homemade vegetable egg rolls

Before we go any further, I owe an apology for the RSS feed if you’re a subscriber (if you’re not, click this link). The last couple of weeks the images have been wonky, and not exactly matching the actual post. There’s so much admin work to do when you’re a one-woman shop like myself. Much as I try to dot every “i” and cross every “t”, something falls through the cracks. It kills me like you can’t imagine.

Sooo, until I can sort out with my web developer why the image doesn’t auto fill when a new post goes live, I have to manually go in and change it. Even worse than having to do it manually is I have to remember to do it. My apologies, and I hope it hasn’t deterred any of you from clicking through and reading. I will try to get better about it!

Now, let’s talk about egg rolls. Specifically, homemade egg rolls. I don’t know why it took me this long to make them, but you know what they say about better late than never.

Contrary to what you might be thinking, homemade egg rolls are super easy to make. I’m not kidding. The light bulb moment came when I saw a tip for using coleslaw mix to make the filling. Bingo. The thing that was stopping me from making egg rolls was the prep work. I know that sounds impossible, but it’s true. I love making homemade veggie wontons, but also know that’s it quite the commitment for all the chopping and prep work required. Using pre-sliced coleslaw mix helped get me over the hump, and give homemade egg rolls a try finally.

I prefer using the coleslaw mix from Whole Foods. It’s as fresh as what you’d use if you were slicing it up yourself, as opposed to the pre-packed bag stuff which always tends to look unappealing and dried out. I realize it’s pricier than buying the cabbage and doing it myself, but that package goes such a long way. It’s also a great way to encourage eating my veggies (moms need a helping hand, too). I find myself plucking a handful to use in tacos, adding some to stir-fry, and mixing in with kale for salads. Simply stated: the pre-sliced cabbage is my prep chef in the kitchen.

I’m sharing a video with this post so you can see how I folded the egg rolls. Please don’t give me grief; I know I’m not using the technique showed on the packaging. I find it much easier to fold, and have them come out looking neat, using my method. I say go with what feels right to you.

As for the cooking, I like to fry mine up. Nothing compares to a freshly fried egg roll. I’ve made them in the oven, too, with very good results. The egg rolls crisp up, just not in the way I prefer. Again, do what you love best. It’s also a great way to use up those little bites left in the fridge that aren’t enough to make a whole meal. If I have some extra cooked chicken, as I did from making soup last week, then great. Otherwise, you can swap in pork, beef, or leave it out all together. And you’ll see this is a roughly written recipe. I give you some guidance, but don’t sweat about making these too much. That’s the beauty of egg rolls. No rules. Just deliciousness. At least that’s how this Italian gal from Brooklyn now sees it.

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