettuce like a taco and serve.
Tip: If the veggie mixture has a lot of liquid you can add corn starch and water very slowly into the pot. Follow directions on the corn starch box for further instruction.
Enjoy!!!
