Nutella one day, quinoa the next. This is what I call balance. Tasty balance.
Last week, I had this huge head of red lettuce. After a few days of salads, I worked my way down to the small rounded leaves in the center. I thought they were just too cute to tear apart into another salad, so I thought… lettuce wraps.
This could be a lovely spring appetizer, or a light meal for two. Especially if you’ve been over-indulging lately like we have been.
mushroom & quinoa lettuce wraps
Author: Jeanine Donofrio
Serves: serves 4 as an appetizer (approx. 8 lettuce wraps). Peanut sauce makes about 1.5 cup (you may have extra)
Ingredients
- 8 butter lettuce leaves (small-ish ones)
- ¼ cup peeled cucumber strips
- ¼ cup peeled carrot strips
- ¼ cup crushed peanuts
- serve with extra lime wedges
Mushrooms & Quinoa Filling
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cups chopped mushrooms, mix of shiitake & cremini or whatever you like
- 1-2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
- a squeeze of lime
- a splash of rice vinegar
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- ¼ cup scallions
Peanut Tofu Sauce
- ¼ cup smooth peanut butter
- 5 ounces silken tofu (soft or firm)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 small clove of garlic, minced
- splash of sriracha
- splash of rice vinegar
Spicy Sauce (optional)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (more if you need to temper the spice level)
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- pinch of sugar
Instructions
- Mushrooms & Quinoa Filling: Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Let them cook down, stirring occasionally, about 5-8 minutes. Add a good squeeze of lime juice. Stir in the quinoa. Add another splash of soy sauce and a slash of rice vinegar (about 1 teaspoon each). Remove from heat and stir in ¼ cup scallions. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Peanut Tofu Sauce: Blend all ingredients together in a small food processor. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Spicy Sauce: Mix all ingredients together, taste & adjust
- Assemble everything separately on a platter & assemble as you eat.
Adapted from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
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Mmmmm I love the idea of mixing silken tofu and peanut butter! I can’t imagine how fabulously thick, creamy and delish that sauce must be. I have mushrooms and quinoa on hand so this may just be dinner tonight!
I made these last night. They were HEAVEN! I doubled the quinoa (one cup of quinoa before cooking), and added more peanut and rice vinegar to the sauce, and OMG, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever made. My husband and I ate till we were stuffed, and had leftovers for today. Tip: double the spicy sauce. We ran out.
😀
Can’t wait to eat these again later today!
tasty balance, indeed! I loved the look of both recipes — this is my kind of rhythm! (:
My tastebuds are watering at this! Delicious!
This looks so good….just what I was in the mood for. Thanks for posting.
These are absolute perfection! They look so delicious 🙂
Can’t go wrong with lettuce cups. I’ve never met a lettuce cup I didn’t like. No matter what combo you put into them they always turn out tasting delicious. This quinoa/mushroom combo looks like a goody.
xo Quinn
Quinn Cooper Style
These look incredible! The tofu peanut sauce looks addictive!
These look amazing!! I have been craving lettuce wraps too! Definitely will be making this very soon!
I think you’re reading my mind. I bought quinoa and was thinking what new I could make out of it 🙂
ha, so glad. I know, I myself get in a quinoa salad rut.
Mmm yes, please! This looks awesome!
ha, that is EXACTLY my idea of balance too!! 🙂
Looks amazing, as usual. The tofu peanut sauce sounds especially delicious, and will be hugely versatile. I recently posted a tofu shawarma in lettuce wraps. Must be the seasonal move to lighter, healthier meals. I love filling up on such meals and not feeling a scintilla of guilt. Also, I love the Pin button on your images. 😀
I love making extra peanut sauce to have on hand for other uses, it’s a good one! Thanks for noticing my pin button! I spent more time on it than anyone should spend on something as small as a pin button 🙂
Thanks! Silly me, that bottle looks very familiar!
Where is the best place to find the sriracha? So glad you gave us a recipe for peanut tofu sauce. That is something that one needs in their fridge all the time!
I’m pretty sure it’s in the asian aisle of most regular grocery stores. This is what the bottle looks like: http://www.amazon.com/Huy-Fong-Sriracha-Chili-Sauce/dp/B0002PSOJW
This looks delightful. I like the mixture of textures!
Oh yum!! This looks delicious. I’ll definitely be making this soon.
Tofu peanut sauce…what a brilliant idea! This recipe looks fantastic. I’m going to have to give this one a try!
That peanut tofu sauce. Need!
It’s so good 🙂