What's Cooking? Lettuce Leaves

A week of silence on the blog doesn't mean I haven't been eating, it just means I haven't been too creative about what I eat. After a long day at work, plus perhaps a yoga class, the stovetop or oven are often the last of the modern amenities I want to use. So dinner could be a hastily thrown together melange of easy-to-prepare protein source + vegetable (e.g. microwaved sweet potato and Butler's soy curls...yes, I know, sad.).

Once Saturday comes around, though, I am ready to jazz things up. And when a housemate leaves for a month and says "eat my romaine lettuce"...well, by golly, I'm going to eat that romaine! But salads are so boring sometimes, particularly if they are lacking in the kale department. So instead, I used the lettuce leaves as a conduit for a colorful array of fresh, tasty goodies. 

This always makes me wonder why my first reaction upon coming home is to shut off my brain and settle into a known pattern. We are creatures of habit, favoring routine and the path of least resistance. And I suppose prepping the same breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day allows for that comfortable routine. But to be honest, while creativity can sometimes be draining, this rather simple dish was not at all. It's easy and relatively fast, so you could feasibly make it even after a busy day! So I'd say change things up and try something new...

Lil' Lettuce Tacos

Miso Tahini Marinade

1 tbs tahini

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp brown rice miso paste

1 tbs chopped shallot

Other Ingredients

1/2  block firm tofu, pressed, drained, and cubed

1 medium sweet potato, cut into strips

1/2 medium mango, sliced into strips (optional)

1/2 cup cucumber, sliced thinly

1/2 cup kohlrabi, sliced thinly

6 large romaine leaves

1. Marinate tofu in miso tahini mix. Meanwhile, roast sweet potato with olive oil and salt in a 375F oven, until soft (approximately 35-45 minutes).

2. In an oiled skillet, pan-fry the tofu until browned on both sides. Set to side to cool.

3. Cut romaine leaves where rib starts to get really thick (about halfway down). Eat that or use it for salad later; you only need the top of the leaf.

4. To assemble, layer tofu, sweet potato, mango, cucumber, and kohlrabi in each leaf. To consume, roll in the edges of the leaf and enjoy!

Find more fun foods on Wellness Weekends and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.