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.
- First, mash the tofu with a fork until it is all broken into small pieces.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- Then, scramble two whole brown eggs (or however many you would like) in a pan.
- Once the eggs are cooked, add pre-cooked brown rice into the pan. Then, add the prepared veggies.
- Here comes the flavor! I added one tablespoon of Kikkoman orange sauce, a dash of green chili sauce, and a hint of ginger.
- 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.
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.
