Hi, I’m Kate, and I am a chronic over-stuffer. I recognized the theme while I was making these salad wraps last night. In addition to salad wraps, I over-stuff tacos, burritos, bookshelves, closets and worst of all, my calendar. Basically, anything that can be over-stuffed, I over-stuff.
“All the salsas, please.” —Me, at Chipotle, as the girl behind the counter struggles to fold over my burrito. “Sure, I can photograph four recipes in one day, then answer comments and emails, go to yoga, stop by the grocery store and make it to bed at a reasonable hour.” —Lying to myself on a daily basis.
I want it all, that’s all. The whole buffet on one plate. It’s exhausting. It can also be pretty embarrassing. Apologizing to everyone who’s been trying to reach me by email for the past week? Embarrassing. Trying to eat a saucy, over-stuffed burrito in public? Very embarrassing. Also very messy. Burritos are best consumed in the privacy of one’s own home. Anyway. You should make these salad wraps. Over-stuff them all you want. I had a general “tropical salsa meal” concept on my recipe list already, but these wraps didn’t come to be until I tried Ali’s Thai-style nachos at her super cool loft. She topped her nachos with mango salsa and a drizzle of peanut sauce. Delicious!
I went a little crazy over the mango-peanut combination and immediately started brainstorming potential meals. After eating mango salsa and peanut sauce in various forms all week, I finally arrived at these salad wraps. They’re colorful, filling and full of Thai flavors. They would make a wonderful, light summer meal.
As much as I love the salad wrap version, please feel free to deconstruct the recipe. You could simply serve the mango salsa with chips. Or skip the tofu for a light appetizer. For a hot meal, serve the salsa on top of rice with peanut sauce (as shown here). In the mood for a big green salad? Top fresh lettuce with salsa and peanut sauce. If you’re in a hurry, use San-J brand peanut sauce to save some time (it’s salty, so I prefer my homemade version). Skip the garnish of peanuts and coconut flakes if you’re really in a time pinch.
Watch How to Make Thai Mango Cabbage Wraps
You also have a few options when it comes to the tofu. I’ve shared my technique for crispy baked tofu already (the trick is to toss the tofu with a tiny bit of oil and some arrowroot starch or corn starch). I recently picked up a new way to infuse that crispy tofu with flavor, thanks to my friend Dana of Minimalist Baker. Basically, you bake the tofu first, then transfer it to a pan on the stove and pour sauce/glaze over it. The tofu soaks up the flavor like a sponge! It’s really neat. The stove step is just one more step, though, so it’s up to you. The peanut sauce is plenty bold if you just want to drizzle it over the tofu, like I did in the top photo. Check out the last two photos if you want to see what happens when you cook the baked tofu and the sauce together on the stove. Ok, I’ll admit that I’m an over-thinker in addition to being an over-stuffer. Make these wraps!
