Meow Recipes

Monday, August 16, 2021

Tofu and Brown Rice Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

Tofu and brown rice lettuce wraps on a platter with peanut sauce drizzled on top.

How much do I love a quick pan-fried crumbled tofu and brown rice filling, coated in peanut sauce, tucked into tender little butter lettuce leaves, and crowned with a drizzle of spicy mayo and – obviously – a couple little crunchy fried onions? Judging by the tens (hundreds?) of these that I’ve eaten in the last few months, the answer is: A LOT.

There’s just something about these flavors and textures that makes a person feel good in their heart. It’s light but it’s filling, it’s savory but a little sweet and spicy, it has a complexity of texture with a delicate, fresh crunch and an almost-meaty-like filling, and it comes together so ridiculously fast – I mean, let’s just go ahead and accept right now that this is a recipe that cannot be made just once.

This recipe has absolutely been our most-made meal of the summer.

Ingredients for tofu and brown rice lettuce wraps with text over each that says the name of each ingredient.

Our Short and Sweet Ingredient List:

tofu
lettuce
brown rice
sriracha
teriyaki sauce
orange
peanut butter

If you like a little spicy mayo on top (and I do, thank you very much) then grab your mayo out of the fridge, and if you like a little crunchy onion action (also yes) pull those out of the pantry.

And there you go: saucy, peanutty, flavor-packed tofu and brown rice lettuce wraps, coming right up.

A white hand grabbing a tofu and brown rice lettuce wrap on a platter. There are extra ingredients for the lettuce wraps in the background.

What I Love About These Lettuce Wraps

Most lettuce wraps leave me wanting more, I think because they lack a carb element. Having brown rice (or quinoa, or another grain) in the filling solves this problem and makes them super satisfying in a full-meal kind of way.

The tofu is just so low maintenance. Give it a quick squeeze over the sink and then plop it in the skillet and crumble it up. SOS-style.

The peanut sauce is semi-homemade, using a bottle of teriyaki to start you off. If you wanted to make your own peanut sauce, this is my go-to. I’ve done it both ways and it’s great no matter how you choose to peanut sauce it.

It makes great leftovers! The filling lasts for days, and it can be used in your extra lettuce leaves or over a salad or in a stir fry… endless options.

It’s family-approved! At least in my house it is: my husband raves every time I make these and my toddler gets *so* excited for what we’ve come to call “lettuce wrap night.” We put yogurt on hers instead of spicy mayo, and she will eat 2, 3, sometimes even 4 of these. 😂 You just never know with these little people.

White hand grabbing a tofu and brown rice lettuce wrap with peanut sauce drizzled on top.

This recipe has landed on our table so many times in the last 6 months and it is just everything I love in life: creamy, salty, saucy, spicy, a little bit sweet, and light, crunchy, and filling. Not to mention SOS-level easy.

Blessings on your lettuce wrap journey! I hope you love them. ♡

Tofu and Brown Rice Lettuce Wraps: FAQs

This looks so good! Tell me! How do I level these up?

Fresh garlic, scallions, or ginger are great additions to your filling mixture. And obviously homemade peanut sauce is fab (love, love, love this one). Go with whatever works! This recipe is meant to be flexible and easy.

How can I make these totally vegan?

Only swap you’ll need to make is using a plant-based mayo!

How long will filling leftovers keep in the fridge?

3-5 days is ideal here for leftovers.

Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?

Tofu and Brown Rice Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

Author: Lindsay
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4-5 servings

Print Recipe

Description

These lettuce wraps are ridiculously good! Crunchy, fresh, and packed with tofu, brown rice, crispy onions, plus a drizzle of peanut sauce and spicy mayo. Delicious!

Ingredients

Units

Lettuce Wraps

olive oil
One 14-ounce block extra firm tofu – minimally pressed to remove water, but this is very low maintenance so don’t worry about it too much
about 2 cups cooked brown rice and/or quinoa or other grains – I use the 8.5 ounce precooked packages so it’s very, very easy
butter lettuce or leaf lettuce for wrapping
spicy mayo (see notes)
crispy onions or chopped cashews / peanuts for topping

SOS Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup peanut butter
a squirt of Sriracha or other chile sauce if you want

If you have a bit more time, you can also use this amazing homemade peanut sauce.

