Egg Roll in a Bowl with Creamy Sriracha Sauce

Lately I've been hearing a lot of talk among my friends about this concept.  The internet is loaded with recipes and I was feeling a little left out.  After making this, I wondered what the heck I was waiting for?  So good!  This recipe is super easy and quick to throw together, and hits all the right marks.  How great is it to get one of your favorite Chinese recipes that's also healthy for you and free of all those preservatives?

You could totally swap out the protein for ground turkey or chicken if you don't eat pork.  You could even to a vegan alternative by using TVP and vegan mayo.  Anyway, options are always welcome when it comes to food... right?

#keto #lowcarb #highprotein #paleo #whole30  #diabeticfriendly #cleaneating #glutenfree #dairyfree   #asian #pork

Ingredients:  (4-6 servings)

• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 bunch of green onions (typically around 6), green and white parts divided
• 1.5 cups sliced baby portobello mushrooms 
• 1/2 cup red onion
• omit for keto
• 1 rounded Tbsp garlic paste or equivalent amount of minced
• 1.5 pounds ground pork
• 1 rounded Tbsp ginger paste or equivalent amount of finely minced
• 1 (8oz) can water chestnuts, drained
• omit for keto
• 1 Tbsp sriracha or hot sauce of choice
• Frank's hot sauce in keto friendly 
• 1 (18) oz bag coleslaw mix or broccoli slaw
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• sub light tamari (keto) or coconut aminos (gluten free)
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• Kosher salt to taste
• Garnish - Black and white sesame seeds 
• Garnish - Green tops of sliced onions 

Sauce - 

• 1/4 cup of mayo of choice
• choose whole30 compliant if you wish
• 1 - 2 Tbsp sriracha or hot sauce depending on heat preferences
• A pinch of salt 

Step-by-Step - 

In a heavy skillet, heat sesame oil over medium to medium high heat.  Saute white green onion bottoms, red onion and garlic a few minutes until soft and fragrant.  Then add sliced mushrooms and continue cooking until they get a little bit browned.  

2 Tbsp sesame oil

1/2 cup diced red onions

green onion "bottoms"

1.5 cups sliced baby portobello mushrooms

To soft vegetables, add ground ginger, garlic, pork, and hot sauce, breaking up pork into small pieces.  Cook through about 7-8 minutes.  

1 Tbsp ginger paste

1 Tbsp garlic paste

1.5 pounds ground pork

3 Tbsp sriracha

When pork is almost cooked through but not dry, add in the water chestnuts, soy sauce/coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, bag of coleslaw mix, and then salt to taste.  Stir and cook until cabbage is tender (about 5 minutes).  

1 (8oz) can drained water chestnuts

3 Tbsp soy sauce/coconut aminos/etc

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

18 oz bag coleslaw mix

While cabbage is cooking down, mix the sauce in a small bowl - 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 1-2 Tbsp hot sauce.  Season to taste with a pinch of salt.  Add sauce to a plastic squeeze bottle or small ziptop bag.   

1/4 cup mayo, 2-3 Tbsp Sriracha

Kosher salt to taste

When cabbage is cooked, serve egg roll mixture in bowls with green onion tops, sesame seeds and creamy hot sauce.  If you used a bag, just snip off a small corner of the bag to squeeze over the mixture.  

 Thanks for the inspiration for this recipe from 40 Aprons

Since this recipe would be amazing for your weekly meal prep, here are some other great meal prep options:

Mediterranean Spiced Salmon Power Grain Bowl

Thai Chicken Bistro Wraps with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Turkey Taco Salad Meal Prep

Asian Inspired Ginger Sesame Turkey Meatballs with Teriyaki Glaze

Written Method - 

1. In a heavy skillet, heat sesame oil over medium to medium high heat.  Saute white green onion bottoms, red onion and garlic a few minutes until soft and fragrant.  Then add sliced mushrooms and continue cooking until they get a little bit browned.  

