superfitbabe

I don’t know about you, but lettuce wraps are a pretty damn underrated dish. Most of the time, if I had to choose between lettuce wraps or salads, I’d pick the lettuce wraps. I mean, can you really go wrong with a giant leaf of lettuce with delicious add-ins inside? No, you cannot. Problem is, they’re really messy. I find myself going through an entire paper towel set just to keep my hands clean. But it’s always worth it!

What I love about lettuce wraps is that they’re great for leftovers and they’re great for the super spunky person who doesn’t want to eat boring ol’ salad but still be healthy. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kale and quinoa salads but on other days I just want some tacos. Since I want to add more vitamins and minerals into my meals, I like using a hydrating leafy green instead of a tortilla. I used Romaine in this recipe, but I know a lot of others work as well!

I love Asian-style lettuce wraps the most because they have an amazing, distinct flavor. In general, my family makes lettuce wraps with lots of onions, vegetables, and tofu or chicken. Sometimes we even make the filling Mexican-style to make lettuce wrap fajitas! However, you can pretty much use anything you’d like. If you’re not vegan, you can use chicken, steak, turkey, seafood or whatever you want!

RECIPE (serving sizes will vary, but you will probably have leftovers)

• 1 block organic firm tofu
• 1 pack of Trader Joe’s crimini mushrooms
• 1/2 white onion
• 1 medium green onion
• 1 can of water chestnuts
• 1 tsp garlic, crushed
• 3 heaping TBSP hoisin sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 head of Romaine lettuce, but can also be cabbage, collard wraps, iceberg lettuce, kale, etc. for serving
• Opt: almonds, bell peppers, carrots, cauliflower, corn, broccoli, tempeh, beans, etc.

PROCEDURE

1. Chop up all of your vegetables except for your lettuce.
2. Drain your tofu and gently press the block with a cloth to extract all of the water.
3. Chop your tofu into cubes.
4. Heat a nonstick pan on medium-high heat. If necessary, use coconut oil or sesame oil.
5. Toss the onions and garlic first and stir around until fragrant.
6. Add in the mushrooms, water chestnuts and optional additions.
7. Finally, mix in the tofu and add the sauces and spices.
8. Stir everything around until the sauces have soaked up and the smell fills the kitchen!
9. Serve warm and enjoy with the lettuce–beware, it will get messy!

Team Salad or Team Lettuce Wraps? What are your favorite things to have with lettuce?