Southeast Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

The hubs and I are still enjoying our eating plan that focuses on plenty of protein and vegetables, quality fats, and limited gluten and carbs. We both have more stable energy levels throughout the day, and it's been fun / challenging to create new lunch and dinner meals that don't include grains.

One of our favorite regional cuisines is southeast Asian, which influences a lot of the food options here in Australia. At the moment we're steering clear of grains, though, and it can be hard to find southeast Asian food without rice or rice noodles. Last weekend I thought I would try to recreate the delicious lettuce wraps I remembered from trips to P.F. Chang's with friends in high school. Now, P.F. Chang's is hardly as authentic as some of the food we can get in Sydney, but those chicken lettuce wraps of theirs were awesome!

southeast asian style beef lettuce wraps, flavorful & filling, paleo-friendly & gluten-free

We subbed lean ground beef for chicken, and mixed it up with mushrooms, onions, and some celery for crunch. For dipping sauces we used our favorite store-bought oyster sauce thinned out with some mirin, vinegar, and water, and we mixed up a simple spicy mustard to go with it. The chopped basil and mint, combined with the sauces drizzled on top, made for incredibly fresh and delicious beef lettuce wraps-- better than the P.F. Chang's version that I remember!  We made these a meal by serving them with steamed, thinly sliced green cabbage and radishes, tossed in a little toasted sesame oil and soy sauce with freshly ground pepper.

tasty beef lettuce wraps with steamed cabbage and radishes

We liked this meal so much we're repeating it tonight. Highly recommend trying these-- they're gluten-free, dairy-free, full of protein and vegetables, and, as we say in Oz, tasty as. 

Beef Lettuce Wraps

Serves 2 - 3 as a main dish

1 tablespoon oil (cooking olive oil)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup finely diced mushrooms

1/4 cup finely sliced celery

500g (1 lb) ground beef (high quality, grass-fed preferred)

2 tablespoons soy sauce (divided use; make sure it's gluten-free if you're cooking g-f)

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon rice vinegar (divided use)

1/4 teaspoon chili pepper flakes

pinch of freshly ground pepper

To Serve: 

8 Romaine, butter, or iceburg lettuce leaves, washed and chilled

Oyster sauce:

oyster sauce

1/4 teaspoon mirin

1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon water

pinch of freshly ground pepper

Hot mustard sauce:

1 tablespoon mustard

1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar

1/8 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 to 1 teaspoon water

Herb mix:

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oils and swirl to coat pan. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 further minute. Add diced mushrooms, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, mirin, half of the rice vinegar, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring to make sure it doesn't burn. Add ground beef, remaining tablespoon of soy sauce, remaining rice vinegar, chili flakes, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish. 

Meanwhile, make the sauces. In a small serving dish, mix together all ingredients for the oyster sauce, adding enough water to make it a runny enough to spoon easily. In another small serving dish, mix together all ingredients for the hot mustard, adding enough water to make it runny enough to spoon easily.

To Serve: Arrange the beef mixture, lettuce leaves, serving sauces, and herb mix on a serving or dining table, and let guests help themselves to building their own lettuce wraps with accompanying garnishes.

Toasted Buckwheat Lebanese Salad with Lamb Koftas

A couple of weeks ago I came home to the hubs making up lamb koftas-- Lebanese meatballs-- for dinner, which were delicious wrapped in naan bread with a homemade cucumber-yogurt tzatziki. Ever since I've been scheming about how I can pair them with a salad to bring in more plant-based goodness to the dish, and was delighted to run across this Middle Eastern Salad from nutritionist Danielle Levy's blog. This week we made the koftas again and served them over a similar toasted buckwheat salad, dressed with hummus, and the dish was perfect. The fresh, crunchy combination of salad and grains worked wonderfully with the lamb meatballs, and the hummus dressing brought everything together for a Lebanese-style feast.

grilled zucchini, toasted buckwheat, chickpeas, radishes, celery, and fresh parsley

