Anything But the Grease: An Egg Roll Begs for Mercy

I have never been a fan of the egg roll. You start with crispy, stir-fried Asian vegetables (yum), wrap ‘em up like little packages (how cute) and then drown their ass in grease (yuck). After a good dunking you can’t even taste the fresh carrots or feel the snap of the water chestnuts between your teeth!
Surely there is a way to make these little suckers without utilizing this medieval torture method. In June’s Fun Friday post, we baked crab rangoon to save it from a similar demise … why not the egg roll? Check out this recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking for a healthier appetizer.

Recipe Revamp: Baked Egg Rolls

For the filling, you will need 2 cups chopped cabbage, 2 cups shredded carrots, a 14-ounce can bean sprouts, an 8-ounce can chopped water chestnuts and 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger. (Or you can substitute leftover shredded chicken for the sprouts.)

Heat 2 teaspoons sesame or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, water, chestnuts and ginger, and stir-fry for 5 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir in 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch that has been dissolved in ¼ cup of water. Cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add two thinly sliced green onions and let cool.

Lay out your egg roll wrapper with a point facing toward you. Place two heaping tablespoons of vegetable filling in the center, and fold the point up and over the filling. Fold in each side and then roll away from you.

Place the egg rolls, seam side down, on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Brush with egg wash or give them a shot with your cooking spray to help them brown.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, flip and continue baking another 7 to 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Are there other fried foods you’d like to see made over? Leave a comment and you just might see them in our next Recipe Revamp! —Karen