An Appetite with an Asian Food-Shaped Hole

You probably won’t find a person who likes a salad more than me, but sometimes a bowl of leafy greens isn’t enough to satisfy my taste buds. Sometimes all I want is that glorious white and red cardboard take-out box full of steaming rice, rich sauce almost certainly laden with msg, and a fortune cookie to top it all off. Sometimes, Asian food is the only answer. While Chinese take-out and buffets often involve taking a detour from your healthy eating lifestyle, indulging your craving doesn’t have to drag you astray. This past week I have found two easy recipes that are not only fun to make, but they are much cleaner options for filling that Asian food-shaped hole in your appetite.

Tofu Wontons: These can be customized with your own desired seasonings and veggies in the fridge, so I will just provide you with the base. All you need is a carton of extra firm tofu, rice wonton wraps, veggies of choice, and seasonings of choice.

  1. First, mash the tofu with a fork until it is all broken into small pieces.
  2. Then, stir in your veggies and seasonings of choice. I used shredded carrots, diced onion, garlic, ginger, and green chili sauce. Make sure that your veggies are fairly small to prevent your wraps from popping open.
  3. Third, lay out some of the rice wrappers ( I had good look with the brand Nasoya) and put a spoonful of the mixture in the middle. Play with the amount of mixture so that you get a good amount of filling without the wrap splitting open.
  4.  Then, dip your finger or a small brush ( I used my finger) into water and paint the edges of the wrap. This is your glue to keep them shut.0610171824
  5. Once your wontons are formed, it’s time to steam them. I placed mine in the steamer shelf of my rice-cooker and cooked them in “steam mode” for 12 minutes. If you don’t have a steamer or rice cooker, you can use your stove-top as well. They should have a slight gooey/ translucent finish to them.

Enjoy! A little soy sauce for dipping adds a nice splash of flavor, but you could use whatever sauce you wanted or no sauce at all.0610171853

 

Not-so-Fried Fried Rice: Again, this is just a basic outline for you to adapt as you see fit. All you need are some veggies, rice, eggs, and sauce.

  1. First, get your veggies ready. I heated up a frozen medley of vegetables and couscous until it was about halfway cooked. I used the Season’s Choice Asian Seasoned Medley from Aldi.
  2. Then, scramble two whole brown eggs (or however many you would like) in a pan.
  3. Once the eggs are cooked, add pre-cooked brown rice into the pan. Then, add the prepared veggies.
  4. Here comes the flavor! I added one tablespoon of Kikkoman orange sauce, a dash of green chili sauce, and a hint of ginger.
  5. Simply continue to stir it together until everything is heated, and then you’re done. For a little crunch, I also added 8 almonds for a garnish.0617171757

I hope that you enjoy making and eating these recipes as much as I did. Creating the wontons turned into a wonderful date night adventure for my husband and I. Eating healthy does not have to mean abandoning the flavors you have always loved. Some creativity and a little push from a hungry stomach can go a long way.

 

 

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