Bite Me More | June 5th, 2021
Photo: Rimma Bondarenko/Getty Images
Easy, healthy and refreshing, rolls and wraps are the way to eat this season. Try it with a lettuce leaf or packed with crispy veggies. From Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps to Tofu and Peach Rice Wraps, one thing is sure: with these recipes, you won’t get bored!
1. Thai Chicken Meatball Lettuce Wrap
These easy, healthy and flavourful Thai Chicken Meatball Wraps are a delicious Asian twist on a classic Italian dish. Sorry spaghetti, but this is a meal you can hold in your hand, butter lettuce filled with Thai-flavoured chicken meatballs, a light peanut sauce and a spicy slaw.
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
1½ lbs ground chicken
¼ cup breadcrumbs
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 egg, lightly whisked
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
½ tsp lime zest
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Peanut Sauce
½ cup smooth peanut butter
½ cup light coconut milk
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
1/8 tsp kosher salt
Coleslaw
4 cups coleslaw mix
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp mayonnaise
½ tsp Sriracha sauce
8-12 Boston lettuce cups
Roasted peanuts, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2) For the meatballs, in a medium bowl, combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, green onions, basil, egg, ginger, Sriracha sauce, lime zest, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine and form the meatballs using 1½ tablespoons of meat mixture for a total of 22-24 meatballs. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-16 minutes, or until they are fully cooked, flipping halfway through.
3) To prepare the peanut sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, Sriracha sauce and salt. Whisk until well combined, set aside.
4) In a small bowl, combine coleslaw mix and basil. In another bowl whisk rice vinegar, mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce together.
5) To assemble, spoon a scoop of coleslaw into the bottom of each lettuce cup, top with 2 or 3 meatballs and drizzle with peanut sauce. Garnish with roasted peanuts and chopped green onions. Serve with remaining peanut sauce.
Makes 8 lettuce cups
2. Vegetable Salad Roll Recipe
Though these look intimidating, making your own salad rolls couldn’t be easier. Grab this Vegetable Salad Roll recipe and get rolling because they make for a perfect healthy appetizer. Simply wet the rice paper in water, fill them with a combination of vegetables (or shrimp or chicken, if you prefer) and dip them in your homemade Thai Dipping Sauce.
Ingredients
Vegetable Salad Rolls
1 package (6oz/175g) rice stick noodles
10 round rice paper sheets
10 green curly lettuce leaves
1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
2 ripe mangos, peeled and julienned
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp fresh chopped basil
Thai Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/8 tsp hot sauce (Sriracha brand)
Directions
1) For the salad rolls, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add rice stick noodles and cook according to package directions. When tender, drain, rinse with cold water and drain well again. Set aside.
2) Place 1 rice paper sheet in a shallow bowl or pie plate of hot water until just softened, about 1 minute. Lay rice paper sheet on tea towel. Place a lettuce leaf down the center of the rice sheet leaving a 1-inch border at the top and bottom. Place 1/4 cup rice noodles lengthwise on the lettuce leaf followed by 1 tbsp shredded carrots, 6 slices of mango, 4 slices of cucumber and 1 tsp chopped basil. Fold up the bottom 1-inch border of rice paper placing it over the filling. Fold in the right side, followed by the left side and then the top, forming a tight cylinder. Repeat with remaining rice paper sheets and filling. Serve with dipping sauce.
3) For the dipping sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, ginger and hot sauce.
Yield: 10 large salad rolls
3. Tofu and Peach Salad Rolls Recipe
Looking for the perfect healthy bite? You’ve found it with this recipe for fresh, delicious and healthy Tofu and Peach Salad rolls, a handheld combination of crispy tofu, juicy peaches, crunchy cucumber, mint and basil, along with a creamy peanut dipping sauce. What are you waiting for? Get rolling!
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
½ cup smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp Sriracha sauce
Tofu Salad Rolls
1 (350g) pkg extra firm tofu, pat dry with paper towels, cut into 20 long, thin strips
2 tsp vegetable oil
10 round rice paper sheets
10 soft green lettuce leaves
2 large ripe peaches, thinly sliced
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
2 tsp black sesame seeds
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned
Directions
1) For the peanut sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk peanut butter, lime juice, honey, soy sauce, vegetable oil and Sriracha sauce together. Set aside.
2) To prepare the tofu, in a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu strips in a single layer and cook 3 minutes per side until golden. Remove from heat and let cool before assembling.
3) Place 1 rice paper sheet in a shallow bowl of warm water until just pliable, about 30-60 seconds. Lay rice paper sheet on a clean tea towel. Place lettuce leaf down the center of the rice sheet leaving a 1-inch border at the top and bottom. Place 2 tsp peanut sauce down the center of the lettuce leaf. Arrange peach slices over sauce, followed by a sprinkling of both chopped mint and basil. Lay 2 strips of tofu over top, sprinkle with a pinch of sesame seeds and finish with 4 slices of cucumber. Fold up the bottom 1-inch border of rice paper placing it over the filling. Fold in the right side, followed by the left side and then the top, forming a tight cylinder. Repeat with remaining rice paper sheets and filling. Serve with remaining peanut sauce.
