Entree

ROASTED VEGETABLE BISQUE

December 9, 2018 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

Lately I’ve been realizing just how busy my weekdays are. A typical day means I’m up at 5:45am to get ready and help our daughter get ready for the day. After working a full day at the office, I pick our daughter up from school then head home. We have just a little time to play before needing to get dinner going. Soon after dinner, we put our daughter to bed and then I rush out the door to get a workout in. Around 8:00pm I am finally able to relax and catch up with my husband on how our day was. I know my schedule isn’t all that unusual, lots of families have a similar (or crazier) routine. To be honest, I also have TONS of help from my husband, he is my ultimate teammate in life! However, reflecting on my schedule has emphasized the importance of easy meals in our household. I do prefer to cook homemade meals but I definitely have days when those chicken nuggets in the freezer are all I can muster. On the days when I am cooking, I try to fix healthy meals and expose my daughter to a variety of foods and flavors (with an emphasis on vegetables).

My daughter has been really eager to help in the kitchen lately which provides an opportunity to share a wider variety of foods with her. She might not end up eating what we fix (she is only two years old, after all, and I’m realistic) but the exposure is still there. If she sees us prepping and eating healthy foods, those options won’t be strange to her as she gets older. This bisque recipe is actually a perfect one for her to help with. I chop vegetables and then let her put them into a bowl, season them and pour them out onto a sheet pan for roasting. We have also been finding ways to incorporate other lessons into our cooking routines. “How many eggs did we put in the bowl?” “What colors do you see on the pan?” Not to mention she is learning how to follow directions. All of this learning is happening while helping to get dinner on the table. This is what we call a Win-Win situation, my friends!

Tips:

You can absolutely roast these vegetables the night before you plan to serve the bisque and then blend everything together when you’re ready to eat it. Store those veggies in a sealed container in the fridge. However, since the vegetables will be cold rather than hot from the oven, you might need to pour the blended bisque into a pot and warm it over the stovetop or in a crockpot before serving it.
If you’re making this for a bigger crowd, double the ingredients. You can still roast all the vegetables at the same time but it won’t all fit in the blender at once. Blend what you can then pour it into a large pot and repeat this until everything is in the pot. Stir it all together with a large spoon or whisk until fully incorporated.

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ROASTED VEGETABLE BISQUE

The perfect dish to warm you up on a cold evening.

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup Raw cashews
1 large head Cauliflower, cut into florets
4 cloves Garlic, unpeeled
2 Medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 Medium yellow onion, sliced
2 Large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into large pieces
Olive oil for drizzling
Salt & pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons Red miso paste
1/2 teaspoon Ground cumin
1 Tablespoon Sriracha
2 cups Vegetable broth (more if you want to thin the bisque out a bit)
Croutons & chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F. Place cashews in a bowl of water and let soak. While cashews are soaking, put cauliflower, garlic and carrots in a large bowl. Drizzle bowl of vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix until evenly coated then spread evenly on a sheet pan. Place onion and peppers in the bowl used for vegetables then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix until evenly coated then spread evenly on a second sheet pan. Place both sheet pans in the oven and roast vegetables 20-30 minutes or until they are tender and edges start to brown. Note that the onion and peppers are likely to be done earlier than the other vegetables.
Drain and rinse cashews then place them in a high-powered blender. Peel roasted garlic cloves add them to the blender along with all of the vegetables. Add miso, cumin, sriracha and vegetable broth to blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Garnish with croutons and parsley.

POMEGRANATE BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

November 24, 2018 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

I went, I ate, and I ate some more. I swear I tried to take small portions so as to have room to try every side dish. I didn’t succeed. The problem (truly the ONLY problem) with spending Thanksgiving with friends who love to cook is that you can’t possibly eat as much as you would like to. Every single dish was delicious. I walked away with a happy heart, a full belly, and arms full of leftovers to take home. Now that our leftovers are dwindling, I need a break from the comfort food. Did I really just say that?!? I love those traditional holiday dishes but moderation is a must.

In order to give my body a day or two of recovery, I’m trying to keep things lighter and healthier. I’m also embracing pomegranate season for this delicious smoothie. Pomegranate has become one of my favorite smoothie ingredients. Part of the allure could be that fresh pomegranates are hard to come by through most of the year – you want what you can’t have. But I actually really do love the flavor and find that they add a natural sweetness without the tartness that some other fruits can bring to a smoothie.

Tips:

You can portion out the fruit and spinach ahead of time, place them in a bag in the freezer. When you’re ready to make your smoothie, empty the contents of the bag into your blender and add the almond milk, flax seed and chia seeds.
See video below for my method of removing seeds from pomegranate.

