Earlier today I told you how I used up half a head of cabbage and Shawn, unsuspectingly, ate it without even the faintest cringe. Tonight I have sealed the fate of the other half of the cabbage with a meal that was also inspired by Shawn. Last week to my dismay, he wanted to go to a Chinese buffet. Normally I might consider indulging him. But after barely surviving a nasty stomach bug, the thought of contracting another food borne illness through piles of room-temperature, soggily-fried meat, doused in assorted, gloppy, gelatinous sauces, frankly made me want to hurl. Instead we made a nice un-fried sweet and sour chicken with pineapple, veggies and rice. It was good, but ever since that meal, I’ve been thinking about egg rolls and how I can use them as a vehicle for eating more cabbage.
Crispy Baked Egg Rolls
When most people think of egg rolls, they think of the kind that are served at the average Chinese restaurant: a blend of vegetables and meat all wrapped up inside a big fat greasy, doughy fried wrapper. Super. So the plan was to get as far away from that familiar object as possible. Instead of the American-style egg roll wrappers you can buy at the regular old grocery store, try asian spring roll wrappers. They are much thinner and not at all doughy. Once cooked, they crisp up sort of like an extra crunchy phyllo dough. And they are surprisingly easy to work with. Normally they are deep fried, but for a lighter version, these are baked in the oven. Serve them with sweet chili sauce for dipping.
2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly shredded
3 carrots, grated
2 celery stalks, finely diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package spring roll wrappers (about 25 wrappers)
Neutral oil for brushing
1. In a wok or large skillet, over medium high heat, heat the neutral oil and 1/2 a teaspoon sesame oil until it shimmers. Add the garlic and fry for one minute. Add the mushrooms and a small pinch of salt to draw out the moisture. Cook the mushrooms until they are browned and fairly dry.
2. Add the cabbage, carrots, celery and green onion. Cook until the cabbage just begins to wilt. Add the powdered ginger, sugar, oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Cook until the flavors start to become absorbed into the vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Place the filling in a fine mesh strainer to remove excess liquid. You want the mixture to be fairly dry so that the wrappers don’t become too soggy.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. For each egg roll, place one wrapper in front of you on its point so it looks like a diamond. Lay about one and a half tablespoons of filling across the bottom of the wrapper horizontally. Fold the point over the filling, then fold the left and right points over so it looks sort of like an envelope that is ready to seal. To close the egg roll, grasp the filling and roll tightly upwards toward the remaining point. Be sure that the filling is completely and tightly enclosed in the wrapper. Lay the roll on its seam on a cookie sheet and proceed with the remaining rolls.
5. Once the rolls are made, brush them on both sides with neutral oil. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden and crispy, flipping them once after 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