Makes 10 large tofu salad rolls
4. Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Chew with your mouth closed. Don’t put your feet on the table. That’s pretty much the extent of my rules governing dining etiquette. When it comes to eating I like to take my cue from the Indian culture, hands-on. Fiddling with my food since childhood, these moo-shu-like lettuce wraps are another great excuse to hold dinner in the palm of my hand. Now I just have to remember: napkin, not sleeve.
Ingredients
Asian Sauce
1/2 cup sushi vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp cornstarch
Chicken Filling
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 large egg whites
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 cup water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
2 medium red bell peppers, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
2 (1.1oz/30g) packages dried portobello mushrooms, rehydrated in boiling water for 20 minutes, rinsed well,
patted dry and chopped
Crunchy Topping
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 (3oz/85g) packages ramen noodles, crushed
Iceberg lettuce leaves
6 tbsp hoisin sauce
Directions
1) For the sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk sushi vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch. Set aside.
2) For the chicken, in a food processor, pulse chicken breasts until finely chopped. Place in a medium bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together white wine, cornstarch, egg whites and salt. Pour over chopped chicken and marinate for 10 minutes.
3) Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour chicken and marinade into boiling water and stir constantly to break up lumps. Cook 4-5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Drain chicken mixture into a strainer. Set aside.
4) In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, water chestnuts, red peppers, carrots and mushrooms, stirring until softened. Add chicken mixture and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Add reserved sauce to skillet, turn heat to high and stir until sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes.
5) For the topping, in a small skillet, brown almonds and noodles over medium heat until golden.
6) To serve, divide chicken mixture among lettuce leaves topping each with 1 tbsp of hoisin sauce and sprinkle with almonds.
Serves 4-6
5. Shrimp Rice Paper Rolls Recipe
It may be spring, but we’re all about fresh summer rolls. Forget the deep frying and opt for these refreshingly delicious, healthy and impressive Shrimp Rice Paper Rolls. Easy to make, Vietnamese rice paper is filled with a zesty shrimp salad, creamy avocado, crunchy vegetables and served with a wasabi dipping sauce. Don’t favor shrimp? The possibilities for fillings are endless, everything from chicken and tofu to mango and cilantro.
Ingredients
Zesty Shrimp Filling
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
2 tsp wasabi paste
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp fresh lime juice
½ tsp lime zest
8oz cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped
6 round rice paper wrappers (8.5-inch diameter)
6 romaine lettuce leaves
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
1 avocado, thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Wasabi Dipping Sauce
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp wasabi paste
1 tsp fresh lime juice
Directions
1) For the shrimp rice paper rolls, in a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, parsley, wasabi paste, soy sauce, lime juice and lime zest. Stir well to combine. Add shrimp and mix together. Place 1 rice paper sheet in a shallow bowl of hot water just until softened, about 1 minute. Lay rice paper sheet on a damp tea towel. Place lettuce leaf down the center of the rice sheet, leaving a 1-inch border at the top and bottom. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the shrimp mixture lengthwise on the lettuce leaf, followed by carrots, cucumber, avocado and a sprinkling of basil. Fold up the bottom 1-inch border of rice paper placing it over the filling. Fold in the right side, followed by the left side and then the top, forming a tight cylinder. Repeat with remaining rice paper sheets and filling. Serve with dipping sauce.
2) For the dipping sauce, in small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, soy sauce, wasabi paste and lime juice. Serve with rice paper rolls
Yield: 6 rice paper rolls
6. Crunchy Fish and Creamy Coleslaw Wraps Recipe
Fish tacos are all the rage, but we’ve done one better…we’ve got a fish taco all wrapped up in a tortilla! Sole is breaded and baked, a quick and tangy cabbage slaw is whipped up and all are wrapped up in a tortilla along with juicy tomatoes and creamy avocado. Tacos have nothing on this scrumptious sole’n’slaw sandwich!
Ingredients
Baked Fish Sticks
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp grated lemon zest
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 egg, lightly beaten
1½ lbs sole fillets, sliced into strips
Creamy Coleslaw
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
½ tsp Sriracha sauce
½ tsp kosher salt
4 cups shredded cabbage
¼ cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
6 (10-inch) flour tortilla wraps
Tomatoes, sliced
Avocado, sliced
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place a baking rack coated with non-stick cooking spray on a baking sheet. Place the bread crumbs, panko, olive oil, lemon zest, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process 10 seconds, until finely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Place flour, salt and pepper in a second shallow bowl. Place eggs in a third bowl. Coat each piece of fish in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip into the eggs, followed by the breadcrumb-panko mixture, being sure to coat the fish well. Place the coated fish on the baking rack and bake 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before assembly.
2) For the coleslaw, in a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, cider vinegar, honey, lime juice, Sriracha sauce and salt until well combined. Toss cabbage and parsley with dressing. This can be chilled for a few hours until assembly.
3) To assemble, place wraps on a flat surface. Spoon a small amount of coleslaw down the center of the tortilla. Top with one or two sticks of fish (depending how large they were cut), top with avocado, tomato and then an additional spoonful of coleslaw. Fold in the sides of the tortilla, then roll up “burrito-style”. Repeat with remaining wraps.
Yield: 6 fish stick wraps
Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too and Lick Your Plate, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes at BiteMeMore.com.
RELATED:
Fresh From the Vine: Tomatoes Two Ways
Recipes: Refreshing Summer co*cktails
Add a Health Boost to Your Barbecue With Easy Grilled Asparagus