Instructions

Video

Cook the tofu: Heat a few swishes of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the tofu and crumble in the pan. Cook until slightly browned.
Add rice and sauce: Add the rice and most of the sauce to the pan. Sauté for 5 minutes or so – just enough to get some browning / light caramelization and get everything nice and yummy. Season with salt to taste.
Fill and serve: Spoon your tofu and brown rice filling into crispy little pieces of lettuce. Top with something crunchy (peanuts? crispy onions?) and something creamy (spicy mayo all the way) and drizzle with a little extra sauce, and now tell me this isn’t your favorite meal of the week.

Notes

Spicy Mayo: I usually just mix about 1/4 cup mayo with about 1 tablespoon sriracha. But super easy to make it more or less spicy depending on your heat tolerance!

Category: Dinner
Method: Sauté
Cuisine: American

Keywords: lettuce wraps, vegan lettuce wraps, tofu lettuce wraps

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More Lettuce Wraps To Swoon Over:

Firecracker Vegan Lettuce Wraps (kinda similar to these but with slurpable noodles)
Roasted Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps with Korean BBQ-Inspired Sauce (hurry up and make these!)
Creamy Miso Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps (the grapes on these cuties are a must)

The post Tofu and Brown Rice Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

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Thursday, August 12, 2021

Coming Soon: SOS Series 2.0

Glamour shots of 6 SOS series 2.0 recipes with banner that says, "Coming soon".

Hello, hello, friends and food-lovers! I’m coming to you with exciting news today:

The SOS Series is coming back!

YES! I KNOW! I’M SO EXCITED, WHICH IS WHY I’M USING ALL CAPS AGAIN!

Mark your calendars because NEXT WEEK we are kicking off our next round of the SOS Series. I’m calling it the SOS Series 2.0 and it will essentially be lots more of the same: easy, delicious, big flavor, low-to-no-stress-style recipes.

What Is The SOS Series?

A little backstory if you’re unfamiliar: I started the SOS Series in April of 2021. It was developed as a way to help my own self get through a really challenging season – adjusting to life with a new baby, while wrangling the tiny toddler tornado, while trying to get back to work, while keeping one eye out for Covid, while ultimately trying to not totally lose my mind every night at dinnertime. It was a season of takeout, frozen meals, and snacks for dinner, and while I love chips and salsa as much as the next person, there just comes a time in your life where you say: Okay, I’ve eaten enough chips. I need to make a proper meal.

At the heart of my struggle was the lack of time and energy: I wanted to eat good food that was actually delicious, exciting, and wholesome… but I was (am?) so tired. I needed it to be MANAGEABLE for my season of life.

My ultimate qualifiers for any SOS-style recipes:

Can this recipe be made with a baby strapped to your chest and a toddler playing with the pots and pans on the floor underneath you?
Can this recipe be made with a distracted mind on four hours of sleep?
Can this recipe be on my table fast enough that no one – myself included – has a total meltdown?
And mostly, will this recipe give me (and my family) a few moments of joy as we fill up our plates and our bellies?

The stressful new-baby life was my situation back then, but surprise! I’m still feeling a little SOS-y these days. Newborn struggles have given way to new things: an unexpected medical diagnosis, sleep challenges with the (now big!) baby, and the constantly changing Covid situation all have taken their toll and I’m still finding myself solidly in SOS territory most nights.

As it turns out, many of you know this feeling, too.

Whether you are feeling overwhelmed at work, dealing with physical or mental health challenges, attempting to manage a household of babies and kiddos, or just having an off day, my hope is that these SOS meals are here to deliver a really doable, fun, wholesome, delicious dinner option as a lifeline.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciated you sharing your personal stories and your feedback on our first round of the SOS Series. A lot of what we heard back was just “please do more of these recipes” – and I am so excited to do this again with you for version 2.0.

What Kind Of Recipes Can I Look Forward To?

Yes, I say this about pretty much every recipe, but seriously, there are SO MANY GOOD RECIPES to look forward to in this series!

Here are some highlights and things to expect:

There are so many vegetarian recipes in this round! WHOA! I’m excited about it.
An easy, flavor-packed peanutty tofu lettuce wrap recipe that has been made at least 500 times in our house this summer.
A stupidly easy spicy salmon recipe that looks like it came from a fancy restaurant and tastes like the fire emoji.
A tempeh (!!) bowl with a maple mustard marinade that is everything I want in a bowl and I would so happily eat every day for lunch for the rest of time.
A roasted broccoli getup from my friend Liz that might be the all-time best way I’ve ever eaten broccoli – it’s lemony, garlicky, feta-y deliciousness will blow your mind.
A supremely cozy baked gnocchi with the simplest creamy tomato sauce that makes the start of fall (!!) just feel really, really good.

