Asian Bean and Rice Rolls

Boston or leaf lettuce rolls filled with a hearty mixture of beans, snow peas, pine nuts and cooked rice seasoned with fresh ginger, rice vinegar, sherry, lemon zest and dark sesame oil.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup medium grain rice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar or white distilled vinegar
1 tablespoon dry cooking sherry
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 to 3 tablespoons pine nuts or slivered almonds
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 cup diagonally sliced snow peas (1/4-inch slices)
2 teaspoons minced gingerroot or 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon water
1 (15-ounce) can Red beans or Light Red Kidney beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked dry-packaged Red beans or Light Red Kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup chopped seeded cucumber
1 orange, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
2 medium green onions and tops, thinly sliced
Salt
White pepper
12 large Boston lettuce leaves or leaf lettuce

Cooking Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions. Heat vinegar, sherry, sugar, and lemon rind in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is melted, about 1 minute. Drizzle vinegar mixture over rice and toss.
2. While rice is cooking, cook pine nuts in sesame oil in small skillet over medium heat until toasted, about 2 minutes; remove from skillet. Add snow peas, gingerroot, and water to skillet; cook, covered, over medium heat until snow peas are crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Stir pine nuts, snow peas, gingerroot, beans, cucumber, orange and green onions into rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Serve warm, or refrigerate and serve chilled; spoon about 1/4 cup packed rice mixture onto each lettuce leaf and roll up.
   

Makes 4 servings.

Tip: Medium grain rice is also called sushi rice or sweet jasmine rice; it can be purchased in supermarkets and Oriental groceries. If desired, the rice mixture can be eaten with a fork or chopsticks, rather than rolling it in lettuce.

Nutrient Information Per serving: Per serving: Calories 375; Fat 6g; % Calories from Fat 14; Calcium 127mg; Carbohydrate 67g; Folate 310mcg; Sodium 271mg; Protein 14g; Dietary Fiber 12g; Cholesterol 0mg

Recipe provided courtesy of The Bean Education & Awareness Network.