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!