This salad is packed with sources of plant-based protein from the buckwheat and chickpeas (Danielle also sprinkles hemp seeds on top for added protein and omega-3 fats, though we left these out because the local grocer doesn't carry them), and it could easily serve as a meal on its own with the hummus dressing. We'd worked in our three vegetarian dinners already this week (a new goal for 2014), so the lamb koftas as another protein hit took this salad into into the filled and totally satisfied category.

salad ingredients mixed together for a crunchy, filling dish

If you have other fresh herbs on hand in addition to parsley, such as mint or basil, a chopped handful of those would also be welcome here. Keeping in mind our heart-healthy focus, we didn't add any salt to the salad components, relying on the hummus, lemon juice, and touch of balsamic to bring in a salty-tart profile. I felt that this really allowed the crisp and distinct flavors of the vegetables-- radish, celery, grilled zucchini, parsley-- to show through. But if you feel it needs a little something extra, toss the salad with a pinch of freshly ground sea salt.

Lebanese-style salad ready to serve, hummus dressing not shown

Hope you enjoy this fresh and satisfying salad as spring begins to gradually poke its head up in the northern hemisphere, or file it away for warmer weather. Happy beginning of March to you!

Toasted Buckwheat Lebanese Salad
serves 4

1/2 cup dry toasted buckwheat*
2 zucchinis, thinly sliced lengthwise (1/8 - 1/4 inch slices)
4-5 radishes, thinly sliced
2 long celery stalks, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (no salt added)
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (divided use)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
juice from half a lemon (zest the lemon half first if you're making the lamb koftas)
lamb koftas (optional, recipe below)

Hummus Dressing
1/2 cup hummus (homemade recipe here)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
splash (2 teaspoons) of balsamic vinegar
up to 2 teaspoons water

(*If your buckwheat is not toasted when you buy it, just rinse it with cold water in a fine mesh sieve, then toss it into a wide pan heated to medium heat and sprayed lightly with oil. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the buckwheat begins to turn golden brown and toasty. Remove from heat, and boil in a saucepan of water as detailed below.)

Rinse the buckwheat with water in a fine mesh sieve. Place buckwheat and 1 1/2 cups water into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, until buckwheat is tender. (Watch carefully towards the end to make sure the water doesn't evaporate too quickly and you burn the buckwheat!) Rinse the cooked buckwheat again through the fine mesh sieve with cold water to cool. Set aside.

Heat an outdoor grill or stovetop griddle to medium-high heat. Carefully coat the griddle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and arrange the zucchini slices on the griddle in a single layer. Cook for 4-6 minutes per side, until grill marks appear and zucchini is tender. Remove zucchini from grill and set aside.

In a large non-metal bowl, toss the radishes, celery, parsley, onion, garlic, chickpeas, and half of the grilled zucchini slices. Add the pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice, and carefully toss to coat the salad.

To make the hummus dressing: Mix all ingredients together, thinning out with a couple of teaspoons of water to achieve a slightly runny consistency.

To serve: Arrange the salad on a serving plate, and garnish with the remaining grilled zucchini slices, twisting them around the edge of the salad. (Alternatively, to save dirtying another plate, add the rest of the zucchini to the salad and serve in the salad bowl). Drizzle the hummus dressing evenly over the salad. If desired, top the salad with lamb koftas, and serve.

Toasted Buckwheat Lebanese Salad with Lamb Koftas

Lamb Koftas

serves 3-4

400g (14 oz) ground lean lamb (mince)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
lemon zest from half a lemon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes (or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley)

1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

pinch of freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon flour (I used wholemeal wheat flour)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (I used rice brain oil)

In a large non-metal bowl, mix together the ground lamb and the next eight ingredients (through ground pepper). Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, add the egg, and mix thoroughly to combine.

Using clean hands, form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, packing the mixture together slightly so that it will stay together when it cooks. This should make 9-10 meatballs.

Heat a wide skillet over medium heat, and coat the skillet with the oil. Add the meatballs to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the bottoms are browned, then turn over and cook for another 4-5 minutes. At this point, begin turning the meatballs over on all of the sides that are not browned, cooking for a few minutes on each side, until the meatballs are browned all over and cooked through. Cut a meatball in half to to make sure they are done.