Print Recipe

POMEGRANATE BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

Satisfy your sweet tooth with a healthy option.

Servings: 2 smoothies

Ingredients

seeds from 1 large pomegranate
1 frozen banana
2 cups frozen blueberries
2 cups spinach (loosely packed)
1 cup almond milk
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed (optional)
1 Tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a high-power blender and blend on high until smooth.

FORBIDDEN PASTA

November 8, 2018 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

This pasta dish is a total exception in our house, we just don’t make pasta veryoften. I honestly relate it to my middle school and high school years. My mother would make spaghetti twice a week and I eventually just got tired of it. I totally get it, pasta is easy and can feed a crowd on the cheap – everyone will walk away with a full belly. But too much of anything will make me tired of it. What dish did you eat as a kid that you tend to avoid even years later?

For me, the game changer in eating pasta at home is the sauce. Again, I totally understand the ease of sauce from a jar but this homemade sauce is next level. The addition of goat cheese gives this tomato based sauce a creamy zing. We devoured this to the point of discomfort the first time I made it (hence the name Forbidden Pasta). We have since learned to pace ourselves.

Tips:

For those looking to add a protein to this dish, shrimp would pair beautifully
Feel free to adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your liking. Add more for more heat in your dish or eliminate it altogether if you’re feeding folks who prefer a no heat at all.

FORBIDDEN PASTA

Serves 6-8

16oz penne pasta

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ medium yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

28oz crushed tomatoes, drained

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

4oz goat cheese

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

14oz vegetable broth

Grated parmesan cheese (optional garnish)

Directions:

Cook pasta according package instructions. As pasta is cooking, work on the sauce. Heat olive oil in a large, 2” deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook down for about 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook down for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and spices then crumble in goat cheese. Stir until paste and cheese are fully incorporated. Stir in vegetable broth and simmer over low heat until pasta is ready. Add pasta to sauce and stir until pasta is fully coated in sauce. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese if desired.

FORBIDDEN PASTA

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This creamy pasta sauce will have you going back for seconds and thirds.

: Slice Of Honey

Recipe type: Entree

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

16oz penne pasta
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
28oz crushed tomatoes, drained
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
4oz goat cheese
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
14oz vegetable broth
Grated parmesan cheese (optional garnish)

Instructions

Cook pasta according package instructions. As pasta is cooking, work on the sauce. Heat olive oil in a large, 2” deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook down for about 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook down for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and spices then crumble in goat cheese. Stir until paste and cheese are fully incorporated. Stir in vegetable broth and simmer over low heat until pasta is ready. Add pasta to sauce and stir until pasta is fully coated in sauce. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese if desired.

A FOOD LOVER’S TRAVEL GUIDE TO CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

October 18, 2018 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

Earlier this month, my friend, Deya, and I spent a few days in Charleston, SC for a girls trip. It had been years since I had gone on a girls trip. Does a trip back to your home state even count as a girls trip?!? Years, it had been years!!! Not only was I overdue, I had a really stressful week leading up to our departure. This could not have been more perfect timing for me to get away. Deya had been dreaming about going to Charleston for a long time and was the one who got the ball rolling. We did our research, had a couple of planning sessions over coffee and ultimately planned the whole trip around food. Don’t get me wrong, we were excited to see some sites too but the itinerary was focused around local restaurants.

FRIDAY

We arrived in Charleston on Friday afternoon with time to relax and refresh from our flight. Our first culinary stop was at The Ordinary, a seafood hall and oyster bar. In a restaurant with a bar this beautiful, I think a cocktail is exactly the right way to start. I had the Raoul Duke and Deya had the Classic Daiquiri. Both rum based drinks, these cocktails were incredibly smooth and just slightly sweet. We ordered the ordinary Hawaiian rolls with sea salt butter as our appetizer. The salt on the butter, and the rolls added so much flavor! These rolls were also our introduction to benne seeds – a type of sesame seed that was brought over from western Africa by slaves in the early 1700’s. We quickly learned that these seeds are a local favorite and are incorporated into dishes at restaurants all over the city. Our second starter was the snapper ceviche with pedron pepper and avocado. When you’re at a seafood restaurant, you order seafood, right?! This dish was incredible fresh and light and served with huge tortilla chips. For our entrees, we shared the New England style fish chowder and the grilled New Orleans Style BBQ white shrimp. The chowder was creamy with huge chunks of fish – exactly what you want from a chowder. However, the shrimp dish is what really won us over. If you’ve never had New Orleans style BBQ you might be surprised to know that it is nothing like a typical red BBQ sauce. Instead, this divine sauce is made up of butter, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce and rosemary. We at a lot of amazing things on this trip but this sauce is what we continued to talk about even after we got home. Friends, do yourself a favor and just order some extra sauce on the side – you’re going to want to dip some of those Hawaiian rolls into it!

