Appetizers | Recipes that Fit

Vegetable Egg Rolls

May 022012

The last time I posted about egg rolls was over 2 years ago, when I made Hungry Girl’s Sassy Veggie Egg Rolls. I’ve surely indulged in plenty of egg rolls since then, including some from the Chinese takeout place down the street. But, I have been meaning to make these Vegetable Egg Rolls from Budget Bytes for ages. The recipe promises that you can bake the egg rolls right away, or freeze them to bake later.

If you don’t have garlic ginger paste, feel free to substitute freshly minced garlic and ginger. I found a jar of garlic ginger paste at an ethnic grocery store a while back, and it’s come in handy quite a few times. I took one other shortcut and bought pre shredded carrots but as someone pointed out, a food processor could do all the dicing and shredding very easily. After that, you just spend some time at the stove cooking the mixture. If you’re intimidated by working with the egg roll wrappers, check out Budget Byte’s post with step by step instructions. She also has some suggestions for turning the egg rolls in the oven to make sure they brown evenly but I threw caution to the wind and mine turned out fine.

I baked about half the egg rolls right away, and froze the other half in small batches to bake later. Of course, I tried the filling before I made the rolls, so I knew I was going to like them a lot! The rolls are crispy but not hard to chew, and the filling is quite tasty. I can’t wait to bake some of the frozen ones to see how they turn out.

Vegetable Egg Rolls

1 T oil
1 T garlic ginger paste
1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced
1 (8 oz.) package mushrooms, diced
1 (8 oz.) package shredded carrot
1 small head cabbage, shredded
2 t cornstarch
1/4 c. soy sauce
20 egg roll wrappers

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic ginger paste and scallions. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots and cabbage. Cook until mixture is fairly soft, about 20-30 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch into soy sauce. Pour into frying pan and stir well. Remove pan from heat and allow filling to cool.

Place about 2-3 T of mixture in each wrapper, and roll. Seal the edges with water. Place on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes, until lightly brown.

-Lightly adapted from Budget Bytes

Spinach Rice Balls

appetizers 3 Responses »

Mar 122012

Sorry to leave you hanging last week, I was a bit under the weather. I am feeling better now, but I still can’t deny that I’ve been cooking less than usual this year. Or at least cooking fewer ‘blog-worthy’ dishes! But I was invited to a dinner party on Saturday night and the host asked me to bring an appetizer. I was instantly inspired to find something good, but I also knew the crowd was full of generally healthy eaters.

I found these Spinach Brown Rice Balls on the site Cooking with My Kid, and made just a few changes. I used Garlic Gold toasted garlic bits in oil, but you can use regular olive oil and minced garlic. I also used Parmesan cheese instead of mozzarella for a sharper flavor. I think they turned out really well, and everyone seemed to enjoy them. Even adults like finger food, and the Spinach Rice Balls were full of flavor. Although they were an appetizer on this night, they will be making more appearances in my lunch bag.

Spinach Rice Balls

2 c. cooked brown rice
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 c. seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 T Garlic Gold toasted garlic bits in oil
2 eggs
Dash of black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into balls, and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned.

-Lightly adapted from Cooking with My Kid

Roasted Cauliflower and Tahini Dip

appetizers No Responses »

Jan 042012

I’ve been meaning to make this Roasted Cauliflower and Tahini Dip for weeks, but every time I bought cauliflower I ended up making something else. Finally over New Year’s weekend, I had a fresh head of cauliflower and some time on my hands. You begin by roasting the cauliflower with oil, loads of fresh ginger, and coriander. Then you put it in the food processor with lemon juice and tahini, and season it with salt and pepper. The end result is a fantastic dip that you’ll want to keep scooping up!

Molly from Cheap Beets noted that she kicked up the ginger, and I used over 2 tablespoons. That’s what really makes this dip great. The only thing I would change is to use less oil in roasting the cauliflower, simply because I don’t think it’s needed and the tahini adds plenty of fat later in the recipe. The next time you have a head of cauliflower on your hands, consider this as a fun start to your meal.

Stilton Walnut Dip

appetizers 1 Response »

Dec 122011

The hardest work of the semester is done, and this weekend it was time to have some fun! I made this Blue Cheese Walnut dip to take to a party back in November, but I wasn’t totally satisfied. It tasted fine, but the texture wasn’t quite right. So I changed a few more things and brought it to another party yesterday, where it was served with both apple slices and crackers. I am happy to say that it went over well, and a couple of people even asked for the recipe.

I really like the White Cranberry Stilton from Trader Joe’s, and it has less ‘bite’ than traditional blue cheese. Plus, cranberries fit with the holiday theme. But if you like stronger cheeses, go for it and let me know how it turns out.

Cranberry Stilton Walnut Dip

8 oz. White Cranberry Stilton Cheese, crumbled
1 shallot, peeled and diced
1/3 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. light mayonnaise
1/3 c. skim milk
1 t white vinegar
Black Pepper

Mix all ingredients in a food processor. Season to taste with black pepper. Allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.

-Adapted from Food & Wine

Cheesy Spinach Dip

appetizers 1 Response »

Aug 312011

There are about a thousand recipes on the Internet for cheesy spinach dips. In fact, I posted about Spinach Artichoke Dip just last year. But I have to confess that most times, these dips all taste the same to me. What I like about this recipe is that it uses ‘real food’ cottage cheese and sour cream, rather than cream cheese.

Last week I made the mistake of spoiling my dinner with a dip, so this week I planned dinner to be an appetizer plate. The dip was great with both crackers and carrot sticks, and fulfilled my craving for a fun and cheesy meal.

Cheesy Spinach Dip

1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 c. low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 c. low-fat sour cream
1/4 c. + 1 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 T whole wheat flour
Black Pepper

Mix spinach, cottage cheese, sour cream, 1/4 c. Parmesan, cheddar cheese, and whole wheat flour in a large bowl. Season well with black pepper. Top with remaining 1 T Parmesan. Pour into an 8″ pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.