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Thursday, September 22, 2016

Taste 10! Looks 3!__Taste10! Looks 3!


Several nights ago I was wondering what to have for dinner.  I had just been to the store and had everything from my limited purchases to choose from and had decided on something Asianish, probably a stir fry.  Then TheHub called and what I was originally planning didn't sound that good to him.  I had a beautiful and dense head of cabbage and decided I cold do something with it instead. Sadly on this restricted budget I couldn't run to The Pig and pick up some corned beef and potatoes (which is what I really wanted).  Then I started thinking about egg rolls.  I love to make egg rolls on occasion, but again I did not have the extra money for egg roll wrappers and I surely didn't want to commit the amount of oil for frying them to just one meal.  When I really thought about it what we love best about the egg rolls is the filling so I began making a deconstructed egg roll.


2 tablespoons oil (Use one with a high smoking point.  I use peanut oil)
1 chicken breast, chopped finely
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/2 head cabbage, grated
1 onion chopped finely
1/2 inch piece of ginger minced (I had no fresh ginger so I used 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 container bean sprouts (I had a jar from Aldi, drained.  Fresh are much better)
1 bamboo shoot, grated (I had none so I left it out)
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup cooked rice (I use brown but white works as well)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Add more to taste.  I don't like salt so I always err on the underside of soy sauce)
salt and pepper to taste but I recommend using lots of pepper
dash red pepper flakes
Crank up the heat under a large saute' pan or wok and add the oil.  Quickly add the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes until it is done throughout but not browned. Remove the chicken and set it aside. (I typically wipe the pan out here.)  In the same pan, add another 2 tablespoons of oil and the sesame oil.  Toss in all the vegetables including the ginger and garlic and cook it until it is nicely crisp tender.  Add the chicken back in and stir through.  Add the rice and stir it in well then add the soy sauce, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes.
It was fabulous.  We served it with a little cup of hoisin sauce on the side and oh my it was delicious. It made enough for the 2 of us for dinner with leftovers for 2 lunch servings.  I will probably never wrap another egg roll in my life.  This was just too tasty and too easy,. Like I said, Taste 10! Looks 3!



18 comments:

  1. You really can make something out of nothing. Impressive and I'm sure super tasty!!!!
    Yeah, Den doesn't mess with my meal plan too often cuz he knows that I am a terrible cook.

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    1. I am a pretty decent cook, in fact I am glad TheHub doesn't have to cook for us because we would only be eating grilled cheese and grits

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  2. We like egg roll in a bowl very much. It's cheap, low cal, easy but like you say, it's not real pretty.

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    1. Nope there is absolutely nothing attractive about it, but it sure does taste good!

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  3. That looks yummy! Will definitely have to try as I love egg rolls.

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  4. Wrappers never hold up, so I end up eating with a fork anyway. Loved the allusion. Loved the clip.

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    1. Thanks! while I was plating it I kept singing that song to myself, but I seem to sing show tunes mentally all the time.

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  5. I bake my egg rolls- just spray with a little cooking spray and bake in a hot oven 15 minutes or so. I usually just make vegetarian ones but still tasty.

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    1. I have done them every way possible, but I usually fry them then freeze them and bake them later after defrosting.

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  6. Life is too short to wrap food. And I am too clumsy.
    This sounds good.

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    1. I am finding the older I get the less time I am taking with anything nonessential.

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  7. Wow-sounds like a keeper. Curry is like this tastes loads better than it looks. I never have made cooked cabbage other than sauerkraut. I need to book mark this.

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    1. It really isi good and does not taste like cooked cabbage at all, but pretty? Well is just isn't.

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  8. I will never do the labor involved in making eggrolls, so I will never deconstruct them, but I might construct them like this. Looks good.

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    1. It really was good and so much easier for basically the same flavor.

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  9. I love fried cabbage and I cannot imagine this is much different. Thanks for the idea.

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