Stir Fry and Baked Egg Rolls

This recipe takes a lot of prep time but it's so easy once you're done with all the chopping.  Have everything ready and chopped before you start cooking.  The egg rolls absolutely rock.  They are baked and filled with vegetables so we're talking healthy!  I use the same veggies for the stir fry except I add mushrooms.  Don't be tied to the veggies; use whatever you have or can get. Stir fry is great with brown rice but also good with quinoa or noodles.  Of course, white rice is great too, although we don't usually eat white.  If you use rice, I would suggest Jasmine. 

Vegetable Stir Fry

• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms (I like Baby Bellas)
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper (I like to use ½ of each), cut into bite-sized chunks
• 4 oz. sugar snap peas
• ½ bag Broccoli Cole Slaw (or use cabbage and carrots)
• 4 green onions, sliced
• ½ can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
• 1 cup or more bean sprouts
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled* and minced
• 2-3 T. Chinese salad dressing
• 1 T. corn starch
• 1 cup broth

Sauté mushrooms in olive oil until brown and caramelized, about 8-10 minutes.  Add peas and bell peppers and continue cooking about 5 minutes.  Add the slaw and cook another couple of minutes.  Add the green onion, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, garlic and ginger.  Sauté a few more minutes.  (Don’t worry about the cooking times; just cook the veggies until they are just done but still crisp).

Add the salad dressing to the vegetables.  Stir a little broth into the corn starch and combine.  Add the corn starch and the rest of the broth to the vegetables and stir until sauce has thickened.

Serve over rice, quinoa or pasta.  Although not as healthy as brown, I find that white Jasmine rice tastes best with the vegetables. 

You can also add meat or shrimp to the recipe.  Just cook the meat or shrimp first and set aside while cooking the vegetables.

*I don’t actually peel the ginger; I just use my knife and cut the skin off.

Baked Spring Rolls

• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger root
• 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 cup cooked whole wheat angel hair or capellini*
• 1 green onion (scallion), julienned
• 1 carrot, finely grated**
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
• 1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and julienned
• 1 cup finely shredded or julienned cabbage (or use packaged slaw mix)**
• 1 cup sugar snaps, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup bean sprouts, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup water chestnuts, julienned
• 6-8 square (7”) egg roll wrappers
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon Asian (or toasted) sesame oil
• Hot Chinese mustard, sweet chili sauce, and/or plum sauce, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, and minced garlic. Add the noodles and stir to coat.  Add green onion, carrot, bell peppers, cabbage, snow peas, bean sprouts, and water chestnuts; toss to coat. Place the egg roll wrappers on a clean dry work surface. With one corner of the wrapper facing you, put filling about 2” above the corner.  Pull corner over filling and then roll over tightly.  Fold in the sides and continue rolling.  Seal the end with a little water to make it stick. 

Combine the vegetable oil and sesame oil. Lightly brush each spring roll with oil mixture and place on the baking sheet.  I have tried cooking these on a foil-lined sheet but it just doesn't work as well.  Bake it directly on the baking sheet for best results.

Bake until the spring rolls are crisp on the bottoms; about 10 minutes; turn and bake until crisp all over, about 8-10 more minutes.

*Break pasta into smaller pieces before cooking.

**Or buy prepared Broccoli Cole Slaw in place of the carrots and cabbage.

This recipe makes a lot of stir fry, which is great leftover, but only make as many spring rolls as you think you'll eat cause they get soggy when refrigerated.