Robin's Healthy Take: Egg Rolls
For my Healthy Eats posts, I seem to be on a roll when it comes to revamping America’s favorite restaurant fare. That said, I couldn’t forget the amazing egg roll. When I was pregnant with BOTH of my boys, I craved egg rolls like there was no tomorrow. Thankfully, I lived within walking distance to a fabulous Asian restaurant. When cravings struck, I took a stroll. Turns out, it’s a good thing I hoofed it; one egg roll (an appetizer) dishes up 1/3 of your salt intake for the day. And, of course, I always ate two. Here are the rest of the stats for the average egg roll:
For you egg-roll-cravers out there, I’ve got the perfect recipe. The filling is a simple and sensational blend of sautéed chicken, cole slaw mix (cabbage and carrots), rice vinegar and sesame oil. The golden-brown egg rolls are baked not fried and served with a tangy soy-mirin-cilantro dipping sauce. You can actually enjoy TWO egg rolls for the calories of ONE restaurant roll (and just 3 grams of fat). Pregnant or not, they’re sure to become your favorite. Oh, and make a big batch because they freeze really well (freeze them before baking). You’ll definitely want lots on hand for last minute cravings (and houseguests).
Note: Bake frozen egg rolls straight from the freezer (no thawing necessary). Just add 5-7 minutes to the cooking time.
16-ounce package shredded cole slaw mix (cabbage and carrots or green and purple cabbage and carrots)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 3-5 minutes, until golden brown on all sides, stirring frequently. Add sesame oil, ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add slaw mix and rice vinegar and cook 3 minutes, until cabbage wilts and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.
Arrange egg roll wrappers on a flat surface. Spoon an equal amount of chicken-cabbage mixture across the center of wrapper in a diagonal (from point to point). Pull one point/corner up and over filling. Fold in sides and roll up completely (roll up tightly). With moistened fingers (dip in water), seal the last point/corner to the roll.
Transfer egg rolls to prepared baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
Meanwhile, to make the dipping sauce, whisk together all ingredients and serve with egg rolls.
Nutrition Info Per Serving (serving size: 2 egg rolls, 1 tablespoon sauce)
Robin Miller is a nutritionist, host of Quick Fix Meals, author of "Robin Takes 5" and “Robin Rescues Dinner” and the busy mom of two active little boys. Her boys and great food are her passion. Check her out at www.robinrescuesdinner.com.