Low-Carb (Inside-Out) Egg Rolls

(Note: It is infinitely easier and produces infinitely prettier results if you freeze a head of cabbage overnight and then fridge-thaw it before peeling the giant leaves off for using as roll wrappers. Plus, then you don’t have to waste time boiling the cabbage.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and warm 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat. While stove heats up, core a thawed, previously-frozen head of cabbage and remove stem.

Slowly peel away 8 to 10 large cabbage leaves, keeping them as much intact as possible but cutting away any stiff parts that were near the stem. (You want the leaves to be kind of floppy all around.)

Take the remaining portion of cabbage that is left on the head and shred it with a large knife (about 2-1/2 cups).
To the shredded cabbage, add carrots, celery, and green onions. Toss together.

Throw the veggies into your warm, oiled skillet. Add TVP and water. Sprinkle stir-fry mixture with ginger, garlic, 5-spice and black pepper. Shake in about 2 tablespoons soy sauce and crack 2 eggs into skillet. Break yolks immediately with spoon and continue to stir-fry until vegetables are tender but firm. (No pieces of egg should be visible.) Remove skillet from heat.

Place 2-3 spoonfuls stir-fry mixture in the center of each cabbage leaf, stopping to roll each one before moving on to the next. To wrap, first roll leaf like a tube around the filling and then tuck each cabbage end underneath the “tube” you just made. Place rolls side by side, tucked side-down, in a greased baking dish.

Baste the tops of the uncooked wraps with a mixture of 1 tablespoon oil & remaining 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce before placing the dish, uncovered, into hot oven.

Bake approximately 25 minutes, or until cabbage glows bright green and filling mixture can be seen through the now-translucent leaves.

Remove from oven; use tongs to distribute rolls onto plates. Allow to cool about 2 minutes before eating. Freeze or refrigerate leftovers.