So I’m back! Took a little break, but I’ve been trying lots of new recipes :). One of our new favorites as a family is egg rolls and lo mein. Since G is allergic to soy as well as dairy we have pretty much given up on Chinese food. It has been very sad and Steven, S and I have really been wanting some lately. I decided to do a little research and have been trying out different soy substitutes. There have been many um…well…not so great substitutes. Finally I took a little from here and there and got a version that we like (recipe to follow)!
I’ve done a few things with it, but hands down the favorite was egg rolls and vegetable lo mein. B loves to “roll, roll, roll” some egg rolls! S likes to be a big helper also! I found a recipe and worked it up a little. Since we had ground pork in the egg rolls, I have been serving it with vegetable lo mein. Steven would prefer it to be “meat” lo mein, but I’m cooking on a budget, so 1 meat per meal is all I’ve got. Here are a few pictures of the meal as it is being made and the recipes to go with it!
Egg Rolls:
Egg Roll wrappers
1 pound ground pork
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
4 cups cabbage
2/3 cup shredded carrots
1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon water (paste to hold egg roll together)
canola oil for frying
Directions:
Cook ground pork and add 2 teaspoons each garlic and ginger to meat. Shred cabbage and carrots. The first time I used Napa cabbage and didn’t worry about cooking it slightly before. This time I used green cabbage and sautéed it with the carrots and 1/2 teaspoon each of the ginger and garlic. Mix all together and salt to taste.
Pour oil into pot and heat on medium high.
Add 1/3 cup of mix to middle of egg roll wrap. Fold both sides in and pull top down. and roll down. Add some flour paste to the bottom corner and press to egg roll to “glue” together.
Once you have “roll, roll, rolled” everything, check and see if the oil is ready. I normally drop a small drip of water off my fingers. If it bubbles immediately it is ready, if not wait a few min. When the oil is ready, carefully drop the egg roll into the pot. I use tongs to make sure I’m not splattered. When it starts to look brown on the bottom flip them over. Now this is not as easy as you might think. Some flip and stay that way. In my experience most try and flip back over. It’s annoying, but you get the hang of it eventually!
They will only take a couple min. About 2 on the first side and 1 on the other. Once you are all done frying, you end of with a yummy plate full of
EGG ROLLS!! B completely devoured his and will most likely ask for another for lunch tomorrow! These would be great to freeze and have on hand for quick lunches and snacks. You could reheat in the oven or microwave. Be sure to cover with a paper towel in the microwave though.
Now for the Vegetable Lo Mein!
2 servings lo mein noodles (my brand comes with 4 servings separated in the pack)
1 broccoli head
1/2 cabbage shredded
2/3 cup shredded carrots
1/2 chicken broth
soy sauce substitute
sesame seed oil
salt and pepper
Cut up broccoli, cabbage and carrots and place in pan over med heat with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Cook for 2-3 min and add chicken broth. Lower to med-low and allow to cook until soft and tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
You could really add any veggies you want to this. I wanted some sugar snap peas for it but they were out at the commissary. Some mushrooms would be yummy to and would be some nice meaty texture. Steven and S aren’t big on them, but maybe next time I add some for me and the boys and just keep them big enough to pick out!
Follow the directions on the lo mein package. Mine take around 3 min to cook! Love fast noodles 🙂
While your veggies are cooking this is a great time to make your soy sauce.
Soy Sauce Substitute
3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chicken stock
1 Tablespoon Sherry cooking wine
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons molasses
Combine all and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 min until reduced in half.
Most recipes use beef stock, but I think the taste is better with chicken. That is completely up to you and whatever stock you have available will do the trick.
When veggies, sauce and noodles are done. Combine and salt to taste. 
The kids thought it was great! Egg rolls are a great way to get the whole family involved in cooking. Hope you enjoy!
Hold the Milk Please! 