Chinese Five Spice Mushroom Lettuce Cups
February 15, 2016
30 min or less active, 60 min or less total, appetizer, fall, gluten-free, main, spring, summer, vegan, winter
Earlier this month, I volunteered for our @ClifFamilyWinery Social Club. The host, me in this case, picks a country or region, then shops for wine and cooks food from that place. All the employees in the winery get together for an hour or so to taste, nibble and chat. I picked Oregon and seven bottles of Pinot Noir plus made these lettuce cups with chunks of browned pork (my co-worker, Claire, helped me out and smoked a beautiful side of salmon!). Mushrooms are an easy umami substitute to make this dish vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and super duper healthy! Pair with brown rice for a heartier dinner.Information
Servings: Makes about 12 lettuce cups
Time: About 30 minutes active; 45 minutes total
Price: About $12.40 total; $1.05 per cup
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 55.9
Protein: 2.1g
Fat: 1.9g
Saturated fat: 0.3g
Carbohydrates: 8.8g
Fiber: 1.6g
Sodium: 91.5mg
Cholesterol: 0mg
High In: Vitamin K
Good Source: Vitamin A, Riboflavin, Copper
Low In: Carbohydrates, Fat, Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium
Ingredients
- 10 g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 large onion, small dice
- 1 lb mushrooms, any mix you like, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 oz sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 1 Tbsp Chinese Five Spice powder
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 head bibb/boston/iceberg lettuce, leaves separated
- 12 basil leaves
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Preparation
- Heat 1/2 cup water to boiling. Add dried mushrooms and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes until translucent and starting to brown on the edges.
- Add fresh mushrooms and cook 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Drain the dried mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Chop the mushrooms and add to the skillet.
- Add the mushroom liquid and scrape the bottom of the skillet to pull up all the little brown bits.
- When that liquid has evaporated, add the water chestnuts, five spice powder, and hoisin sauce. Mix well and remove from heat.
- To assemble, place 1/4 cup of the mushroom mixture in each lettuce cup. Top with a basil leaf that is either torn or chiffonaded (see picture), some sliced scallion, and a dash or two of sesame oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
