Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls

This post is appropriately timed as my boyfriend and I were out purchasing a Crock-Pot when he spotted a selection of deep fryers.

Boyfriend: "Ooh. What is..."
Me: "No."
Boyfriend: "A deep fryer!"
Me: "NO."

Wanting to escape the terror that is Wal-Mart, I was lucky enough to find the Crock-Pot aisle and we escaped the trip without a deep fryer. However, when we arrived at the party later that day (with Crock-Pot of yum), there was...a deep fryer.

There are a few reasons for me to dodge the deep frying bullet:

1. Deep frying is dangerous. I am clumsy and accident-prone (one time I cut myself on BREAD). My boyfriend almost set his house on fire grilling bacon. Those seem like good reasons.

2. Deep frying makes your house smell like a fryer. This isn't the smell of fries or cheesesticks. It's the smell of OIL coating everything in your house.

3. I think owning a deep fryer sets you on the edge of...'Merica. Hey, let's deep fry food that's already extra fattening (Twinkies, Snickers, cheesecake).


And that brings us to egg rolls. Baked. Not fried.
Recipe adapted from fortheloveofcooking.net

Ingredients:

2 tsp. sesame oil
2 C savoy cabbage - chopped
2 C shredded carrots
1 Can chopped water chestnuts
1 C mung bean sprouts
2 green onions - chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
3-4 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. fish sauce
1 package of egg roll wrappers - usually found with produce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray baking sheet or bottom of baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium skillet heat sesame oil, ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add cabbage, carrot, water chestnuts and green onion. Add soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir. Cook until softened but not soggy!

Cooked cabbage, carrot, water chestnuts and onion

Place spoonful of cabbage mixture on wrapper. Add bean sprouts. Carefully roll egg rolls. Place on sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray.

Flag wrapper with cabbage mixture and bean sprouts

Bake about 8 minutes. Egg rolls should be golden brown and crispy. Turn egg rolls. Bake an additional 5-7 minutes.

Baked to golden brown on both sides

Slice or serve whole. I prefer to slice mine in half on a diagonal to make them more bite sized and crowd-friendly! They work great as appetizers with dipping sauce. You could serve with a ginger, peanut or ponzu dipping sauce - or all three!

Sliced and ready to eat!