Spring Roll Tutorial

Oh, spring rolls, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

1. They're so easy to make!
2. They're versatile: you can be creative and put nearly anything in them!
3. They're healthy (if you use the right ingredients and don't fry them, haha)!
4. They're fun to make!
5. And, of course, they're delicious!

So, here's how I do my egg-rollin':

Buy some rice paper. I'm pretty sure you can find this in the "international" aisle in your local major supermarket chain (Kroger, Safeway, Stop & Shop, Walmart, etc.) from a number of different brands. I got these at an international supermarket, though.

Choose some fillings. I'm all about well-balanced meals so I make sure I have some veggies and some protein; in this meal, I chose tofu sprinkled with paprika and chili powder, and some julienned carrots and zucchini. I've also used everything from tuna with spinach and avocado to shrimp with zucchini and arugula, and everything in between. Whatever you have on hand is just fine, believe me.

Add some pizzaz. Soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, hot sauce, mustard... whatever you want. But, I must say this: I am absolutely in love with Trader Joe's Satay Peanut Sauce. Love love love love love! I can't say enough about this stuff. It is godly. I use it with rice noodles, stir fry, and even as a substitute for pizza sauce when making home-made pizzas! Obviously, I use it in spring rolls as well, haha. I also use some crushed red pepper flakes to add a bit more spiciness. :)

Ready... assemble! First, you need two plates: one with water, and one without water. The one with water is used to soak your rice paper. The sheets are very thin and look opaque when you first see them. They need to be thoroughly moistened to be useable.

I never soak more than 2 sheets at a time because they tend to get stuck together if you have too many in the water. I let them sit for about 2 or 3 minutes, or until it is very very flexible... it kind of feels like skin when it's ready to be used. I pick up the sheet and shake it off gently, just a little, to get the excess water off of it.

Place the sheet on the empty non-watered plate. I usually let it sit for about 30 seconds before using so that the starch in the paper comes out and allows it all to stick together later. From personal experience, working with wet rice paper makes it really hard to keep your filling contained, and the edges won't stay sealed.

Now, here's the fun part:

Add your ingredients (don't forget the sauce!) in the center of the rice paper like this. Fold the bottom of the sheet upwards.

Fold one side inward...

Fold the top downward...

Then roll!

I make bento lunches for work and spring rolls are very common in them!

There you go! Now, go forth and make spring rolls!

Facelift Number Eleven - Sweet and Firey Tofu

Happy 2010, everyone! In celebration of a newer and healthier year for you all, I've answered a request I've gotten a few times from you guys: make a vegetarian version of a fast food dish.

I'm not much of a fan of Chinese food and never have been; however, it's hard to escape Panda Express when you go to a mall or airport. My boyfriend loves a lot of their food, so I decided to undertake their SunFire Chicken dish... but with a vegetarian twist.

BEFORE THE FACELIFT




INGREDIENTS

2/5 block Trader Joe's Extra Firm Organic Tofu
1 cup pineapple chunks in juice (not syrup), drained
1/4 medium red onion
1 tsp Trader Joe's Chili Pepper Sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 fl oz orange juice
1 tbsp pineapple juice
1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp honey









LET'S COOK!


I cut up the tofu into die-sized pieces and blotted the excess moisture from them on a paper towel.


Toss the tofu pieces in orange juice until coated.


Put the tofu in a bag with the panko bread crumbs until the pieces are coated.


Bake at 425 degrees F until golden. Now, for the veggies and sauce...


Chop up onion into large pieces and put in a pan with the pineapple. Cook on medium heat until pineapple browns a bit and the onions are cooked yet still crunchy.


Mix the remaining ingredients together until combined. A little goes a long way!


Combine all of the components together until coated in sauce. Enjoy!

FACELIFT RESULTS

217 fewer Calories (-50.7%)
5g less fat (-72.2%)
4g less saturated fat (-100%)
0mg cholesterol (-100%)
22g less carbs (-41.3%)
5g less protein (-27.6%)
no difference in fiber
349mg less sodium (-94.4%)

I definitely didn't mean to decrease the protein, but if you add another 1/5 block per serving to this recipe, you'll only increase 100 Calories (per 1/5 block of tofu) while increasing the protein like crazy! Or, serve this on some quinoa for a great carb with tons of protein!

Full recipe HERE. Keep commenting and sending me e-mails as well!

Have a happy and healthy new year!

Facelift Number Six - Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken

I didn't want to do the same fast food chain two facelifts in a row, but I had the ingredients for this dish around my apartment and figured it would be a quick, easy, and delicious thing to try (and it was!): Wendy's Sweet and Spicy Asian Boneless Chicken Wings. This is also one of my boyfriend's favorite fast food dishes. :)

BEFORE THE FACELIFT


(Guess which one is the advertisement and which is a consumer-taken photo! Haha.)



Time for a facelift!

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces chicken breast
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 egg white
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp low sodium teriyaki sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional if you want less spiciness)
cooking spray







LET'S COOK!


Preheat oven to 375F. Cut up chicken into nugget-sized pieces.


Mix paprika and flour together in a bowl.


Lightly beat egg whites in another bowl.


Toss the chicken in the flour until coated. Coat lightly in egg whites, then...


Put the chicken in a bag with the bread crumbs and toss until coated.


Spread the chicken pieces out on a aluminum foil-lined cookie sheet (spray with cooking spray, too). Bake for 15 minutes, flip the chicken, bake for another 5 minutes or until...


Golden!


For the sauce, mix together the remaining ingredients (honey, Tabasco, red pepper flakes, black pepper, teriyaki sauce), then toss the chicken in it.


I served it on top of brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli.

FACELIFT RESULTS

232 fewer Calories (-42%)
16g less fat (-86%)
3.5g less saturated fat (-100%)
9mg less cholesterol (-12%)
2046mg less sodium (-81%)
28g less carbs (-41%)
No change in protein or fiber

This just goes to show that you don't need your deep-fried nuggets to be drowning in tons of sauce to have a spicy and sweet meal. This stuff packs a lot of flavor in such a small amount of sauce; there's just enough to lightly coat the chicken, so trust me: it doesn't need any more!

Full recipe HERE. As usual, leave me a comment or send an email with any suggestions for future facelifts!