a quick question, not sure if anyone tried this

[quilprincess]

my fiance and i are on an extended induction that we started at the beginning of this month and i gotta tell you, its working great. i had a few stall days because of crystal light but since then have been serious about every drop i put into my body.

my fiance and i were thinking about some of our favorite chinese foods- general tso's chicken (super spicy, of course), sesame chicken, and pork dumplings (Jiaozi to be more specific). I prefer to cook the food myself most of the time, beacuse moving to this area as of recent, there are NO places to get spicy general tso. (they are all labeled spicy, WHAT A WASTE. i like 20+ chili peppers spicy, like mouth on fire, i can take the heat )

i was thinking, for the chicken dishes, as long as i cut out the cornstarch and sugars, then it should be fine to make? and what do you think would happen if for the dumplings, instead of cornstarch and wrappers, i cut those and used lettuce instead??? (brains workin hard for that dinner!!


thanks for all the help you can provide!!!

[Georgiana]

Re: a quick question, not sure if anyone tried this

i was thinking, for the chicken dishes, as long as i cut out the cornstarch and sugars, then it should be fine to make?

It depends... what are the other ingredients in your recipe(s)?

and what do you think would happen if for the dumplings, instead of cornstarch and wrappers, i cut those and used lettuce instead???

Well, I don't think you wouldn't be able to fry them -- fried lettuce is very soft and I doubt it would hold the filling. If you just like the filling, you can use it in cheese taco shells. Another thing you can do with it is use it in something similar to the Romanian sarmale. You boil a cabbage and remove the leaves from the water as they become tender. Let them cool. Then place some filling in the center of every leaf and make rolls. Place part of the leftover leaves on the bottom of a pot (some people prefer to use sauerkraut instead of sweet cabbage, but I think sweet cabbage tastes better ), arrange the cabbage rolls on top, cover with the leaves left, then add water, cover and bring to a simmer.

Of course, these would be anything but fried dumplings.

[not2late]

Re: a quick question, not sure if anyone tried this

I make wonton soup all the time: I make the wonton filling, then I roll them into balls. I either fry them then add them to the broth or I gently poach them in the soup broth. The soup tastes like wonton soup, the meatballs taste like the wontons.

Steamed dumplings can be done in a similar way. Make the filling. Roll into balls. Line the steamer basket with lettuce or Swiss chard leaves or Bok Choy leaves. Leave some space between the leaves for the steam to penetrate the steamer basket. Place the balls on top of the leaves. Steam.

Or fry the balls in oil.

For stir fries......If you need to add liquid when cooking them, make sure to boil the liquid until it's reduced to about a tablespoon or two. It will retain the flavor and be juicy, but not soupy.

[quilprincess]

Re: a quick question, not sure if anyone tried this

sorry, i should have been more specific. here is the general tso's-

1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1” chunks)
8 dried red chili peppers (normal recipie calls for 3-4, i like it HOT)
3 green onions (sliced)
3 eggs (beaten)
oil (for frying)

Sauce-
1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce


and the sesame chicken-
1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1” chunks)
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup vinegar
2 packets of equal
2 TB dark soy sauce
2 TB sesame oil
1 tsp chili paste, or more if desired
1 clove garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds



and also, i should have mentioned this before, but i plan on steaming my dumplings i figured i couldnt fry lettuce. but that cabbage idea is a really good one!!! and instead of the rice it normally comes with, i thought that steamed broccoli sounds delish



and also for the sauces, depending on the consistency, i was either going to add some whipped egg whites (since both sauces have to be cooked, it should be fine) or thick it. not sure yet! but excited either way!

[quilprincess]

Re: a quick question, not sure if anyone tried this

I make wonton soup all the time: I make the wonton filling, then I roll them into balls. I either fry them then add them to the broth or I gently poach them in the soup broth. The soup tastes like wonton soup, the meatballs taste like the wontons.

just added another recipe to my chinese food night! thank you!

[not2late]

Re: a quick question, not sure if anyone tried this

sorry, i should have been more specific. here is the general tso's-

1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1” chunks)
8 dried red chili peppers (normal recipie calls for 3-4, i like it HOT)
3 green onions (sliced)
3 eggs (beaten)
oil (for frying)

Sauce-
1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Sugar isn't allowed during Atkins. And rice wine isn't allowed until On-Going Weight Loss Phase. Marinate the chicken in the vinegar and soy sauce. That will give meat the flavor without the use of a sauce. Then procede with your recipe.

and the sesame chicken-
1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1” chunks)
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup vinegar
2 packets of equal
2 TB dark soy sauce
2 TB sesame oil
1 tsp chili paste, or more if desired
1 clove garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Sesame seeds aren't allowed until OWL phase. But the sesame oil is permitted during Induction.

The use of equal makes no sense at all. Aspartame degrades (loses sweetness) when it is heated. So you really don't need that

Marinate the chicken in the all the ingredients except for the chicken broth. STir fry, then use alittle of the chicken broth to deglaze the pan. That will lightly coat the chicken, rather than give you a soupy dish that needs a thickener. Then right before serving, add a drop or two of sesame oil to brighten the sesame flavor.

and also for the sauces, depending on the consistency, i was either going to add some whipped egg whites (since both sauces have to be cooked, it should be fine) or thick it. not sure yet! but excited either way!

Egg whites won't thicken them. Egg yolk, however, will thicken the sauces.

[quilprincess]

Re: a quick question, not sure if anyone tried this

Sugar isn't allowed during Atkins. And rice wine isn't allowed until On-Going Weight Loss Phase. Marinate the chicken in the vinegar and soy sauce. That will give meat the flavor without the use of a sauce. Then procede with your recipe.



Sesame seeds aren't allowed until OWL phase. But the sesame oil is permitted during Induction.

The use of equal makes no sense at all. Aspartame degrades (loses sweetness) when it is heated. So you really don't need that

Marinate the chicken in the all the ingredients except for the chicken broth. STir fry, then use alittle of the chicken broth to deglaze the pan. That will lightly coat the chicken, rather than give you a soupy dish that needs a thickener. Then right before serving, add a drop or two of sesame oil to brighten the sesame flavor.



Egg whites won't thicken them. Egg yolk, however, will thicken the sauces.

thank you so much for your help! i really appreciated it. i googled both dishes with the words low carb and thats what i got, but im glad i found out all those things before i started making it! thank you again!!

[Elizellen]

Re: a quick question, not sure if anyone tried this

I use grated cauliflower in place of rice. Just grate it raw then microwave till the right texture. My husband actually prefers his curry served over this 'caulirice' to 'real rice'