Home Cooking: Egg Roll In a Bowl

I LOVE it when I can create a dish in one pan, and especially when the dish is full of protein and vegetables, and has loads of flavor. This recipe for Egg Roll in a Bowl, which I kept reading about on The Hawaii Plan‘s menu posts, ticked all the boxes for me, and is now one of Brett’s and my favorite meals. YaYu gave it two thumbs up as well this past summer when she was home.

Never one to leave well enough alone though, the first time I made it I added some cut up mung bean noodles (also known as cellophane or glass noodles) because I had a spare package in the pantry, and also some cut up Chinese snow peas (about 1/4 pound) for a little more crunch. While mung bean noodles are not carb free they are gluten free, and they add a wonderful texture to the dish. I now can’t imagine this dish without those additions

The original recipe suggests using a bag of coleslaw mix to make this recipe even easier, but in my opinion it takes little time to chop up some fresh cabbage on your own. The recipe also calls for ground turkey, but we like ground pork, and ground beef or ground chicken would be fine as well – whatever you have on hand or prefer. I think crumbled firm tofu would also work if you don’t eat or want to eat meat.

I actually use a second pan when I make this dish, but just to soak the mung bean noodles. Once they’re drained the pan can be rinsed out, dried, and put away!

Here’s how it comes together for me:

My first step is to soak the mung bean noodles for around 10 minutes in hot water. My favorite method is to boil water in a saucepan, take off the heat, add the noodles, and let them soak.

While the noodles are soaking I prepare the vegetables: chopped cabbage, grated carrots, coarsely chopped onion, and Chinese snow peas cut into pieces. I like to recognize my vegetables in this dish, and have them big enough to be eaten with chopsticks. The original recipe suggests using a bag of coleslaw mix, but it doesn’t take long to chop everything yourself.

Next I prepare the sauce. I measure the soy sauce first, then add everything else into the measuring cup to keep dishes used to a minimum. A jar of hoisin sauce will keep for a long time in the refrigerator.

Draining the noodles – I usually let them sit for around five minutes to get out as much water as possible.

After draining, I cut the noodles into 3-4 inch pieces, using kitchen shears.

Next I brown the meat (ground pork in my case) in large skillet, breaking up large chunks. I drain any fat, then return the meat to the pan.

Next I add the vegetables and stir fry along with the meat until they’re crisp-tender.

Then the noodles go in and are mixed throughout the vegetable/meat mixture. I’ve found kitchen tongs to be the most efficient tool for this task.

Finally, the sauce get added, and is stirred in to coat everything well. I let it simmer for two to three minutes to reduce and make sure everything is hot. If you are adding green onions, sprinkle them over the top just before serving.

EGG ROLL IN A BOWL

• 1 2-ounce package mung bean noodles (optional)
• 1 pound ground pork, turkey, beef or chicken
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup grated or julienned carrot
• 2 cups coarsely chopped cabbage *or* 1 bag coleslaw mix
• 1/2 cup Chinese snow peas, cut into 1″ pieces (optional)
• 2 green onions, chopped into small pieces (optional)

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 TBSP dark sesame oil
• 1 TBSP rice vinegar
• 2 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 1 tsp dry ginger *or* 1 TBSP minced fresh ginger
• 1 TBSP hoisin sauce

Soak the mung bean noodles first. Boil water in a saucepan, remove from heat and add noodles; let sit for 10 minutes. Drain well, and then cut into 3-4 inch pieces using a pair of kitchen shears. I do not recommend trying to cut when dry – you will end up with pieces of dry noodle all over the place!

Chop and grate vegetables and set aside. Blend together sauce ingredients and set aside.

Over somewhat high heat, brown meat, breaking up large chunks into small pieces (add a small amount of oil, if necessary). Add vegetables to the skillet with the meat and cooking until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the cabbage is slightly wilted. Add in cut noodles (if using) and mix throughout the meat and vegetables. Finally, add the sauce and coat everything. Let the sauce simmer for a couple of minutes to make sure everything is hot. Serve immediately. Makes four large servings.

If you’d like a little heat in your dish, add 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes when cooking the meat.