Remove the lamb koftas from the heat, and serve atop Toasted Buckwheat Lebanese salad as above. Alternatively, serve the koftas in pita bread halves or wrapped in naan bread with sliced cucumbers, sliced red onions, and plain yogurt or hummus. 

Japanese oatmeal with sesame & miso

This riff on miso porridge is one I have been mulling over for a while now and have been working up the courage to try. I knew the hubs would melt over the idea of a savory oatmeal seasoned with miso, as we're always having the savory/sweet breakfast food debate on the weekends. He prefers savory, my ideal is slightly sweet. Our compromise is usually pancakes with fried eggs on the side. But salty miso oatmeal, when my favorite version is a cinnamon-spiced mixture sweetened with a little honey or brown sugar (and preferably some roasted pumpkin thrown in), was going to be all him.

plain yogurt, toasted walnuts, sliced radishes = perfect miso oatmeal stir-ins

However. This recipe blew my socks off. The flavor is stunning, satisfying.  The cool radishes and toasty walnuts, stirred in with a little creamy yogurt on top of the salty oats, are the most delicious combination. The hubs wants to experiment with a poached egg on top, too, though we haven't yet ventured that far (he has done so now, and it is delicious!).

sesame oil toasted oats with miso make a satisfying, flavorful oatmeal

We've also discovered that thinly chopped celery and baby bok choy are very tasty additions. Chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, or dill) and toasted sesame seeds would also be great add-ins. If you don't have sesame oil on hand to toast the oats in the first step, use olive oil or butter instead. But make sure you toast them, it adds a rich, deep flavor to the finished bowl.

miso oatmeal topped with sliced celery and baby bok choy, with yogurt and toasted walnuts

It's going to take many more batches of Japanese oatmeal (as we've started calling it) until I grow tired of it and turn back to the sweeter variety. Trust me, you need to try this at least once. And somehow this seems the perfect breakfast for either the cooler fall whether you Northern hemisphere folks are experiencing, or our hotter, summery days down here in the southern half of the world. Happy November, all. 

Japanese Oatmeal

2 servings
inspired by 101 Cookbooks

3 teaspoons sesame oil

1 1/4 cups oats (make sure they're gluten-free if your cooking g-f)

2 cups water

2-3 teaspoons miso (I used shiro/white miso)

A selection of toppings to serve:

2-3 tablespoons plain/greek yogurt

1/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

1 thinly sliced large radish

1 5-inch piece of celery, thinly sliced

1 bunch baby bok choy, thinly sliced

Place a medium-sized pot on the stove and bring to medium-low heat. Add the sesame oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the oats, and cook, stirring occasionally to coat in the sesame oil, for about 6-7 minutes, until they have taken on a slight, light golden color and toasted scent. Add the water to the oats and bring to a slow simmer. Cook the oats, stirring occasionally, until the water is absorbed, about 6-7 minutes.

Place the miso in a separate small bowl, and add a few spoonfuls of the cooked oats to the miso. Stir to combine. Add this oat-miso mixture back to the cooked oats, and stir gently to evenly combine. Taste and add up to another teaspoon of miso if necessary. Remove oats from heat.

Serve immediately with a small dollop of yogurt, the chopped, toasted walnuts, and whatever other toppings you desire (thinly sliced radishes, celery, baby bok choy, etc). 

Crispy Cabbage & Sugar Snap Salad with Sesame Dressing

New Year's Resolution: update blog more regularly.  This shouldn't be difficult with the inspiration from the three cookbooks I've been given over the last two months.  Thank you to the hubs and my two wonderful sisters-in-law : )

banked on the birthday/Christmas gifts

I spent a couple of days deciding what to make first out of the Smitten Kitchen cookbook (all of them look mouthwatering, and Deb Perelman offers sage advice for variations on recipes as well as clever introductions on how each was created).  Finally settled on a salad of sugar snap peas, cabbage, and radishes with an incredible miso-sesame dressing.  Oh my.  Hardly needed to clean the blender after making the dressing because I'd licked up every bit using the spatula.  This salad is awesome.  It was the highlight of our dinner, the main attraction, while the seared tender, sashimi-grade salmon I picked up from the fishmonger was an adequate side.  The hubs declared it the best salad he's ever had, and asked if we could have it every night.

