Who hasn’t gone through the lettuce wrap loving phase of their life? The first time I tried lettuce wraps, I was hooked! The fresh lettuce with the crunchy filling, and don’t even think about forgetting the sauce. Sam Turnbull, blogger of It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken, just released Fuss-Free Vegan: 101 Everyday Comfort Food Favorites, Veganized. I’ve already tried a couple of her recipes, and it’s safe to say this is my new favorite cookbook! 

Fuss Free Vegan won my heart over with its delicious recipes, easy guidelines for stocking your kitchen with vegan ingredients, tips on how to eat vegan on a budget, menu planning suggestions for holidays, movie night, and more, and of course gorgeous inspiring photos for every recipe! Even my husband loves this cookbook! I appreciate that the recipes included are fairly easy and include “Amper-Uupper” ideas to the dish to the next level. These recipes aren’t meat wannabe’s, just your favorites veganized!

With so many awesome recipes, I didn’t know quite where to start but I wanted to dive in belly first. Since it’s fall, I treated my sweet husband to some pumpkin spice pancakes. We both devoured them and will continue to enjoy these throughout the season. I can’t wait to try the cheddar and chive scones, peanut noodles, cauliflower fettuccini alfredo, and fudgy double chocolate brownies!

Whether you’re a newbie vegan, trying to reduce your meat intake, or just looking for some fresh awesome new recipes – Fuss Free Vegan is the cookbook for you.

So what’s umami? It’s one of the five basic tastes – described as savory and brothy. In case you’re wondering what the other four tastes are, there’s sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness. This lettuce wrap recipe contains a seasoned mix of lentils, walnuts, onions, and garlic. The sauce provides a kick of flavor, and the toppings add a second layer of crunch and freshness.

Oh Mommy Umami Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins | Serves: 4

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For The Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten-free, if preferred)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon your favorite hot sauce (optional)

For The Lentils
1 tablespoon light oil, like peanut or canola oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 cup red lentils
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

To Serve
1 head of butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce, leaves separated but kept whole
1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks or grated
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. For the sauce, in a small bowl, mix the ingredients together and set

2. For the lentils, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high When hot, add the onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens and begins to brown.

3. Stir in the lentils and then the vegetable Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until all the broth is absorbed and the lentils are cooked. Stir in the walnuts and about half of the sauce mixture, or to taste.

4. To serve, take a leaf of lettuce, fill it with the lentil-walnut mixture, top with carrot, green onions, and sesame seeds, and spoon as much sauce as desired over it all. Fold it like a taco and munch away!

Excerpted from Fuss Free Vegan: 101 Everyday Comfort Food Favorites, Veganized. Copyright © 2017 Samantha Turnbull. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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