Homemade Eggrolls

I love eggrolls. It is the only time I will knowingly and willingly put pork into my mouth. But I’ve wanted to make my own for some time now, and I’ve found that truthfully it’s just not that hard.

Eggroll wrappers can be found in the produce section of just about any grocery store. It’s usually next to the tofu and über expensive glass jars of salad dressing. After I made my Cannoli Tarts I had plenty of wrappers left over to try this experiment with. I was not disappointed and I don’t think you will be either.

This recipe calls for water chestnuts, which I do not like at all, as well as ground beef. You could easily brown up any kind of ground meat or even dice up some chicken finely and add it in. I went strictly carrot and cabbage and didn’t even bother with the celery, which would have been a fine addition.

This recipe yields a lot of eggrolls; about 26. Adjust the measurements to your desire.

3/4 lb. ground meat

1 large head of cabbage

1 small celery rib

1 medium carrot

1/8 cup water chestnuts, optional

2 packages eggroll wrappers

1/8 cup soy sauce

1 tsp onion powder, divided

1 tsp garlic powder, divided

1/2 tsp sesame oil, always optional but always divine

3/4 cup water

1. Brown the ground meat; drain well. Season with half the garlic and onion powders. Add sesame oil and half the soy sauce. *If you are not using any meat, still use the sesame oil in your veggie mix. You won’t regret it.

2. Shred the cabbage, celery and carrot. *Or cheat like me and buy shredded bagged cabbage and carrot match sticks. Chop the water chestnuts. Add remaining seasonings and water. Cook in a large pot until cabbage wilts down and is fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and add more seasonings, salt, or pepper to taste. Add the ground meat and combine well.

3. Cool mixture in refrigerator or freezer to at least room temperature.

4. Follow directions on package on how to roll the eggrolls. *I do this near the sink where I can wet my fingers as I work. On a cutting board or other clean surface, lay out each wrapper and gently wet all over. This will make it a bit more pliable. Just don’t get them too wet.

5. Use about 1 heaping spoonful per wrapper. Pull up bottom corner, roll once, pull in each side, careful not to tear the wrapper, moisten the top and finish rolling. Seal the edges with a bit of the water.

6. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towel and serve with soy sauce.

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