Basic Stirfry/Lettuce Wraps

They say that people often look like their dogs.  Tim definitely does not look like our dog, but they do have at least one thing in common: they both have a bit of bloodhound in them.

Tim uses his to sniff out foods he has decided he doesn’t like:  peas, quinoa and especially tofu.

I totally put tofu into this recipe, but diced up really, really fine so that he wouldn’t notice.

“Does this have tofu in it?” he asked before he even looked at it.

“Nope,” I lied.

“What’s this?” he demanded, digging through it like he was panning for gold..

“Um, mushroom.  Yep.  Mushroom.  Could be the water chestnut though.  Hard to say.  What does it taste like?”

“It tastes like tofu,” he grumbled, “and I’m not eating it. I ‘ll just pick it out.”

Grrrrrrr.

The dog also has been known to give me similarly suspicious looks when I offer her food at times.  The poor thing was born with a bad tummy and it has been a long process of figuring out what she can tolerate and how I can hide the supplements she needs in her food.

I have learned (by having them spit out on my floor for everyone to walk on) that she does not care for blueberries, bananas or dry dog food. It’s definitely like Tim with the tofu, except I can fool him at least some of the time.

I recently even had to switch out the “toothbrush” I was giving her as an after breakfast treat for a healthier version made from oats and mint.  It did not go well.  She grudgingly takes it from me with the very tip of her teeth like it is a live grenade.  I get the big sigh and the looks of recrimination for the next hour or so.

“I don’t care if you try to poison dad with the tofu and peas, but how can you do this to me?  Don’t you love me anymore?”

So, like the sucker I am, I’ve added two more flavored “treats” to the morning routine. (They are all about the size of the tip of my finger).  One is the mint, one is for digestion with pumpkin and ginger and one is birthday cake, which actually smells like a birthday cake.

I line them up on the floor while she patiently waits for me to give the command to “take it”.  And then the bloodhound comes out.  Unerringly, she heads for the birthday cake first, then the digestive biscuit, and finally the breath mint.  Every.  Single.  Time.  But at least she now eats the mint without complaining.

Maybe I should try that with Tim.  Line up peas, tofu and birthday cake.  Hmmmmmm.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Tablespoons minced ginger (to taste, I like 2)
• 2-4 teaspoons minced garlic (to taste, I like 4)
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce (or liquid aminos)
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon arrowroot (cornstarch)

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid or bowl and shake or whisk to combine.

To make the regular stirfry:

1. Rough chop 4-5 cups of assorted veggies (peppers, onions, cauliflower, peas, broccoli, etc).  Saute it in a very hot pan or wok in a tiny bit of oil till ti starts to get tender.  Add the sauce and sauce 1 minute or till sauce is thickened.   Serve immediately.

To make lettuce wraps:

Ingredients:

• 1 batch of the sauce (above)
• 1 cup diced tofu
• 1/3 cup sliced scallions
• 1/2 cup minced red pepper
• 1/2 pear, minced (use either an asian pear or an unripe (very firm regular pear)
• 1 small carrot, grated on box grater
• 3/4 cup corn or mini-corns (canned and found in the asian section of most supermarkets)
• 1/2 cup diced water chestnuts
• butter lettuce leaves or romaine leaves

Directions:

1. Marinate the diced tofu pieces in the sauce for several hours or overnight for most flavorful results (you can skip this step if you are pinched for time).  Using a slotted spoon, remove the tofu from the marinade
2. In a hot pan or wok, saute the tofu till it starts to brown up a little (you might have to add a bit more oil (I’d go with an unflavored like canola or vegetable).  Add the veggies and saute for a few minutes till the veggies are crisp/tender.
3. Add the sauce and saute 1 minute till the sauce thickens and coats all of the veggies.

To serve: Spoon the veggie mixture into the lettuce leaves.

Enjoy!