Vietnamese Lettuce Rolls with Spicy Grilled Tofu

RECIPE

This dish contrasts warm and cold sensations, along with firm, soft, and crunchy textures. The tofu is pressed before grilling so that it becomes firmer. Because they're more flexible, the top halves of lettuce leaves make better wrappers than the bottom halves.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 3 lettuce rolls and about 1/4 cup sauce)

Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) package water-packed firm tofu, drained
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh lemongrass
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon chile paste with garlic
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
1 head romaine lettuce
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
36 small mint leaves
36 (2-inch) strips julienne-cut carrot
12 basil leaves

Preparation
Cut tofu crosswise into 12 (1/2-inch) slices. Place tofu slices on several layers of heavy-duty paper towels. Cover tofu with additional paper towels. Place a cutting board on top of tofu; place a cast-iron skillet on top of cutting board. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. (Tofu is ready when a slice bends easily without tearing or crumbling.) Arrange tofu in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

Combine juice and the next 6 ingredients (juice through garlic) in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring until honey dissolves. Pour over tofu. Cover and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Prepare grill.

Remove tofu from dish, and reserve marinade. Coat tofu with cooking spray. Place tofu on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 3 minutes on each side or until browned.

Remove 12 large outer leaves from lettuce head; reserve remaining lettuce for another use. Remove bottom half of each lettuce leaf; reserve for another use. Place 1 tofu slice on each lettuce leaf top. Top each leaf top with 2 teaspoons cilantro, 3/4 teaspoon peanuts, 3 mint leaves, 3 carrot strips, and 1 basil leaf. Wrap leaf around toppings. Serve with reserved marinade.

Nutritional Information
Calories:294 (29% from fat)
Fat:9.5g (sat 1.5g,mono 2.5g,poly 4.9g)
Protein:14.8g
Carbohydrate:44.9g
Fiber:2.8g
Cholesterol:0.0mg
Iron:3.5mg
Sodium:334mg
Calcium:157mg

Vietnamese cooking@home
by cooking lover

Vietnamese-style Spicy Crab with Garlic Noodles

RECIPE

Frying the crab first is optional, but it adds superb flavor and makes the crabmeat more tender. The results will be even more transcendent if you start with raw crab (get it from a fishmonger, and fry it a minute or two longer than cooked crab). Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes. Notes: For a simpler version of this dish, skip steps 1 and 2 (frying the crab). Put 1 cup of the oil in a small saucepan over high heat and start recipe with step 3.

Yield
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons plus 1 tbsp. salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 Dungeness crabs, cooked, cleaned, quartered, and cracked
Vegetable oil for frying, plus 3 tbsp.
10 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 pound spaghettini (thin spaghetti)
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
6 small dried red chiles
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
4 green onions, chopped
4 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1/3 cup sake or other rice wine
1 cup basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Preparation
1. Combine flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, and the cayenne in a large bowl. Pat crab pieces dry with paper towels and toss (in batches) with flour mixture. Remove crab and shake off excess flour. Set aside.

2. In a wok or large pot, heat 3 in. oil to 375°. Lay out paper towels for draining crab and garlic. Fry crab in batches (do not crowd wok) until golden, about 5 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.

3. Using the same hot oil, fry garlic until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set garlic aside; cool and discard oil.

4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tbsp. of the salt and the spaghettini. Cook until tender to the bite, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain, transfer to a serving bowl, and toss with butter and half of the fried garlic. Cover and put in a warm place.

5. Heat a wok or pot large enough to hold all the crab over high heat. Add remaining 3 tbsp. oil, dried chiles, and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add green onions, serrano chiles, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring, until onions wilt, about 1 minute. Add sake and cook, stirring, until sake is reduced by about half. Stir in crab and cover. Cook until crab is heated through, about 3 minutes.

6. Remove lid and cook, stirring, until any liquid evaporates. Stir in basil, mint, cilantro, and remaining 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cook, stirring, until herbs have wilted. Stir in remaining fried garlic. Transfer crab to a warm platter and serve hot, with garlic noodles.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutritional Information
Calories:610 (43% from fat)
Protein:27g
Fat:29g (sat 7.1)
Carbohydrate:56g
Fiber:4.2g
Sodium:1292mg
Cholesterol:105mg

Vietnamese cooking@home
by cooking lover