Egg Rolls

I happen to really love egg rolls. I know, I can hear the jokes now, Jews and their Chinese food. Still I like making and eating them. I serve them every couple of weeks and my family thanks me for it. I became a fan of the dish as a child when my parents took me to the Won Kow restaurant in Chinatown in Chicago. Sometimes I would just have egg rolls for dinner, which were some of the best meals I ever ate.

However, these days, an egg roll isn’t just an egg roll. I know this because I’ve seen lots and lots of non Chinese restaurants and fast food manufactures jumping on the egg roll bandwagon.  They have created such interesting items like  Tex-Mex egg rolls utilizing a flour tortilla instead of an egg roll wrapper or fun fillings like pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese, or, and this is one combination I find really interesting (albeit not kosher), a takeoff on a Philly cheese sandwich by combining roast beef and cheese in an egg roll wrapper and frying it. I’ve gamely tried most of the kosher certified ones from the grocery store and kosher restaurants and sadly, I find that some of them are at best mediocre and at worst tasteless. That’s when I decided to search for some really interesting, nontraditional egg roll recipes so that I can give my tried and true version a run for its money.

Quick note: While some say the spring roll was the precursor to the egg roll. The concept of filling the skin with vegetables and meat are the same, but a the spring roll is smaller, its wrapper is made with rice flour and is not fried. The egg roll is larger, heartier and fried. However, as with many dishes that are similar, the phrase “spring roll” and “egg roll” are often used interchangeably.

Another quick note: Egg rolls can be put together to a day ahead. Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to fry and serve.

Apple Pie Egg Roll (pareve)

Yields 14 to 16 egg rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 Granny Smith apples peeled and diced (2 heaping cups)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3½ Tablespoons instant tapioca
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 16 egg roll wrappers
• Vegetable spray
• Cinnamon sugar mixture
• Nondairy whipped topping

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
2. In a bowl combine the apples, lemon juice, sugar, tapioca, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix to combine and let sit for 15 minutes.
3. Lay 1 egg roll wrapper onto a clean surface and brush around the edges with the beaten egg. Spoon about 3 Tablespoons of the filling (don’t overfill) on one side of the egg roll wrapper.
4. Fold the sides over the filling and then brush the folded sides with egg wash. Carefully, from the long end, roll up over the filling, make sure it’s tight and press gently to seal. Place the roll, seam side down on the cookie sheet. Repeat until you use up the filling and wrappers. Spray the top of the rolls with the vegetable spray.
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Serve immediately with whipped topping.

Submitted by Angie Margolis, Chicago, IL, source unknown

Sloppy Joe Egg Rolls (meat)

Yields 8 to 10 egg rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon prepared Dijon mustard
• ¾ cup ketchup
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• Salt to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1 package egg roll wrappers

Instructions:

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper. Drain off any excess fat. Add the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cool for about 15 minutes
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
3. Place a scoop of the cooled Sloppy Joe mixture at one end of an egg roll wrapper. Fold in the sides then roll up from the end, making sure to keep it tight when rolling. Before you finish the roll brush the edge with water and place the egg rolls, seam side down on the prepared cookie sheet.
4. Brush the tops of each egg roll with water.
5. Bake for 15 minutes.

Serve warm.

Tex-Mex Egg Rolls

Yields 8 to 10 egg rolls

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups cooked turkey or chicken, shredded (leftovers work great)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups fresh spinach (3 oz.)
• ¼ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• ¼ cup canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
• ¼ cup sliced red pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion
• 2 Tablespoons chopped jalapeno, seeded
• Salt to taste
• 8 to 10 egg roll wrappers
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 Tablespoon water
• Oil for frying (about 2 cups)

Dip:

• ½ cup pareve sour cream
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (not the bottled kind)
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon adobo sauce, from chipotle chili peppers
• Avocado, slices for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet heat the oil. Add the turkey, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix to combine and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.
2. Add the corn, beans, pepper, green onion, and jalapeño. Cook 1 minute. Add the spinach. Cook about 1 minute.
3. Remove from the heat. Cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Place an egg roll wrapper on counter. Brush edges with egg wash. Place a scant ¼ cup for the filling on wrapper and the bottom corner over filling, tucking tightly; fold in sides and roll to the end. Repeat with the rest of the wrappers.
5. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Fry the egg rolls until crisp, about 5 minutes; drain on paper towels.
6. For the dip: In a bowl combine the pareve sour cream, lime juice, honey and adobo sauce. Mix to combine.

Serve hot.

Modified about.com

Bluephies Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Egg Rolls (dairy)

Yields 24 eggrolls

Ingredients:

• ¼ lb. (1 stick) butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1/8 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/8 cup flour
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• 24 egg roll wrappers, thawed
• ½ gallon of vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Blend the butter and sugars in an upright mixer on low speed until light and fluffy. Add the water, vanilla, and salt; mix until well blended. Add the flour a little at a time. (If you add it all at once, you’ll spend the next half-hour cleaning up the flour dust.) Blend the flour in completely. Finally, add the chocolate chips and just mix to combine.
2. Put a small scoop of filling near one corner of an egg roll wrapper. Flatten the dough a bit and fold 1/3 of the wrap over it. Roll the egg roll toward the middle. Moisten with a bit of water and fold one side toward middle. Fold other side toward middle to make an envelope. Finish rolling. Moisten end-flap with a small amount of water, and seal egg roll.
   Be sure to freeze them before you fry them– this way they’ll hold together.
3. Heat vegetable oil to 350°F in a stockpot or large saucepan.
4. Drop the egg rolls in gently, and fry them in batches for about 2 minutes.
5. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Freeze unfried egg rolls in airtight containers for up to 3 months.

Modified from Bluephies’ New American Cooking Cookbook

Super Easy Traditional Egg Rolls (meat)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground turkey (or kosher sausage)
• 1½ Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 (10 oz.) bag shredded coleslaw mix
• 1 (16 oz.) package egg roll wrappers
• Oil for frying

Instructions:

1. In a skillet cook the sausage in skillet until its no longer pink. Drain then add the ginger and garlic. Cook stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the coleslaw mix. Mix to combine and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from heat and cool for about 30 minutes.
3. Spoon a scant ¼ cup sausage mixture in center of each egg roll wrapper. Fold top corner of each wrapper over filling; fold left and right corners over filling. Lightly brush remaining corner with water; tightly roll filled end toward remaining corner, and gently press to seal.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet. Fry the egg rolls 3 or 4 at a time until golden, turning once; drain on paper towels.

Serve with dipping sauce, if desired.

Modified from tasteofhome.com

© Eileen Goltz egg roll13a

The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.