crispy salad with tahini-soy-honey dressing: delicious

I couldn't find miso paste that didn't have lots of scary-looking numbers in the ingredient list, so just used soy sauce instead. I also added a grated carrot for more color.  Our grocer didn't have Napa cabbage, so I used Chinese cabbage instead, which is similar in its light green color and mild taste.  Once I'd chopped the green onions I was a little overwhelmed by the large pile, but they mixed into the salad very well.  I tossed the vegetables together and served half of it for dinner with half of the dressing, reserving the remaining salad and dressing separately so we could toss it together for lunch today.

thank you Smitten Kitchen for our favorite salad recipe yet

Can't wait to make this crispy salad again.  I'll be repeating the dressing to use in other salads, as a marinade for chicken, and to mix into stir fries until we get sick of it.  Which I can't foresee happening anytime soon.

Crispy Cabbage & Sugar Snap Salad with Sesame Dressing
lightly adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
4-5 servings

Salad

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 cups sugar snap peas, untrimmed (about 1/2 pound or 225 grams)
3 cups thinly sliced Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage) (about 1/2 pound or 225 grams)
4 radishes, sliced into matchsticks (about 4 oz or 115 grams)
1 carrot, peeled and grated (using the big holes of a grater)
3 large green onions (scallions), white and green parts thinly sliced on bias

Dressing
1 tablespoon fresh finely chopped ginger
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce (make sure it's gluten-free if necessary)
2 tablespoons tahini (I use unhulled tahini, which is darker and a bit stronger tasting)
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil (or any vegetable oil)

Toast the sesame seeds by pan-frying them (without oiling the pan) over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, or placing them on a baking sheet in a 300F (150C) oven for 5-8 minutes.  Set aside (remove them from the pan, as they will continue to cook in the hot pan/baking sheet and may burn).

Blanch the sugar snap peas in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes.  Drain immediately and transfer to a bowl of ice water.  When the peas have cooled, trim the ends and slice on bias (diagonally) into 1/4 inch slices (if any peas pop out just toss them into the salad bowl).  Add the sliced peas to the salad bowl along with the cabbage, radish, grated carrot, and sliced green onions.

Make the dressing by blending all of the ingredients in a blender until fully incorporated.  The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook calls for two additional tablespoons of oil, but I found that a thicker dressing using less oil clung well to the salad leaves (and mine may have been thinner than the original recipe because I used soy sauce instead of miso paste).

Sprinkle half of the toasted sesame seeds over the salad, and pour in the dressing.  Toss together until the vegetables are evenly coated with dressing.  Sprinkle the remaining toasted sesame seeds on top, and serve immediately.

* Storage tip: If you want to save some salad for another meal, reserve the salad and dressing separately in the fridge so that the vegetables stay crisp.

Couscous, Chickpea, and Vegetable Salad

This mediterranean salad is delicious served warm or chilled.  Lately I've been making it ahead of time, sticking it in the refrigerator for a few hours, then serving it with grilled chicken, shrimp and vegetable kebabs.  It's a filling salad, and it could easily be served as a main dish by adding some sauteed shrimp or chicken before stirring all of the ingredients together.  The variety of vegetables makes this a colorful, healthy, and tasty addition to your summer meal rotation.

Colorful and filling couscous, chickpea, and vegetable salad

Couscous, Chickpea, and Vegetable Salad

5-6 generous servings

1 cup dry couscous

2 1/4 cups boiling water

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 green onions, washed and thinly sliced

1/2 purple onion, finely diced

2 carrots, washed, peeled, and shredded

1 bell pepper (any color), washed and finely diced

5 radishes, washed, ends trimmed, and finely diced

1/4 cup finely diced feta cheese

juice from 1 lemon

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon ground sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Place the dry couscous in a large bowl, cover with the boiling water.  Cover, and let stand 5 minutes.  

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and parsley, set aside.

Toss the prepared couscous with a fork. Add the vegetables, chickpeas, and feta to the couscous.  Drizzle evenly with the prepared dressing, then toss with a fork until evenly distributed.  

Serve immediately, or refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve chilled.