Surprisingly Low Cost Egg Rolls
Cheapest Egg Rolls | |
| 1 med | nappa cabbage, sliced into thin shreds |
| 3 large | onions, slivered from root to stem ends |
| 5 med | carrots, shredded or julienned |
| .5 kg | meat, ground or chopped |
| 1 Tbsp | fresh ginger, minced or grated |
| 3 cloves | garlic, minced or grated |
| 1 tbsp | stock powder |
| salt/pepper | to taste |
| 2 pkgs | egg roll wrappers (won ton) |
| Toss veggies in a bit of preheated oil in a frying pan or wok - I've come to prefer sunflower - and get the vegetables going. Throw in small amount (a Tbsp or so) to get the cabbage steaming a bit and reducing. | |
| Once all the vegetables are softened a bit, set them aside, rinse the pan and get the meat cooked. Small pieces or minced/ground are perfect for dispersal into the veggies. Toss them all together. | |
| Lay the wrapper flat, like a diamond with one of the points pointing at you. Put about 1/4 cup of the veggie/meat mix just a little south of centre. Fold it like an envelope, with wet hands to make the noodles stick to itself. Bring the bottom up, crimp the sides a bit so it folds more nicely, bring in the sides, one at a time, then roll the entire thing upwards, which will tighten the other folds and compress the filling a little bit. You want both of those things to happen. | |
| Check to make sure corners and seams are secure, wet fingers will do the trick. | |
| Fry until nice and golden brown, making sure that the whole wrap is done. | |
| These do not get crazy crunchy if you have someone with some dental issues to care for. | |
| You'll probably have a few wraps left over. If you don't want to save them (they freeze beautifully) they make crispy delights if you fry them in your leftover oil. Great with plum or any of the sweet sauces | |
| Not the Cheapest Egg Rolls | |
| 3 cups | bean sprouts |
| 2 cups | nappa cabbage, sliced into thin shreds |
| 6 | scallions (green onions), sliced finely |
| 5 med | carrots, shredded or julienned |
.5 kg | shredded or julienned pork (cooked) |
| 12 | shrimp, chopped, as an accent (cooked) |
| 1 Tbsp | fresh ginger, minced or grated |
| 3 cloves | garlic, minced or grated |
| salt/pepper | to taste |
| 2 pkgs | egg roll wrappers (won ton) |
| Directions are the same as above, except the meat is precooked in order to be shredded. Make sure it's fine, for a nice texture. | |
These recipes are completely flexible. Skip the cabbage, ditch the meat. Just be careful about 1) making up the volume with another, similar ingredient, 2) having bean sprouts and mushrooms in the same roll; they'll both produce a lot of liquid.
LJB
