Asian Lettuce Wraps...

...When we lived in Columbia, SC - there was a wonderful Asian restaurant downtown...they had the best grilled tofu kabobs on earth and I often got them for lunch with a wonderful peanut-y salad of bitter greens...it was just always so very good...

...Scout's favorite was actually an apetizer...but those often easily become meals...and his favorite was the lettuce wraps...crisp with water chestnuts and chopped tofu and ginger and garlic - they were delicious...

...it's been years since we've had those lettuce wraps...but Scout was fondly remembering them...and so we bought some water chestnuts and decided to try and recreate them...

...and Wow!...did we ever succeed...

...this is what the mixture looked like in the skillet - nothing spectacular...but oh - it smelled so good...

...Scout set the table...

...and waited patiently...

...then we dished up...

...and rolled our wraps...

...Scout even suggested that we could make these small for a party and roll them up and secure them with little fancy toothpicks...

...although I like the idea...I think these may be a little bit messy for portable finger food...

...but they were so good...and cute...

...sweet little green pockets of crunchy goodness...you should definitely try these...

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce for wrapping - Boston Bib makes a cute little cup - but larger leaves that you can roll up like a burrito are nice too...

1 cup TVP cooked for a few minutes with 2 cups of vegan beef flavored bouillon
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4 cup blanched almonds finely chopped

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sorghum syrup (or molasses would probably work too)
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Cook the TVP in the bouillon for a few minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Heat the oil in a skillet and add the water chestnuts, onion, garlic, TVP and almonds and sauté until most of the liquid is evaporated.

Then pour over the sauce and cook until everything just holds together but is not dry.