2. To soft vegetables, add ground ginger, garlic, pork, and hot sauce, breaking up pork into small pieces.  Cook through about 7-8 minutes.  
3. When pork is almost cooked through but not dry, add in the water chestnuts, soy sauce/coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, bag of coleslaw mix, and then salt to taste.  Stir and cook until cabbage is tender (about 5 minutes).  
4. While cabbage is cooking down, mix the sauce in a small bowl - 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 1-2 Tbsp hot sauce.  Season to taste with a pinch of salt.  Add sauce to a plastic squeeze bottle or small ziptop bag.    
5. When cabbage is cooked, serve egg roll mixture in bowls with green onion tops, sesame seeds and creamy hot sauce.  If you used a bag, just snip off a small corner of the bag to squeeze over the mixture.  

Thai Chicken Wrap Bistro Boxes with Peanut Dipping Sauce

This morning I was talking to my kids about "eating the rainbow" and what that actually means.  It seems I had just finished making up a nutritional metabolism lecture for one of my classes and it was still fresh in my mind.  Of course for my kids, whatever my college students are learning about tends to spill over into our home life, so they often have so suffer through hearing about the lecture du jour.  Now I must admit, this concept (eating the rainbow and antioxidant research) is near and dear to me, as the concept of it ties into what I did my dissertation on many years ago.  But that's another story. 

So anyway... one of my littles doesn't eat probably 75% of the stuff in this recipe.  Nope.  So this was a test.  A blatant, flat out test.  But when he walked in from school, he sniffed the air and declared, "Mmm, it smells so good in here!"  (Aha.  This could work.  He has it in his mind that he likes wraps.)  I had some grades to enter so I didn't push for anything more.  I said my thanks and left it at that.  I mentioned the meals were in fridge and they could help themselves as I had some things to attend to.  He did.  Later, I asked for a report.  "Mommmm,  those were PHENOMENAL!"  Wow!  That's definitely a score!!!  Need more in the pluses category?  All of the "fresh" ingredients I purchased cost $20, with the rest being pantry items I had on hand (including recycling my Chinese takeout containers).  For five very healthy and tasty meals?  I'd say that's a budget friendly meal worth putting on the rotation, wouldn't you?  

#mealprep #healthy #easy #budgetfriendly #quick #asian #eattherainbow

#kidfriendly #lunchbox #brownbag #dairyfree #glutenfree options

Ingredients:

• 1 pound thin sliced chicken breast filets  or breasts that have been pounded flat (or equivalent amount of chopped cooked chicken, about 3 - 3 1/2 cups)
• Montreal chicken seasoning (or seasoning blend of choice) 
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil or cooking spray

Slaw:

• 1 bag Power Blend Slaw mix 
• contains:  Brussels sprouts, Napa cabbage, Kohlrabi, broccoli, carrots and kale
• 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
• 3/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks 
• 1/2 heaping cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the peanut sauce:

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten free
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ginger pasted or finely minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste or finely minced
• 2 tsp sriracha 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup water

To assemble:

• 4 (8'') tomato basil tortillas or gluten free if desired
• 1/4 cup peanuts crushed
• 2 1/2 cups grapes or fruit of choice
• 5 meal prep containers
• 5 (2 oz) portion cups with lids

Step-by-Step - 

On your clean chopping board, prep your cucumber, pepper, cilantro, and peanuts.  Set these aside. 

Now you can make use of the same chopping board without fear of cross contamination.  If not using thinly sliced chicken, pound chicken breasts flat for quick, even cooking time.  Season liberally with seasoning blend of choice.  (The one I used contains salt, pepper, onion, garlic, etc so it makes meal prep easy and fast.)  

Put a little oil in a heavy bottom pan (or use cooking spray).  When hot, add chicken and cook on until golden brown on each side on medium high.  These are so thin that they only take 3-4 minutes on each side to be cooked through.  Remove from pan and allow to rest uncut while you make the sauce.

1 Tbsp canola oil

*Another alternative is to use precooked deli chicken or a rotisserie chicken

allow to rest before cutting to retain juices

For the sauce, throw all the sauce ingredients in your vitamix or blender.  That's it.  
(An immersion blender or whisk could also be used if necessary)

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari 

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp ginger paste or minced

1 Tbsp garlic paste or minced

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce

Start assembling the wraps.  Lay out the tortillas.  Divide the power blend evenly.  Distribute the veggies.  Chop and divide the chicken.  Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of sauce everything.  Something needs to be the glue.  Ha.  Roll and cut as you wish.  Divide among the five lunch containers.  Pour the rest of the dipping sauce into 2 oz portion cups and place into lunch containers.  Add fruit to each.  Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

 *I like this slaw blend because these veggies hold up well without wilting which means they maintain a nice crunch for you.  They are also super healthy, balanced, tasty and colorful.

