Couscous & Veggie Cabbage Wraps

We love lettuce wraps around here. But as of last week, our new love is cabbage wraps! 

Let us review: Lettuce wraps...delicious, especially with that buttery Boston lettuce. Sadly, it's a bit more expensive. So there is Iceberg; a great cheap option, however the leaves don't hold together well, and you're left with juice running down the side of your arm.

Cue in, steamed cabbage. It's dirt cheap, yummy, and it holds together beautifully. Win, win, win. Plus it adds a good firm crunch to each bite. 

Seriously these are scrumdidliumptious, my friends. Mega flavorful, juicy, crunchy, sweet, spicy, and savory. Make some, tonight, and tell me about it. Or come on over and we'll make some! 

One note: the above photo shows cilantro on top. Being the lover of cilantro that I am, I tend to add it to many dishes. This was the first time it didn't work. It wasn't gross, but it wasn't as delightful as I had hoped it would be. So I would leave that off next time.
Onto the recipe:

Couscous & Veggie Cabbage Wraps

Filling:

Oil for sauteing

Water chestnut, diced

Mushrooms, diced

Carrots, cut to matchsticks

Onions, diced

Bamboo, diced

Garlic, minced

Any other veggies you like

Couscous, made to your liking (we just cooked it up basic with some broth, since there are many other flavors going on in this dish)

Cabbage leaves, steamed

Special Sauce:

1/4 c sugar

1/2 c water

2 T soy sauce

2 T rice wine vinegar

2 T ketchup

1 T lemon juice

1/8 t sesame oil

1 T hot mustard

1-2 t garlic and red chile paste

Mix the sugar and water together. Then add all other ingredients, mix well, and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Stir Fry Sauce:

2 T soy sauce

2 T brown sugar

1/2 t rice wine vinegar

Add all ingredients together, mix well. Place to side while sauteing veggies.

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Saute your veggies along with garlic for a few minutes, until slightly soft, but not too soft because you want some crunch. Mix in couscous, then Stir Fry sauce.

Spoon filling into cabbage leave, add some Special Sauce on top, and serve. 

Simple, easy, delicious, done.