I Can't Believe There's No Butter!

Sick of Thanksgiving Day leftovers yet? I know I'd be happy to not see (and ingest) foodstuffs whose main ingredient is butter after last week's feast. So, as a means to counteract all those mashed potatoes, here is my version of a P.F. Chang's favorite.

A small aside - I normally loathe all manner of chain restaurants, but P.F. Chang's does a few things right, in my opinion. The lettuce wraps and spicy MaPo Tofu, in particular, are downright delicious and happily aren't swimming in the caloric deep end of the pool. However, these dishes can be a sodium nightmare. I've adjusted a few things, especially the soya content, to reduce salt to reasonable levels.

For the following recipe I did all my shopping, including purchasing more staple items such as rice wine vinegar and vegetarian oyster sauce (almost impossible to find), at  on Washington Street. For those that haven't been, you can lose yourself in the condiment aisle that must feature at least 100 different types of soy sauce, rice vinegar or black bean paste, to name but a wee minority of items stocked in aisle #2. I stood and stared like some sort of occidental statue for at least 10 minutes weighing the merits of five various Thai vinegars over 17 Japanese ones. And the prices? This one entrée (which I doubled for guest count) cost, wait for it, $19.11.

Part I of the butter-free series follows. Stay tuned for Part II: a Ma Po Tofu recipe that recent guests, who live and die by the chopstick, claim was "the best ever."

Spicy Lettuce Wraps With Tofu and Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 package extra firm Tofu, diced into ¼-inch cubes
• 1 can sliced bamboo shoots, slivered
•  1 8-oz can of water chestnuts, diced
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil or a 1:4 mixture of sesame oil (1) to vegetable oil (4)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 3 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup green onions, minced
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, minced (other types of mushrooms work well, with the exception of white button)
• 1 head iceburg lettuce, stem removed, washed and patted dry
• 1-2 small limes
• 1 bunch Chinese basil (optional)

Marinade:

• 1/2 tablespoon Hoisen sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon red wine or sherry
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic, sliced thinly
• 2 teaspoons ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Note: You can combine together in one small bowl for convenience

Potsticker Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sushi grade rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon hot chili oil
• 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
• black pepper to taste

Note: I make two types of sauce: the merely spicy and the burn-your-face-off version. The latter is accomplished by added more of the chili-garlic sauce.

Method:

In a flat bottomed wok heat vegetable oil (or sesame-vegetable oil) on medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger first, then all the remaining ingredients and stir-fry for about 5-7 minutes, or until the mushrooms weep and the tofu begins to turn a lovely golden brown.

Add the marinade mixture and continue stirring and cooking on medium-high. The sauce will begin to thicken and create a bit of a glaze over the tofu-mushrooms. Add more or less soy sauce to taste. I also add a small dash of chili-garlic sauce, since I do like it hot.

To Serve:

Arrange tofu-mushroom mixture in large bowl/serving platter. Cut limes in quarters. I squeeze the juice of half a lime over the "stuffing" and arrange the remaining lime wedges around the edge of the bowl. The lettuce bowls are on a separate plate, along with a small bowl containing the Potsticker sauce. Guests can scoop up the filling into a large leaf of Iceburg, add sauce and a few Chinese basil leaves, roll up and enjoy!