When and Where Do I Find The Recipes?

The SOS Series 2.0 kicks off on Monday, August 16th.

We’ll be sharing new recipes here on the blog every week throughout the 4-week series.

Ways you can access the recipes:

Sign up for emails so you don’t miss new recipes! (Our emails are put together by our talented and hilarious team and I actually don’t have a lot to do with them – but I can honestly say they are just so good. Short, funny, delicious, and they make me laugh almost every time I open them. We take email happiness very seriously.)
Follow on social media! We will be sharing our new recipes on Facebook and Instagram, and if you want to watch me make the recipes (hiii!), I share a little behind the scenes tutorial on Instagram Stories for every new recipe that we publish.
Just check back on the blog every couple of days to see what’s new!

It’s been such a joy putting together the SOS Series 2.0 for me, and you, and all of us. I can’t wait to share it with you.

See you on Monday for the start of the deliciousness!

We got this. ♡

The post Coming Soon: SOS Series 2.0 appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

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Wednesday, July 14, 2021

We’re Hiring: Executive Assistant

Hello hello! Here we are again!

Our team keeps growing and growing (and growing some more), and today, we’re looking for an incredible someone to join our team as an Executive Assistant. And just maybe (possibly? hopefully?) that someone is you.

This position is primarily part of the Pinch of Yum team, but will also be part of TinyBit, the parent company of our family of businesses. Here’s what the rest of those businesses are:

Pinch of Yum: If you’re here, you know. Fresh, flavorful, and (mostly) healthy recipes made for real, actual, everyday life.
Food Blogger Pro: A membership site where you can learn the essentials about what it takes to start and grow a successful food blog with easy-to-understand video tutorials and a helpful community to learn from.
WP Tasty: Provides WordPress bloggers with tried and true plugins to optimize for SEO, Pinterest, and keyword linking.
Nutrifox: Allows you to create custom nutrition labels almost effortlessly by pasting in your recipe or list of ingredients.
Clariti: A tool that helps you take control of your content by organizing posts and pages, planning tasks and optimizations, and making data-driven decisions about your site.

We’re excited for someone to join our team to help keep things running smoothly on the business side of things and support our ever-growing team. Let’s get to it! 👇

Executive Assistant Job Posting

About TinyBit

We’re a small (and mighty!) team of passionate creators, artists, business minds, and craftspeople who take pride in the work we do and are constantly thinking about how the things we create (recipes, products, or software) can help improve someone’s life or business.

We have five different brands operating under the TinyBit name: Pinch of Yum and Food Blogger Pro, our content publications; and Nutrifox, WP Tasty, and Clariti, which provide software tools to help you customize, build and grow your online content businesses.

We want to do great work with big impact. Our mission is to help you (or your business) get a TinyBit better. You can learn more about the TinyBit companies by visiting tinybit.com.

We are a company that highly values diversity, equity, and inclusion. People of all ethnicities, nationalities, genders, races, and sexual identities are encouraged to apply.

Job Overview

Our hope for this Executive Assistant position is to find someone who can help our businesses run more smoothly through excellence in clerical and administrative duties and tasks, as well as providing support to the founders.

This is a newly-created, remote (US-based), part-time position, starting at 20 hours a week.

Some in-person meetings may be required throughout the year.

Who You Are

Are you the type of person who jumps in with both feet when it comes to organizing? Do you thrive on managing multiple demands in a fast-paced environment? Are you motivated, kind, and easy to work with? Do you have a can-do attitude and natural ability to adapt in a dynamic environment? If yes, then read on!

You’re Great At (The Absolute MUST-Haves)

Organizing and prioritizing all things in life.
Paying attention to detail – accuracy and clarity are your strengths.
Delegating tasks, when appropriate.
Communicating clearly and professionally in both verbal and written forms.
Understanding technology and being ready to learn. Apple products are a must as well as Google tools: Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sheets.
Solving problems and staying highly self-motivated.
Staying two steps ahead – recognizing what needs to be done and taking initiative. You take great pride in not needing to be asked to do something!
Remaining professional in various situations and when interacting with different personalities.
Maintaining confidentiality of information.
Working independently and reliably.

Extra Awesome / Ideal, But Not Required

You have a “never say never” attitude.
You are a grammar whiz.
You are able to create easy-to-understand processes around repeatable tasks.
You can figure out ways to use software to create strong processes and automations.
You have a basic understanding of (or can learn) design tools like Canva or Photoshop.

