Egg Rolls

I've been on a quest to make better quality ethnic food at home. It's so expensive to eat out and not very healthy. One of my husbands favorite foods is egg rolls. I've tried some pretty bad recipes, so it was refreshing to find one that I could tweak and make it our own. It's worth it to double the recipe and freeze the extras. To reheat, 400 degree oven until crisp.


1/2 lb ground pork
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 T Black pepper
2-3 c Canola oil (for frying)
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp water
3 c Cabbage, shredded
2/3 c Carrots, shredded
8-12 (7 inch square) egg roll wrappers
1 Tbsp sesame oil (optional)

1. Season pork with ginger, pepper and garlic powder and mix thoroughly. Heat mixture in a medium skillet, stirring, until pork is finely chopped and cooked through and no longer pink. Set aside.


2. In another large skillet heat oil to about 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) or medium high heat. While oil is heating, combine flour and water in a bowl until they form a paste. In a separate bowl combine the cabbage, carrots, sesame oil and reserved pork mixture. Mix all together.


3. Lay out one egg roll skin with a corner pointed toward you. Place about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cabbage, carrot and pork mixture on egg roll paper and fold corner up over the mixture. Fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll. Brush a bit of the flour paste on the final corner to help seal the egg roll.


4. Place egg rolls into heated oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels or rack. Serve warm.

Total Costs: $5.00
Ground pork $1.50 (Meijer)
Canola oil $1.00 (Aldi's)
Cabbage $1.00 (Meijer)
Carrots $.50 (Aldi's)
Egg roll wrappers $1.00 (Meijer)
Spices - From Stock

Variations:
Add chopped shrimp
Ground Chicken
Vegetarian - add spices directly to cabbage mix