Szechuan Lettuce Wraps with Dipping Sauce

Hi Erin! I’m wondering if you have any recipes you could share with a starving vegan this “Backyard BBQ” season. I have yet to leave a summer BBQ feeling full, as most of the main dishes my friends prepare include some sort of cheese or (worse) hotdog/sausage related product. Do you have a favorite vegan dish that might work well at a summer party? Thank you, Billie

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Kitchen Favorites

Hi Billie, Sometimes there is nothing sadder than the vegan/vegetarian options at a summer barbeque. But, I think Clean Cuisine’s Szechuan Lettuce Wraps with Dipping Sauce is the perfect vegan/clean eating recipe to combat your Backyard BBQ blues. Not only are they DELICIOUS, but they’re fun to eat and positively delightful to display on a fun dish like my favorite fish platter above (I’m pretty sure I bought this one at Homegoods, but Swoozie’s also has adorable platters on which to serve this scrumptious meal!). This colorful and filling vegan dish will be the envy of all of your mustard-mustached summertime friends.

This is a recipe I’ve pulled directly from the Clean Cuisine Book. Having never tried it, I thought I’d give it a spin last night. The only thing I can say is…WOW! I’ve tasted plenty of restaurant lettuce wraps in my day but have found them all to be greasy and a tad heavy. The Clean Cuisine vegan version uses crumbled tempeh but is still hearty and filling and loaded with flavor. It will fill you up and it’s not the least bit greasy. And the dipping sauce is much lower in refined sugar (thanks to the puréed mango) than the sauces you’d get at a restaurant. The mango contributes sweetness but doesn’t add a mango flavor. (Note: To make it gluten free use San J gluten-free soy sauce.)

To cook the filling, I used my Xtrema 11″ 100% Ceramic Wok with Cover & Red Silicone Handle Pot Holder, which was perfect for stir-frying the tempeh and carrots (look at the rich purple and orange carrots that I found at Trader Joe’s!). Stay tuned for our giveaway this month, which will feature an entire set of Xtrema Ceramic Cookware!

Kitchen Favorites

Vegan Lettuce Wraps with Dipping Sauce

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Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Dipping Sauce:

1⁄3 cup mango pieces
3 garlic cloves
1-inch piece ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons plum sauce (such as Wok Mei)
3 tablespoons high-quality soy sauce (or nama shoyu or San J gluten-free soy sauce)
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Lettuce Wraps:

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons plum sauce (such as Wok Mei)
1 tablespoon high-quality soy sauce (or nama shoyu or San J gluten-free soy sauce)
2 tablespoons raw cashews
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced gingerroot
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
2 carrots, shredded
2 scallions, shredded
1 package (8 ounces) tempeh, shredded
12 large romaine lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Instructions

For the Dipping Sauce:

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend or process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

For the Lettuce Wraps:

In a food processor, add the lime juice, plum sauce, soy sauce, and cashews; process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet or Xtrema Wok over medium heat; add the ginger and garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add the carrots and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the scallions and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tempeh and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes.
Drizzle the lime-soy sauce over the tempeh mixture and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the tempeh mixture in a large bowl with lettuce leaves and dipping sauce on the side.

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Hopefully, this delightful dish will brighten your day as much as it did mine. I even had some filling left over to add to my steamed Farro and Cilantro Brown Rice from earlier in the week (I try to always keep a few whole grain leftovers for quick and easy lunches).