Gluten Rolls with Chinese Cabbage



Gluten Rolls

 Gluten rolls (mianlun, 麵輪) or wheels are made from gluten rolled up into a 'sausage,' then cut into pieces and deep fried. When you get them, they are dried, so you will need to soak them before using them. If you don't soak them long enough, they will have crunchy parts within a softened texture. You do want them to have an even texture. I find that they are worth eating because they are chock full of protein, but also they have a different textural experience from anything you can find in a non-Chinese market. You can buy these in Chinatown at Ping's Food Mart (510 South King Street) or 99 Ranch.

Gluten Rolls with Chinese Cabbage
2.5 ounce of gluten rolls
1/4 medium Chinese cabbage
4 Chinese black mushrooms
1 clove of garlic
1 cube of fermented bean curd
dash of sesame oil
coconut oil

Separately, soak gluten rolls and Chinese black mushrooms in boiling hot water for 45 minutes. Remove mushroom stems and slice into pieces. If you notice that your gluten rolls are not soft enough, I let them stay in the hot water a little longer. They have a tendency to float so I usually put a bowl on top of them, to keep them submerged. Chop garlic. Cut cabbage into bite-sized pieces (if not a little larger than that). Pre-heat pan on medium heat. When the pan is warm, throw in your garlic and cabbage. Keep the cabbage moving with a spatula, making sure the cabbage and garlic don't burn. Throw in your mushrooms, your fermented bean curd and your gluten rolls. If you haven't thrown out the water that the mushrooms were soaking in, pour a teaspoon or two of the water into the pan. Cover pan and steam for 3 minutes or so. Uncover pan and if there is excessive water, allow it to reduce. If your fermented bean curd didn't break up yet, mash it and spread evenly. Pour in a dash of sesame oil and stir to coat evenly. Serve immediately with brown rice. Serves 1 large-ish portion or 2 decent servings. 25 grams of protein as one serving.