What You’ll Do / Responsibilities

The daily responsibilities in this role include, but are not limited to:

Processing and managing emails and calendars.
Providing project management support.
Scheduling internal and external meetings.
Managing communications on behalf of others, as appropriate.
Responding to and resolving administrative inquiries.
Setting up eSignature documents and ensuring proper completion.
Coordinating and scheduling travel, accommodations, and meticulously filing expenses. Extra bonus: finding great deals!
Planning and executing various team events, meetings, and appointments.
Preparing agendas, schedules, and minutes for meetings, conferences, and other assigned events.
Retrieving and preparing written summaries of information.
Maintaining office supplies and coordinating maintenance of office equipment.
Maintaining a system for recording expenses.
Owning systems such as copying, sorting, and filing records both electronically and physically.
Assisting in the research of projects.
Performing other general clerical duties, which may include record-keeping and handling mail, packages, deliveries, correspondence, sorting and forwarding items, and processing outgoing mail.
Performing bookkeeping activities relating to accounts payable.
Performing other related duties as assigned.

What You’ll Need / Education and Experience

Required: High school diploma or equivalent.
Preferred: Associates degree in office administration or related field.
Preferred: 3-5 years of recent administrative support, reporting to one or more executives.
Preferred: Experience working with executives in a rapidly growing environment, especially in technology.

How to Apply

Is this you? Is this someone you know? We would love to meet you and hear why you might be a good fit for this position!

Click here to apply. Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, July 21 by 11:59 PM CST for consideration.

The post We’re Hiring: Executive Assistant appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

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Monday, July 12, 2021

Lemongrass Chicken with Rice and Zucchini

Hello and happy flavor day to you! Because this right here is a flavor all-star.

This recipe involves tender chicken (thighs, please!) sautéed and then simmered in an OMG creamy-coconut-lemongrass-flavor-packed sauce, with steamy jasmine rice, and fresh herbs, and some veggies on the side if you want.

And all I have to say is big, big love for this.

Why Everyone Needs This Lemongrass Chicken ASAP

As with most superdelicious foods, this lemongrass chicken is giving us the best of both worlds:

Fresh, energized, life-giving flavor from the lemongrass and lime and cilantro;
Creamy and totally comforting lusciousness from the coconut cream, chicken, and rice.

So it eats like a comfort food, but it tastes like lightness and zippy zing and flavor excitement, and it is all-around one of my favorite things to cook and eat right now.

Lemongrass chicken in a bowl with rice and zucchini and topped with fresh herbs.

How To Make This Lemongrass Chicken

The method of making this is fairly straightforward: sauté the chicken, build the sauce, add the chicken back in. That’s pretty much the bones of it.

For vegetable activity – zucchini is all up in my CSA right now, so I like to serve this with pan-fried zucchini half-moons with their little tender-crispness and golden browned spots. But I can confirm that any vegetable, including a very delicate and simple green side salad, is just as lovely.

Use What You Have On Hand

For substitutions, chicken breasts will work, although I prefer thighs. For a vegetarian option, pan-fried tofu would be fabulous. I am also having visions of shrimp and feeling really excited about it. Right? With a little fish sauce or something? That would be awesome.

And coconut milk could work in a pinch, but COCONUT CREAM is the gold standard for achieving a sauce that ladles on like a gravy, which I just cannot seem to quit. It is cash money deliciousness.

Lemongrass chicken in a bowl with a fork being held by a white hand.

Sending lots of love to summer and fresh flavors that support a good food mood. Lemongrass, you star, you.

Lemongrass Chicken: FAQs

So chicken breasts can work here, right?

Chicken breasts could work, but you’ll lose a bit of the juiciness and tenderness, so chicken thighs are the way to go if those are available to you. For a vegetarian option, pan-fried tofu would be perfect!

I can only find coconut milk. Will that work?

Coconut milk will work a pinch, but you might lose some of the creaminess. Make sure to use full-fat coconut milk instead of light coconut milk.

I’m trying to cut out refined sugar. Do I need the brown sugar in the sauce?

The brown sugar really helps balance out some of the flavors of the coconut cream and the lime juice, so it’s best to keep it in. For a refined sugar-free option, you could try coconut sugar instead.

Source notes: My version of this recipe was modeled after a pre-made product (I am very fancy) called Kevin’s Lemongrass Chicken. I have also tried a lemongrass chicken from a local Vietnamese restaurant that was similar (and also delicious!), but the version I tried was more of an oil-based sauce vs. cream-based sauce, so in making this I was attempting to replicate the former!