Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

Happy Meatless Tuesday. We were out of town for a wedding. It feels  nice to be writing again.

Two weeks ago or so we found vegan Lettuce Wraps on the menu at a local Chinese restaurant. They were made with mock chicken, water chestnuts and what tasted like a perceptible amount of love. They were sinister. The hot and the cold. The crunchy and soft. They hooked me instantly like a needle in my vein. It was immediately apparent  that we would have to learn to prepare these at home or take out a second mortgage to bank roll my inevitable Chinese take-out addiction.

Sandy recreated them and they were spot on except ours were less expensive, made with only a tiny dash of oil. Even better.

Lettuce Wraps

By: S. Boulton

Ingredients:

10 oz of vegan chick’n (I used Gardein’s frozen scallopini filets)

4 oz waterchestnuts, chopped

5-6 Tbsp of Hoisin sauce

Tbsp Tamari (or regular soy sauce)

1/2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1/2 – 1 tsp sesame oil (just enough to coat pan when heated,you can always dab away excess with a paper towel)

12 bibb lettuce leaves, rinsed and drained

Make it Happen:

Lightly pulse chick’n in food processor until it is shredded.   On medium low heat, warm saucepan with sesame oil to coat bottom.  Add chick’n and stir periodically for about 5 minutes to begin to lightly brown.  Add waterchestnuts, hoisin, tamari and rice wine vinegar and continue to simmer about 8-10 minutes until mixture is heated through and seasonings have had time to blend thoroughly.    Divide mixture into 3 equal parts and serve with each portion with 4 leaves of lettuce for diners to wrap their own joy.

Additional optional toppings for wrap could include bean sprouts,

shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, cilantro or any of your favorite crunchy Asian veggies. We topped ours with the Bean Sprout and Edamame Nests for additional crunch and nutritional opulence.

Do you have your own Lettuce Wrap version? Please share.

Have a delicious day.

Tags: compassionate eating, dairy free, Engine 2 friendly recipes, exploits of a vegan wannabe, going veg, healthy lettuce wraps, Meatless Monday recipe, plant based diet, plant strong, vegan challenge, vegan lettuce wraps, vegan wannabe, vegetarian lettuce wraps