Citrus lettuce wraps

Thanks to the birth of our great nation, I don't have to go to work today, which means time to cook! It's pretty hot out, so I thought lettuce wraps would make a nice, fresh lunch.



Lettuce wraps are super quick to make, once you have all of your ingredients ready. And you can pretty much add whatever you'd like. It's a great way to use up vegetables and proteins sitting in your refrigerator. The following recipe generously serves 2 as a meal, or more people if you're using it as an appetizer.



Crispy noodles
1 handful of rice noodles, broken up a bit
2 tbs. canola oil

You want the thin kind of rice noodles that look a little crinkly. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over high heat. Once the oil is hot, drop in a small portion of the noodles. They should immediately bubble up and expand, and become opaque. Immediately remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel (chopsticks help). Repeat until all the noodles are fried up.

The noodles are optional, or course. They don't really have much flavor but add a nice texture, and hey, they're fun! If you don't have noodles, leave the nuts out of the filling below and toast them instead to sprinkle on top of your wraps.

Filling
1 - 7oz package of tofu (I used fried, baked tofu in teriyaki or 5-spice would work well, too.)
1 - 8oz can water chestnuts, drained
1 ear of corn (about 1 c.)
3/4 c. green beans
1/3 c. sliced almonds (or slivered, or chopped cashews, or whatever)
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
zest of 1 small orange
2 tsp. chopped cilantro

2 tbs. hoisin sauce
2 1/2 tbs. soy sauce
1/2 tbs. mirin
1/2 tbs. agave nectar
1/2 tsp. sriracha (or more/less to taste)
2 tbs. water

1 lime, wedged

Chop the tofu, chestnuts, and beans to about 1/4" pieces. Small pieces make for nice eating and quick cooking. I like to undercook the vegetables so they stay nice and crisp. In a small bowl, mix the hoisin, soy, mirin, agave, and sriracha.

Transfer the leftover oil to a large skillet (or just do the whole process in a wok) and heat over med-high heat. If you're using a wok, just leave it on high and shorten the cooking times. Add the tofu, ginger, and zest, and fry for a couple minutes until the tofu starts to brown. Next add the green beans and water chestnuts, and stir for about 2 more minutes. (I found some really great sweet, white corn, that was delicious just straight off the cobb, so I added it after the sauce, to preserve the freshness. If you're using frozen or sub-par corn, you can add it earlier.)

Pour the sauce mixture over the filling and stir well. Add the 2 tbs. of water to the sauce prep bowl and stir to get all of those sticky bits of goodness, then pour over the filling as well. Let the filling cook for a few more minutes, just until the sugars begin to caramelize. Turn off the heat, then toss in the corn and cilantro.

Spoon into a serving dish and garnish with lime wedges.

To serve: Family-style works best, with a dish for the noodles and another for lettuce leaves. Rinse the leaves before you start cooking so they have time to drain. Pat them with a towel if they're still wet. I splurged on some butter lettuce today, since they make such perfect cups and have a nice flavor, but feel free to use iceberg or red/green leaf. Serve the filling with a big spoon so everyone can help themselves.