Szechuan Green Beans with Pork

I made Szechuan Green Beans with Pork last night.  It's the type of recipe I've been looking for--one that uses less meat. Half a pound of ground meat for four servings is pretty good. I cooked up the whole pound of pork and stashed the rest in the fridge.

I'm going to make it again tonight, with some tweaks.  When I made it last night, it tasted a little starchy, so I juiced half a lime into it, which was nice and zesty.  I'll probably also add some mushrooms and red bell peppers that need to get used up. Scallions would be good, too, but I don't think I have any.

Usually, when I make some Asian type dish, I have egg rolls with it, but I've been trying to find something that won't tack 200 calories right on the top. I saw Ellie Krieger brushing wonton wrappers with oil and baking them and thought that looked promising.

The first time I tried it, I sprayed them with cooking spray and put them in the oven.  Note:  they go from raw to burned quickly, so don't leave them unattended! They came out crunchy but utterly flavorless.  I wasn't too upset, because I was crumbling them over something very flavorful, and figured I was on the right track.

The second time, I was in the mood for a snack.  I cut them into strips, sprayed, and mixed with cinnamon sugar.  Again, they almost burned.  Seriously, these things are like the sea--don't turn your back on them! More flavor this time, but still lacking  punch.

Last night, I left them whole, sprayed, sprinkled with garlic powder, and barely left the kitchen. There we go! I told the kids they were Chinese croutons, and they loved them. They were still a little dull, but nothing a tiny splash of soy sauce wouldn't cure.

I think the real trick here is to cook up a whole package at once and keep them in an airtight container. I'd still like to find a way to make the cinnamon work. They're little blank canvases, very versatile. Not that they'll ever take the place of chips or cookies, but if I'm looking for something to mindlessly munch, these are only 80 calories for four. Hmmmm . . .  maybe cocoa powder . . .