Asian Inspired Lettuce Wraps

A fun, light, fresh vegetarian side for these hot summer days.  You can pair it with other light sides for a fun evening meal.  I sure was grateful for something cool when it is still 95 degrees out at 7pm, these wraps even look cool, don't they?  And you can make this hours ahead of time, just not more than a couple, though, or the lettuce may dry out in the fridge.

Cool, crisp, refreshing, light

Makes 4 wraps about 5-6 inches long.

Ingredients:

4 large leaves of green leaf lettuce

3/4 C prepared white rice

3/4 C pinto beans, pureed in food processor

3 T finely chopped onion

1 1/2 T (heaping) finely chopped garlic

ginger, one piece, one half inch round by one inch high, chopped finely

pinch salt

1/2 t rice vinegar, plus 1 t for drizzling

1/4 t ground black pepper

1/4 t garlic powder

1/4 t ground ginger powder

1 t olive oil

Method:

• In a small boiling pot, heat olive oil on low
• Sauté onion, garlic and ginger on low for about 4 minutes
• Add to this mixture the following, and combine

            Prepared rice

            Pureed beans

            Garlic powder, ginger powder, black pepper, and rice vinegar

• Stir, though mixture will be thick, over low heat for one minute
• Set aside to cool slightly
• Fill a large boiling pot 2/3 full of water, and bring to a rolling boil
• Prepare an ice bath in a medium sized bowl
• One at a time, blanch lettuce leaves by boiling them for no more than 30 seconds, then gently placing them, one at a time, in the ice bath for 30 seconds
• Carefully set each blanched lettuce leaf aside on a cutting board or plate, dab with a paper towel both sides to remove excess or remaining water, do not overlap leaves, and remember they tear easily

Leave yourself plenty of room to work each leaf

• Divide the rice/bean mixture into 4 portions  
• Place one divided portion onto each leaf, aim for an inch or two up from the bottom of the stem
• Form the portions into logs on top of the leaves
• Roll the lettuce by turning up the stem (bottom) portion over the rice/bean log, folding the ends toward the center, and rolling them forward until the rest of the leaf is completely wrapped
• Place on a plate and drizzle 1/4 t rice vinegar over each, refrigerate until serving

I was thinking of going completely vegetarian with this meal, since I had a complete protein with the beans and rice, but I can’t help myself.  I had to add egg to the salad I paired it with.  Just a simple salad, with spinach, cucumber, mushroom, carrot, onion and sunflower seeds, and of course, the egg.

A mild dressing that worked well with both the lettuce wraps and the salad was as follows:

1 1/2 t pressed garlic

1 T chopped onion

1 t chopped ginger

            lightly sautéed, then added to low heat the following-

1 T honey

1 t sesame oil

4 t rice vinegar

2 t soy sauce

1/3 C vegetable oil

1/4 C apricot preserves

1/4 C water

Once this was well heated, almost boiling, I removed it from the stove and chilled in the freezer for a quick cool-down.  If you are seeking a more robust flavor, up the amount of soy sauce and apricot preserves, decrease the water.

The mister said it was a good dressing, and it did work well with the lettuce wraps too.  No picture, it wasn’t that pretty hahaha.