The Ordinary, Charleston, SC

SATURDAY

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? We knew we had a full day ahead of us so we wanted something hearty to get us going. We walked from our hotel to Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit on King Street. It is such a tiny little restaurant but it is cute as can be. They offer up a variety of biscuits (living up to the name) along with a couple of sandwich options and a handful of other options. At first glance you might think the menu is limited but let me tell you, when you’ve perfected what you make, there isn’t a need for a huge menu. Deya and I each had the bacon, egg and cheddar biscuit sandwich with a coffee. This sandwich was so thick I could barely get my hands around it, let alone my mouth. The biscuit itself was so rich and buttery!!! That butter is exactly where the love lies in this meal. If you stop in here, get there early. There was a line to the door when we arrived and not an hour later we saw the line curling out the door and down a couple of store fronts. Absolutely worth a little bit of a wait though.

Husk is one of those restaurants we had heard a lot about when we first started doing research for our trip. The best advice I can give here is to make reservations well in advance. Deya made our reservation at least a month ahead and we still were not able to get in for dinner. However, the lunch menu was great and lunch is always more affordable than dinner. Having had such a hearty breakfast, I kept it relatively small for lunch and just had the Charred broccoli with mushrooms, crispy onions, smoked cheddar and Alabama white sauce. I’m a sucker for broccoli anyway but this flavor was incredibly rich, like melt in your mouth comfort food. Deya started with the pickled shrimp dish and, of course, I sampled it as well. I didn’t even know pickled shrimp was a thing (I grew up in a land locked state) but it was absolutely delicious! She had the fried chicken with Carolina gold rice, bacon, cabbage and butterbeans as her entrée. I didn’t taste this one but Deya raved about the rice and bean mixture!

Saturday night dinner was truly a unique experience. Deya found Feast Upon Charleston through AirB&B Experiences. We ubered our way to Chef Christopher’s home and were greeted by his huge smile, smooth jazz, and a choice of rum or gin for a cocktail. The blackberry mule he made with rum was the perfect drink to sip on while getting to know the other soon to be friends attending this pop-up dinner. Once we sat down, Chef Christopher treated us to a four-course dinner. He changes up his menu regularly so I hesitate to spend too much time describing our meal but let’s just say those crab cakes could be famous one day. Not only can he cook, Chef Christopher was able to give us history lessons on both the food and the city of Charleston. What I loved most about this dinner experience, though, was getting to know people we otherwise wouldn’t have ever met. Chef Christopher’s food is delicious but his passion for creating community is what really shines through.

SUNDAY

I love rich, buttery food as much as the next person but at some point, you also need some fresh, lighter fare. Sunday morning, we hit up Butcher & Bee for brunch. Coffee, local beets and ricotta toast for me. Coffee, crispy sweet potatoes and the smoked salmon bagel for Deya. The flavor combinations made with such fresh ingredients – exactly what I needed! This is one of two restaurants on the list that I absolutely wish had a location in my hometown of San Antonio. Lots of vegetarian options in addition to classic options like a burger. Seriously though, go here for the freshness that they put together on their plates!

Our big splurge dinner was at Zero Restaurant + Bar. This place made us feel like we were on an episode of Chef’s Table. So much thought goes into each dish – colors, textures, plating, and of course flavor. This is the type of spot that is best experienced without the distraction of a phone. In other words, no photos for this one. If you’re looking for a romantic spot to celebrate a special event, make the reservation and enjoy every single bite.

MONDAY

If dessert for breakfast is wrong, I don’t want to be right. Sugar Bakeshop has got to be the cutest little bakery I have EVER seen! Jars upon jars of huge cookies plus cupcakes galore. It is absolutely best for my waistline that I don’t live near this shop. We shared all five of the mini cupcake flavors that they had available that day. Coconut, vanilla, honey, almond and caramel. If I could have, I would have tried every single dessert but I needed to save room for one last lunch in the city.

Our last meal was at Basic Kitchen. This restaurant has natural light flooding in from all sides which automatically has you feeling refreshed. Using seasonal and local produce, they strive to fuel your body with food that will keep you going throughout the day. Once again, great vegetarian options abound here. I had the basic bowl which was full of veggies and chickpeas; Deya had the power bowl which was packed with protein from steak, eggs and quinoa. These dishes were so good we didn’t even bother sharing with one another. I also need to take a moment to mention Kellie, the general manager. She took genuine interest in our experience and was more than happy to answer questions we had about the food and the restaurant.

