Lettuce wraps are great for a light meal. They're also a good substitute for flour tortillas or lavash-style wraps, to cut back on carbohydrates.
When you think about making lettuce wraps, consider leftovers you have on hand. Just about any vegetable or chicken, pork or beef can be used. Steamed shrimp is also a nice addition.
Today's recipe for Fresh Vegetables and Noodle Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin feature crunchy carrots and bell pepper mixed in with soft napa cabbage and noodles.
The recipe calls for rice noodles. To cook them, simply soak the dried noodles in boiling hot water for a few minutes, or until softened. Rinse and drain well.
Using butter or bibb lettuce leaves is best because they are softer and more pliable. The softer lettuce makes it easier to hold and, if you like, to roll up.
If you want to serve these as an appetizer, use the Little Gem lettuce. The Little Gem are like a tiny version of a romaine and butter lettuce mix.
I like them because nearly every leaf is uniform in size, making it easy to use for appetizers.
As a dipping sauce, serve these with hoisin sauce -- an Asian-barbecue sauce of sorts. Most grocery stores carry it in the Asian food aisle. Substitute your favorite Asian-style dipping sauce if you like.
Fresh Vegetable and Noodle Lettuce Wraps With Hoisin
1/2 cup peeled and very thinly sliced carrots
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup shredded napa cabbage
1/2 cup enoki mushrooms, rinsed and well dried, or thinly sliced mushrooms
1 serrano chile, washed, seeded and diced
3 ounces dried rice noodles, softened in hot water and drained
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
12 butter or bibb lettuce leaves (from about 2 medium heads)
1/2 cup hoisin sauce for dipping
In a large bowl, combine the carrots, red bell pepper, cabbage, mushrooms, chile and noodles.
Add the sesame oil, olive oil, lime juice and cilantro and toss to combine.
Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to stand 15 minutes.
Lay the lettuce leaves out flat and fill each one with a spoonful or more of the vegetable mixture. Roll the lettuce leaves to close them slightly, or serve them open face and allow guests to roll them up.
Place the wraps on a platter and serve them with a dish of hoisin sauce for dipping or drizzling over the vegetable mixture.
Makes 12 wraps.
Nutrition information: Each wrap contains approximately 110 calories, 1 g protein, 6 g fat, 13 g carbohydrate, 179 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.
Recipe adapted from Kitchen Coach: Weeknight Cooking by Jennifer Bushman (Wiley, $19.95).
Food on 04/12/2017