*I was initially going to make 4 wraps, but this was SO much chicken that I decided to divide it up into 5 portions and make 5 wraps and it was STILL a lot!  You get to decide how many you'd like to make, but I was scared I wouldn't be able to close them up.  These were already huge!  

* I used some beautiful thin tomato basil tortillas for these wraps.  Feel free to use the tortillas of your choice, including a gluten free variety for those on a GF diet.

power blend slaw, red bell pepper strips

cooked chicken chunks

cilantro

cucumber pieces

chopped peanuts

drizzle with a few tablespoons of peanut sauce

Wrap and cut, or leave whole if you wish.  Add fruit, which acts as a palate cleanser and side.  Add remaining sauce to 2 oz portion cups that have lids.

So much healthier (and less expensive) than eating lunch out!

Don't like the idea of eating the same thing for a week?  What I recommend is finding a group of friends who want to share "lunch meal prep" duties.  Each person makes one recipe, then you share the things you made so that you get to cook once but get to eat each of 4-5 different things. 

Lunch for a week, or awesome lunch for tomorrow for you and your favorite people!

Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Family Friendly Bonus Recipes - 

Mini Sausage Pancake Muffins - perfect for on-the-go mornings for little kids and not so little kids alike! 

Baked Chicken Parmesan - Classic, family friendly, Italian with a healthier twist!

Ritzy Cheddar Baked Chicken - Because we are always looking for something different to do with chicken, right? 

Mongolian Beef - Easy, quick and satisfying ... there's no reason for takeout! 

Individual White Chocolate and Raspberry Bread Puddings - Let's look at this as purposeful  "portion control" for your loved ones. 

How to get the Menu Musings Cookbook -  each recipe includes a scannable QR code that links back to the blog with step-by-step photos!  Makes a great gift for this year's graduates and newly weds.  

Method:

On your clean chopping board, prep your cucumber, pepper, cilantro, and peanuts.  Set these aside. Now you can make use of the same chopping board without fear of cross contamination.  If not using thinly sliced chicken, pound chicken breasts flat for quick, even cooking time.  Season liberally with seasoning blend of choice.  (The one I used contains salt, pepper, onion, garlic, etc so it makes meal prep easy and fast.)  

Put a little oil in a heavy bottom pan (or use cooking spray).  When hot, add chicken and cook on until golden brown on each side on medium high.  These are so thin that they only take 3-4 minutes on each side to be cooked through.  Remove from pan and allow to rest uncut while you make the sauce.  *Another alternative is to use precooked deli chicken or a rotisserie chicken 

For the sauce, throw all the sauce ingredients in your vitamix or blender.  That's it.  (An immersion blender or whisk could also be used if necessary)

Start assembling the wraps.  Lay out the tortillas.  Divide the power blend evenly. Distribute the veggies.  Chop and divide the chicken.  Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of sauce everything.  Something needs to be the glue.  Ha.  Roll and cut as you wish.  Divide among the five lunch containers.  Pour the rest of the dipping sauce into 2 oz portion cups and place into lunch containers.  Add fruit to each.  Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Notes - 

 *I like the Super Blend slaw blend because these veggies hold up well without wilting which means they maintain a nice crunch for you.  They are also super healthy, balanced, tasty and colorful.  It contains:  Brussels sprouts, Napa cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, carrots, and kale. 

*I was initially going to make 4 wraps, but this was SO much chicken that I decided to divide it up into 5 portions and make 5 wraps and it was STILL a lot!  You get to decide how many you'd like to make, but I was scared I wouldn't be able to close them up.  These were already huge!  

Wrap and cut, or leave whole if you wish.  Add fruit, which acts as a palate cleanser and side.  Add remaining sauce to 2 oz portion cups that have lids.

These are so much healthier (and less expensive) than eating lunch out!

Notes:  Don't like the idea of eating the same thing for a week?  What I recommend is finding a group of friends who want to share "lunch meal prep" duties.  Each person makes one recipe, then you share the things you made so that you get to cook once but get to eat each of 4-5 different things.  Refrigerate for up to 5 days.