RESTAURANTS

The Ordinary

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

Husk

Feast Upon Charleston

Butcher & Bee

Zero Restaurant & Bar

Basic Kitchen

A Food Lover's Travel Guide To Charleston, SC - Slice Of Honey Blog

SIGHTSEEING

Farmers Market

Waterfront Park

Rainbow Row

Charleston City Market

King Street

A Food Lover’s Travel Guide To Charleston, SC – Slice Of Honey Blog

SNACKS

Sugar Bakeshop

Byrd’s Famous Cookies

Jeni’s Ice Cream Shop

COFFEE & COCKTAILS

Revelator Coffee Company

SHEET PAN SHRIMP FAJITAS

October 12, 2018 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

When I graduated from college I had a semester off before starting grad school. Rather than stick around Kansas (I graduated from K-State – Go Wildcats!), I took the opportunity to head out to California for a few months. I grew up super shy but for whatever reason, God gave me wanderlust and the bravery to explore new places. At 22 years old, I drove halfway across the country to find out what coastal living is like. I lived with my cousin and his now wife while working a part time job at the local YMCA. Coming from a land-locked state, it was incredible to see the ocean every day even on days when I was just driving to work. I learned a lot about myself during that time. Post college, pre-real world is an awkward stage of life. You’re somehow both younger than most people and older than most people you encounter. This can create a level of loneliness but for me, it also created a greater level of independence.

While I was in California I was also scoping out local food trends. I’m generally willing to at least sample a dish I’m not familiar with but, looking back, maybe I wasn’t so adventurous at 22 years old. I kept seeing fish tacos and shrimp tacos and I just couldn’t get myself to try them. Clearly, there was something to it because I saw them on menu after menu. Truth be told, though, I didn’t end up trying seafood in a taco until several years after leaving California. Fast forward to today and fish or shrimp in my Mexican food has become an absolute favorite of mine. They are part of the reason I don’t go full out vegetarian. Combine this with busy mom life and I give you sheet pan shrimp fajitas!

Tips:

If you want to make this vegetarian/vegan rather than pescatarian, you can swap out the shrimp for cubes of tofu.

You can cut the vegetables a day ahead to make meal prep even faster on the day you cook the fajitas.

SHEET PAN SHRIMP FAJITAS

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 medium orange bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

2 medium jalapeños (optional), seeded and thinly sliced

½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 lb raw shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Flour or corn tortillas

Optional toppings: shredded cheeses, sour cream, avocado, guacamole

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place all bell peppers, jalapeños, onion and shrimp in a large bowl. Coat with olive oil and lime juice. Add all spices and stir until vegetables and shrimp are evenly coated in spices. Spread ingredients out on a sheet pan and bake for 14 minutes, stirring halfway through. Wrap a few strips of vegetables and pieces of shrimp in a tortilla, adding optional toppings as desired.

SHEET PAN SHRIMP FAJITAS

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: Slice Of Honey

Recipe type: Entree

Ingredients

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium orange bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 medium jalapeños (optional), seeded and thinly sliced
½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Flour or corn tortillas
Optional toppings: shredded cheeses, sour cream, avocado, guacamole

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F. Place all bell peppers, jalapeños, onion and shrimp in a large bowl. Coat with olive oil and lime juice. Add all spices and stir until vegetables and shrimp are evenly coated in spices. Spread ingredients out on a sheet pan and bake for 14 minutes, stirring halfway through. Wrap a few strips of vegetables and pieces of shrimp in a tortilla, adding optional toppings as desired.

Veggie Wrap With Homemade Jalapeño Hummus

September 9, 2018 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

I have to say that I’m fortunate to have a cafeteria available to me at work. It really is convenient when I don’t have any leftovers to bring in for lunch. However, the meatless options in the cafeteria aren’t stellar. I often default to the veggie wrap but it seems like half of the filling options typically aren’t available for one reason or another. This can result in a lettuce and tomato wrap with a little bit of hummus and/or cheese. Not filling. Not flavorful.

With just a little bit of meal prep at the beginning of the week, I’m sure I can provide myself with a better wrap for lunch. My plan is to chop and slice all of the vegetables then place them into individual bags that I can quickly grab out of the fridge as I head out the door for work. By assembling the wraps at work, the wrap/tortilla won’t get soggy. This homemade jalapeño hummus provides so much flavor and can easily be used for dipping veggies, crackers, etc. as a side dish or snack.

