Spicy Pad Thai in Lettuce Wraps
Servings
6people
Servings
6people
Ingredients
  • SPICY PEANUT SAUCE
  • 1/2tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1clove garlic, minced
  • 2-3 fresh chili peppers, seeded and mincedsuch as jalapeño or serrano
  • 1teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2tablespoons minced white onion
  • 1/4cup unsalted creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4cup soy milk
  • 1/2tablespoon lemon juice
MARINADE
  • 2tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • LETTUCE WRAPS
  • 3/4pound medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and diced
  • 8ounces wide rice noodles, fresh or dry
  • 2heads iceberg or butter lettuce
  • 2tablespoons canola oil
  • 2cups sunflower greens or daikon radish sprouts, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2cup diced red pepper
  • Fish sauce and pepperto taste
  • Cilantro leavesfor garnish
  • Chili-garlic saucefor dipping; optional
Instructions
  1. To make peanut sauce: In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, chili peppers, ginger, and onion. Sauté until onion softens, 4-5 minutes. Add peanut butter, soy milk, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring, until sauce is hot and peanut butter melts, 1-2 minutes. Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Let cool.
  2. Combine marinade ingredients. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer. While shrimp marinates, cook rice noodles until barely soft. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside.
  3. Cut out lettuce cores and separate leaves. Cut leaves into 4-inch squares to make “cups.” Arrange lettuce on a large serving plate.
  4. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp. Stir-fry until shrimp turns opaque, about 2 minutes. Add sprouts and red pepper; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Stir in noodles and peanut sauce. Mix thoroughly. Season with fish sauce and pepper. Transfer to serving dish. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
  5. To serve, place about 3 tablespoons noodle mixture into a lettuce leaf cup, wrap, and eat by hand. Dip in chili-garlic sauce, if desired.
Recipe Notes

Ying Chang Compestine is the author of several children's books, including The Story of Noodles (Holiday House, 2002), The Runaway Wok ( Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2011) and Boy Dumplings (Immedium, 2016); and cookbooks, including Secrets from a Healthy Asian Kitchen (Avery Penguin Putnam, 2002) and Cooking with an Asian Accent (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014).