Egg Rolls

Nothing brightens my day like Chinese food. But since it's neither healthy nor cheap to order it as often as I want, I've done my best to learn to make a bunch of dishes. One of my favorite to make is egg rolls since it allows me to control what's in them - which is perfect for a slightly picky eater. :)

I've made these both deep fried and baked, and they're good both ways. My mom prefers them baked as they do absorb less oil in the oven and are slightly healthier. Jeremy says they're both good. And it seems that they never last very long. They do freeze and reheat well if you want to make a large batch. Defrosting is easy in the microwave. When reheated in the oven they come out deliciously crispy and are a perfect accompaniment to a nice stir-fry.

Egg rolls:

20 oz. ground pork (ground turkey is delicious too)

1/2 head green cabbage, sliced into small pieces

1 lb. matchstick carrots

6 green onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 tbs. soy sauce (low sodium)

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 tbs. sriracha (this can be omitted if you don't like spicy food)

2 tbs. mirin

1 package egg roll wrappers (mine come from the refrigerated section - 21 wrappers in a package)

1. If baking, preheat oven to 400 degrees. If deep frying, preheat deep fryer (or a pan with 3-4 inches of oil) to 375 degrees.

1. Brown meat in a wok, drain if necessary. Add cabbage, carrots, green onions, and garlic and saute until the veggies are tender.

2. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, and mirin.

3. Continue to stir fry until the liquids have evaporated. 

4. Transfer to a bowl and cool.

5. When cool, add 2 tbs of filling (approximately... I add whatever seems to fit.) to each wrapper. Roll by folding in the sides, add water to edges to seal. (The instructions are usually on my package, too.)

6. If baking, grease a baking sheet (I use pam). Place egg rolls on baking sheet leaving 1/2 inch between them. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, turning halfway through. If frying, fry in batches for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown all over.

Dipping Sauce:

1/4 c. soy sauce (low sodium)

2 tbs. sriracha

2 tbs. mirin

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbs. green onion tops, minced (I usually just reserve this from the filling)

1 tsp. brown sugar

1. Combine ingredients in a bowl. Let sit for at least an hour for flavors to begin to combine. (This can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.)