Hi there,

I have been a fan of Melissa Clark’s recipes for some time now. I really enjoy listening to her podcast on the Splendid Table. She is funny and her recipes and her attitude toward cooking are very approachable. On her recent podcast, she was making what I call “chicken lettuce wraps”. But what piqued my interest was the use of tofu in this recipe. Since I have a goal of preparing more plant-based meals, I looked into the cookbook where this recipe appears. What ultimately sold me on purchasing and reading Melissa’s cookbook was it contains an entire chapter on tofu and another chapter just featuring vegetables and grains.

Here is the recipe that encouraged me to purchase the cookbook:

These fluffy pieces of shredded tofu are like soft, tiny dumplings and cook up in no time at all. Here, ground chicken gives them a meaty depth and a caramelized flavor while edamame adds texture and a vegetable to the mix. If you want to make this vegetarian, leave out the meat, and instead sauté 4 ounces of chopped fresh shiitake or cremini mushrooms with the scallions and ginger. Make sure to get the shiitakes nice and golden; you need the extra flavor that caramelization provides. Serve this by itself or with a simple salad of baby spinach dressed with a little sesame oil, salt, and lime juice.!

Ingredients

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts), plus more for serving

1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

4 ounces ground chicken (or use turkey or pork)

1 package (14 to 16 ounces) extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry

1/2 cup shelled edamame, thawed if frozen

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more as needed

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon Sriracha

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro and/or mint leaves
Directions

1. Heat the sesame oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden at the edges, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and cook until it is well browned all over, about 5 minutes.
2. While the chicken cooks, coarsely shred the tofu on the large holes of a box grater.
3. Stir the tofu, edamame, soy sauce, and salt into the chicken. Cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and season the mixture with the lime juice and Sriracha. Toss in the herbs and extra scallions, and serve immediately.

Reprinted from Dinner: Changing the Game. Copyright © 2017 by Melissa Clark. Photographs copyright © 2017 by Eric Wolfinger. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.

I really think Melissa Clark’s cookbook deserves to be added to your cookbook collection because of the variety of easy to prepare plant based recipes.