Stir Fried Lettuce With Seared Tofu And Red Pepper Recipes

STIR-FRIED LETTUCE, A HEALTHY COOKED LETTUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Take the lettuce and firmly hit it on the counter to remove the core. (One of the first of many tricks I learned when working in the restaurant industry!)
• Remove the first outer layer of the lettuce and any discolored leaves and discard. Tear the lettuce with your hands into large 4 to 5-inch pieces.
• Place the lettuce in a large bowl of very cold water and give it a good stir. This washes your lettuce and rehydrates it. Next, drain the lettuce in a colander and give it a good shake to remove the excess water from the surface of the lettuce. Iceberg lettuce already contains a lot of water, so removing the excess water is important, or you'll end up with too much liquid. Feel free to use a salad spinner, which is a good idea if your stove and wok does not generate enough high heat.
• Combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, sugar, white pepper into a small bowl and set aside.
• Heat your wok over low heat, and add 2 tablespoons of oil and the fresh ginger slice. Make sure to smash the ginger with the side of a knife to release the juices and flavors before you add it. Infuse the oil for 15 seconds, being careful not to burn the ginger.
• Turn the heat up to the highest setting, and stir in the chopped garlic. Then mmediately add the iceberg lettuce. Stir-fry everything together, using a scooping motion to coat the lettuce uniformly with the oil. After about 20 seconds, gather the lettuce in the middle of the wok in a pile, so you can see the liquid pooling around it in the wok.
• Let cook uncovered for another 15 seconds, and while this is happening, pour the soy sauce mixture over the lettuce. At this point, the sides of the wok will start to super-heat. This may be tough to achieve on your average stove burner, but do your best!
• Now in a single motion, stir the lettuce in a circular motion while spreading the lettuce out across the wok. The idea is to get the lettuce and the liquid searing along the sides of the wok to get that wok hei flavor. After the searing has stopped, repeat the process of gathering the lettuce in the middle of the wok again and letting the sides of the wok heat up again.
• After this second round of searing, your iceberg lettuce should be tender, with the green parts wilted. Stir fried lettuce should be slightly crunchy, so be sure not to overcook it. This whole process from start to finish takes less than 2 minutes in the wok.

STIR-FRIED LETTUCE WITH SEARED TOFU AND RED PEPPER

Steps:

• Mix together the rice wine or sherry, the broth or water and 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce and set aside.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan, then add the tofu and stir-fry until golden brown. Add the remaining soy sauce, toss together and transfer the tofu to a plate.
• Swirl in the remaining oil and add the ginger, garlic and chili pepper and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. Add the red pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the lettuce and sprinkle on the salt. Stir-fry for 1 minute, until the lettuce has begun to wilt. Add the rice wine mixture, cook 15 to 30 seconds, until the lettuce is bright and crisp tender, stir in the cilantro and remove from the heat. Serve with rice or noodles.

STIR-FRIED TOFU WITH CARROTS AND RED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Cut the tofu into 1/4-inch matchsticks and place them on paper towels. Place another paper towel on top and prepare the remaining ingredients.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup combine the soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, and the sesame oil. Combine the salt, pepper and sugar in another small bowl. Have all the ingredients within arm's reach of your pan.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan, then add the tofu. Reduce the heat to medium and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds.
• Swirl in the remaining oil and add the carrots, red pepper, mushrooms, and spring onion or red onion. Turn the heat to high and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the salt, pepper and sugar, toss together and add the soy sauce mixture. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, stir in the cilantro and serve.

STIR-FRIED LETTUCE

Steps:

• Peel apart the lettuce leaves and roughly tear them into smaller pieces. I usually just halve each leaf. Heat the oil in a wok or a large frying pan (metal woks, rather than non-stick, give a better flavour to this dish). Throw in the garlic and fry for 1 min until fragrant, then add the lettuce leaves - they will make a noisy sizzle.
• Add the oyster sauce and 100ml water. Fold in all the lettuce so that it is well coated. Add the white pepper. Cook all the leaves until they start to wilt but still have crunch.

STIR-FRIED TOFU AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Optional step for firmer tofu: Blot the tofu dry, wrap in a clean kitchen towel and place a cutting board on top. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Whether weighted or not, slice the tofu about 1/2 inch thick into 1- x 2-inch dominoes.
• Mix together 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium bowl. Toss with the tofu, and stir to make sure all of the pieces are coated. Let sit for five to 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
• In a small bowl, stir together the remaining soy sauce and sugar, hoisin sauce and sesame oil. Set aside.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates on contact. Add the oil, turn the heat to medium-high and add the peppers. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes, until the peppers begin to soften, and add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 20 seconds, until the garlic and ginger begin to smell fragrant, and add the tofu, dried red pepper flakes and green onions. Stir-fry two minutes, give the sauce a stir and add to the pan. Cover and cook for three minutes. Remove the lid, stir the ingredients in the pan, and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with rice or noodles.

BLACK PEPPER STIR-FRIED TOFU AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 2 tablespoons of water. In a large nonstick skillet, combine tofu and half of the black pepper sauce, and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and nicely coats the tofu, about 5 minutes. Slide glazed tofu and any sauce out onto a rimmed plate.
• Wipe or rinse out the skillet and heat oil over medium. Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add asparagus and snap peas, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add scallions, the remaining black pepper sauce and the tofu, and cook, stirring, until vegetables are evenly coated in the sauce. Stir in cilantro, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide tofu and vegetables among plates and spoon over any remaining pan sauce. Serve with rice.

STIR-FRIED LETTUCE

Steps:

• Wash and dry lettuce. Tear or cut into pieces a bit bigger than bite sized. Separate leaves and dicard core.
• In a small bowl mix soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Set aside.
• Place 14 inch wok or 12 inch frying pan on medium-high heat. When hot, add the salad oil and garlic. Stir fry until the garlic begins to take a little color.
• Add lettuce and stir fry until slightly limp but still somewhat crisp.
• Stir in the soy sauce mixture and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve at once.

SPICY THAI TOFU WITH RED BELL PEPPERS AND PEANUTS

Steps:

• Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add bell peppers, ginger, and garlic; sauté until peppers just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add tofu and green onions; toss 2 minutes. Add next 3 ingredients. Toss to blend, about 1 minute. Add spinach in 3 additions, tossing until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute for each addition. Mix in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle peanuts over.