thai wraps {vegan}

i came up with these when we were on our vegan kick (which we are sooooo over it's ridiculous... hello $1 mcdonalds ice cream cones, daily). but vegan or not, these things are seriously delicious. especially when you sit down and eat them right, with a bottle of sriarcha sauce in hand. 

thai wraps

makes 4 wraps

ingredients:

4 large wheat wraps -- i used the same wraps i made for falafel, here

for the quinoa:

1/2 cup quinoa (about 2 cups cooked)

2 tbs. rice vinegar

1 tbs. garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

for the sauce:

1/4 cup peanut butter

3 tbs. honey

1 1/2 tbs. rice vinegar

1 tbs. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

for the filling:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup extra-firm tofu, chopped into 1" pieces

1 cup zucchini, chopped

1 cup broccoli, chopped

1/2 cup carrot, julienned

3/4 cup bean sprouts

1. place the quinoa, 2 tbs. rice vinegar, garlic, salt and 3/4 cup water in a small pot and bring to a simmer. reduce to low heat, cover, and continue cooking for 30-35 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed and the little white rings around the quinoa are visible. fluff and set aside.

2. while the quinoa is cooking, heat 2 tbs. olive oil over medium heat. add the tofu and fry until golden. remove tofu from pan and set aside.
3. add remaining olive oil to pan and cook zucchini, broccoli & carrot until zucchini is browned and broccoli and carrot are slightly soft. take off heat and add tofu to pan.
4. combine the ingredients for the sauce and pour over quinoa. add veggies to quinoa mixture.
5. distribute filling between wraps and add bean sprouts to each. wrap up and eat!

pad thai

this was round two of my pad thai attempts, & this time it was a success. the trickiest part is getting the consistency of the noodles down; if you're unsure how long to soak them, error on the side of caution and don't let them get too soft. you can always add water to the wok & cook the noodles more, but once they get slimy there's no fixing it.

pad thai

(serves 2)

1/2 pkg. rice sticks

1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

2 tbs. vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup extra firm tofu, cut into 1" matchsticks

2 tbs. tamarind paste

2 tbs. sugar

1 tbs. fish sauce

1 egg

1 cup bean sprouts

1 lime, cut in wedges for serving

1. first, soak the thai noodles in lukewarm water. completely submerge them and let sit until they are flexible but not slimy, about 5 minutes. again, do not over soak the noodles! if you aren't sure, under soak them and cook them for longer in the pan.

2. toast the peanuts over medium high heat until golden brown. set aside.

3. heat the oil in a large pan or wok over medium high heat. add the shallot, garlic and tofu and cook until they begin to brown.

4. drain the noodles and add to pan, along with tamarind paste, sugar, and fish sauce. stir constantly to prevent sticking.

5. push all the noodles to one side of the pan and crack the egg in open space. scramble it until almost cooked, then mix it in with the noodles.

6. continue cooking until the noodles are soft and chewy. test one-- if they are too hard, add a few tablespoons of water and continue cooking until dry.

7. remove from heat and add bean sprouts. serve with peanuts on top and lime on the side.