Tips:

If you want to add more spice to your hummus, add more jalapeño. If you prefer a milder level of heat, remove the seeds from the jalapeño before chopping and adding it to the hummus.
To avoid getting the jalapeño oils on your hands (and potentially in your eyes if you rub them) wear plastic gloves while chopping it.

Veggie Wrap with Homemade Jalapeño Hummus

For the jalapeño hummus:

15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 Tablespoons tahini

1/3 cup Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons fresh jalapeño, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

Hummus Directions:

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. You may need to scrape the sides of the processor part way through in order to fully incorporate the ingredients.

For the wrap:

1 wrap or large tortilla

¼ cup jalapeño hummus

Handful of kale

Handful of red cabbage, chopped

4 slices cucumber

4 rings of sliced red onion

3 slices tomato

Handful of zucchini noodles

3 slices bell pepper

Wrap Directions:

Spread hummus on 1/3 – 1/2 of the wrap. On top of the hummus, layer the kale, cabbage, cucumber, onion, tomato, zucchini noodles and bell pepper. Fold the wrap around the vegetables and enjoy.

Savory Spinach Turnovers

July 15, 2018 by Sarah Baade 4 Comments

Is there actually a better meal out there than brunch? The combination of savory and sweet breakfast items plus lunch is arguably perfect. It is also the only time adding a little booze to your diet before noon is not just acceptable but encouraged. Hello mimosas and bloody Marys! Next month I will be helping to host a baby shower with brunch so I’ve had all sorts of ideas running through my head. The hardest part of menu planning will be narrowing down our options.

I can’t quite decide what I like best about this recipe. It is incredibly easy to make with just 8 ingredients. But the bonus is that it would be great served at a brunch or as a grab and go option on a busy morning. I actually made these on a weeknight and then brought them to the office the next morning to share. My co-workers happily grabbed one to take back to their desks as a mid-morning pick me up.

Tips:

You can make the filling a day ahead and refrigerate it until ready to use.
If you have whole frozen spinach on hand, you can chop it yourself rather than buying the pre-chopped.

Savory Spinach Turnovers

Makes 8 turnovers

10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

½ cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ teaspoon garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons shallot, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon salt

2 sheets ready to bake puff pastry dough, thawed

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Drain spinach of any excess water. In a medium bowl, stir together spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, garlic, shallot and salt.

Unfold sheets of puff pastry. Cut each sheet into four equal squares. Place 2 Tablespoons of spinach mixture into the center of each pastry square. Fold each pastry square diagonally over spinach. Pinch edges of dough together with a fork. Brush the tops and sides of each turnover with the beaten egg.

Place each turnover on the lined baking sheet. Bake 16-18 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

Portobello Lettuce Wraps

June 11, 2018 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

Last month was full of traveling. My husband, daughter and I flew out to Oregon to visit family for a few days. Then I flew to Seattle, WA for a work training. The following week we drove to Kansas to visit more family. I am incredibly thankful for these opportunities but it also completely wore us out. I can’t help but think the exhaustion is partly due to a shift in diet. Whenever I travel I end up eating more junk food than I normally would – certainly more than I should. I’m not alone in this habit, right?!?

Now that I’m back home I’m craving healthy food. I always find the easiest way to eat healthy is to cook at home. When I’m coming up with recipes I typically start with what type of dish I want to make and then figure out the details and ingredients. However, this particular recipe started with the sauce. I actually tried it out on some peeled carrots and it tasted pretty great (give it a try if you need an easy salad) but it wasn’t quite what I wanted as a final product. After some brainstorming, I came up with these lettuce wraps. This is such an easy dish to make, it might just make it onto my regular dinner menu rotation.

Tips:

You can easily make the sauce the night before and then refrigerate it until you are ready to use it.
The easiest way to crumble the tofu is to do it by hand. Alternatively, you could put the tofu in a bowl and break it apart with a fork.

Portobello Lettuce Wraps

Serves 4

½ cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup + 1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

½ teaspoon salt

16oz firm tofu,

4 medium Portobello mushrooms, rinsed, stemmed & chopped

2/3 cup water chestnuts, chopped

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 heads of bib or butter lettuce

Optional additions: rice, crushed peanuts, sliced green onion.

Directions:

In a small saucepan, over low heat, whisk together balsamic vinegar, ½ cup olive oil, ginger, peanut butter and salt until ingredients are fully combined. Remove from heat.

Press tofu with a paper towel to absorb moisture. In a large pan, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Crumble tofu into pan and sauté until it starts to brown. Stir in mushrooms and continue to sauté until mushrooms are tender. Reduce heat to low, stir in water chestnuts, crushed red pepper and sauce.

Spoon rice and mushroom filling into lettuce leaves and garnish with peanuts and green onions.

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