Better Than Take Out Egg Rolls

With our summer vacation winding down, I planned a causal dinner on the deck for tonight. Chipolte Crabby Patties with Sweet and Sour Slaw and Better Than Take Out Egg Rolls. I threw in some fruit salad for good measures. It is a weird combination of foods, but it worked for us. I knew I would be frying up the Crabby Patties, so the addition of the frying of Egg Rolls was no problem.

I hesitated making Egg Rolls in the past because I thought they would be too much work. I was wrong. They went together in a snap. They were similar to preparing a stir fry. And they fry up in less than 2 minutes. No joke. The filling smelled so good that No Thank You Boy was eating it before it made it into the Egg Rolls. I paired it with a sweet and vinegary dipping sauce and some purchased plum sauce. As I fried the Egg Rolls, I kept the finished ones warm in a 200 degree oven.

The Family gave thumbs up all around for the chicken and vegetable filled Egg Rolls. The exterior was nicely browned and crispy. We liked that they had larger chunks of chicken than the typical Chinese take out ones. The fresh vegetables also made a huge difference in the taste. My Middle One ate two and decided she would have half of one more. Before she realized the first half was gone, she was finishing the last bite of the second half. I'll take that she enjoyed them.

The Egg Rolls would also make great appetizers. They can be made ahead and then reheated before serving.

I'll never go back to the take out egg rolls again. Well, I'll never say never, but certainly not as often.


Better Than Take Out Egg Rolls

makes 10 - 12

peanut oil
1/2 pound boneless chicken breasts, diced in very small pieces
2 teaspoons ginger root, grated
1 bag (16-ounces) shredded cole slaw mix
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup snow pea pods, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
10 - 12 egg roll wrappers, I use Nasoya Egg Roll Wraps
canola oil for frying

Heat a large saute to high. Add peanut oil. Add chicken and ginger root and saute until almost cooked through. Add shredded cole slaw mix, scallions, and snow pea pods. Saute for about 4 - 5 minutes or until the cabbage begins to wilt. Remove from heat and add the oyster sauce and stir to combine. Let mixture cool.

On a flat surface, place one of the egg roll wrappers with a corner pointing toward you. It should look like a diamond shape. Place about 3 heaping tablespoons of the filling horizontally across the center of the wrapper. Fold bottom corner over the filling and roll half way to cover filling. Fold both sides snugly against filling and moisten top corner with water. Roll over flap to seal. Lay flap-side down until ready to cook.

Heat a large saute pan to high and fill with about an inch of canola oil. When the oil reaches 350 degrees, carefully add a few Egg Rolls. Fry until golden, about a minute or two. Turn once to brown on other side. Drain on paper towels.

Serve warm with Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce or purchased plum sauce.

Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with Egg Rolls.