Moo Shu Vegetable Wraps

The other night we made Moo Shu Vegetable Wraps, a veganized version of the traditional northern Chinese pork-filled dish.  The moo shu filling is sort of like a hearty, warm Asian slaw that's chock full of vegetables.

Just before wrapping.  Don't the snow peas look inviting?

Recipe:     
Moo Shu Vegetable Wraps

• 1 package tortillas or rice paper wrappers
• Hoisin sauce

Moo Shu Sauce

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or lime juice)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon honey (or agave syrup)

Vegetable Filling

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup sliced red onion
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 8 ounces mushrooms, shredded or cut into thin strips
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3 cups shredded cabbage
• 1.5 cups fresh snow peas, sliced lengthwise
• 1.5 cups shredded carrots
• 4 scallions, chopped

First, make the sauce.  Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

Next, make the filling.  Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Add the onion and ginger and sauté for four minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for five more minutes.  Then add the cabbage, snow peas, carrots, and green onions, and cook for another two minutes.  Finally, rewhisk the sauce and stir it into the filling mixture.  Simmer for about two minutes, or until sauce thickens.

Meanwhile, microwave the tortillas for 30 seconds to warm them.  Top the warm wrappers with hoisin sauce and vegetable filling and serve immediately.

Yields 6 wraps.

Comments:
Taste:          

Rachel and Simon enjoyed these wraps a bit more than I did (though I think my main issue was with the hoisin sauce rather than with the moo shu vegetables).  Simon thought the dish tasted just like moo shu is supposed to taste, but he thought the filling mixture came out out a bit mushy.  The snow peas did add a bit of crunch, which was my favorite part.  I might also add some fresh, raw bean sprouts on top to brighten things up.   

Accessibility:        

We opted to go with tortillas for the wrapper, even though Mexican ≠ Asian, because we had troubling finding rice wrappers.  That said, I thought the tortillas worked well.  The rest of the ingredients should be pretty easy to find--either fresh or frozen.

 Ease of Preparation:          

Thank you, Pierre Verdon, for inventing the food processor.  If you have a food processor, the shredding attachment makes this dish a cinch.  You'll spend more time on shredding without one, but it's still doable!   

Non-vegan friendliness:         

In the future, to avoid mushiness and to add some protein in place of egg or pork, I might add some baked or sautéd tofu strips to the mix.