These were originally an effort to copy off of the lettuce wraps served at California Pizza Kitchen. They really don’t taste anything like them – I think mine are better, and they’re plant based (win, win). I made them for Rich one night as an late night snack and now he’s always asking for them, so I made them again on Father’s Day as an appetizer.
They’re pretty easy to prepare and put together, look fancy and colorful. 
These pair nicely with a crisp white wine. You can use any lettuce for these and potentially even cabbage leaves. The Boston Bib lettuce doesn’t rip as easily as iceberg lettuce and has a better taste so that’s what I typically use.
INGREDIENTS
- Sesame Garlic Tempeh (1 package)
- Peanut Sauce (to taste)
- Boston Bib Lettuce (1 head)
- Baby carrots
- Bean Sprouts
- 1 T Olive Oil
DIRECTIONS
Carefully pull lettuce leaves apart. Do your best not to rip the leaves. Rinse the leaves gently one at a time and dry gingerly with a paper towel. Set aside. Take the baby carrots and slice them vertically until they resemble match sticks and place them in a small serving bowl. Place bean sprouts in a second small serving bowl and set both aside.
In a small pan, heat the olive oil and add the tempeh. Break the tempeh up until it is the texture of ground beef. When the tempeh is slightly browned, add the peanut sauce to taste and wetness desired. Mix thoroughly until sauce is heated through.
You can either put the wraps together and secure them with toothpicks or you can present them as a “self serve” appetizer which is what I prefer. Layer a helping of tempeh on a leaf, top with carrots and sprouts – enjoy!
Bonus: Tempeh is a great way to get virtually unprocessed animal-free protein, plus calcium and iron.
Have a great weekend!