My Vegetarian Recipe of the Day

I’m a big egg roll fan.  And I think they’re great for parties.  Generally, you can make them ahead of time, freeze them and reheat them.  They’re not too messy.  They’re filling.  What’s not to love?  This recipe from Vegetarian Times is even baked, so they’re not too horrible for your diet. 

Baked Mini Egg Rolls & Hot Mustard Sauce

• 1 T. soy sauce


• 1 t. rice vinegar


• 1 t. cornstarch, plus some extra for dusting baking sheets


• 1 cup shredded cabbage


• 1/2 cup shredded carrots


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 T. minced fresh ginger


• 1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped


• 1 cup frozen, shelled edamame, thawed


• 2 T. finely chopped roasted peanuts


• 1/2 t. dark sesame oil


• 26 won ton skins


• 1 large egg, slightly beaten

Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, and 1 t. cornstarch in bowl to blend;  set aside.

Warm large nonstick skillet over med-high heat;  coat with cooking spray.  Add cabbage and carrots;  cook, stirring, until cabbage is softened, 3-4 minutes.  Add ingredients down to dark sesame oil, stirring just until heated, about 1 minute.  Add cornstarch mixture;  cook, stirring until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.  Transfer to plate;  cover, adn chill about 20 minutes to cool.

Place several won ton skins on work surface, with a corner of each facing you (in diamond shape).  Brush top corner of each with egg.  Put 1 T. filling in center of each;  fold bottom corner, then both side corners over filling, and roll up.  Place egg rolls on baking sheet dusted with cornstarch and cover loosely with plastic as you go.

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Put second baking sheet in oven for 2 minutes.  Remove, coat with cooking spray then quickly put egg rolls on it.  Spray rolls and return to hot oven.

Bake 10 minutes, flip rolls and bake 10 minutes more, or until golden brown.  Serve with mustard sauce (below).

Hot Mustard Sauce

• 2 T. powdered yellow mustard


• 1 T. water


• 1 t. honey or rice syrup


• 1 t. rice vinegar

 Whisk all ingredients in bowl to blend.  Transfer to dipping bowls.

This is a slightly updated version of 7 Layer Dip from Food Network.  It’s slightly more complicated but still pretty easy.  My mother-in-law actually heats 7 Layer Dip in the oven to melt the cheese and serves it with rice as a tasty main dish.  You could also layer these ingredients over chips and pop them in the oven to make tasty nachos.  

Six Layer Dip 

2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1(15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups lowfat shredded Cheddar
2 ripe avocados, preferably Hass
1 jalapeno, stemmed, finely chopped, (with seeds for more heat)
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 1/2 cups nonfat yogurt, preferably Greek
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and some stems, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
3 ripe medium tomatoes, diced
5 scallions (white and green), thinly sliced Baked tortilla chips, for dipping

On a cutting board, smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Put the garlic, beans, chili powder, water, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Spread in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole or gratin dish, or in individual sized dishes, as desired.Scatter the cheese over the beans. Halve and seed the avocados, then mash with the jalapeno and another teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Spread a layer of the avocado over the cheese, and then scatter the lettuce on top.

Mix the yogurt with the cilantro and then spread over the lettuce. Add a layer of tomatoes and finally scatter the scallions on top. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with a few cilantro sprigs and serve with baked chips.