Pork Egg Rolls

So I was very excited about this recipe!  Store bought egg rolls are expensive, and we enjoy Chinese "take-out" style recipes, but ya gotta have egg rolls with them, right?  I have been wanting to make egg rolls for some time now, but was leery of finding the "right" recipe.  So then how do you know if it's the right recipe until you try it?  Well, I can say that this is a fantastic recipe, and one I will definitely make again.  I doubled the recipe, and have a few dozen egg rolls in the freezer that will go great with chicken lo mein, orange chicken, honey garlic chicken...

http://www.marthastewart.com/337150/pork-egg-rolls

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
• 6 cups (48 ounces) vegetable oil
• 1 napa cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds), thinly sliced
• 4 medium carrots, coarsely grated
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound ground pork
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 16 egg-roll wrappers (6 to 7 inches square)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• bottled sweet-and-sour sauce and spicy mustard, for serving

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add cabbage, carrots, garlic, and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Raise heat to high; add pork and soy mixture. Cook, tossing, until pork is no longer pink and liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes; mix in scallions. Transfer mixture to a plate to cool. Lay wrappers flat on a work surface, and assemble egg rolls.
3. In a 5-quart pot, heat remaining oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Working in batches of 4, and returning oil to 350 degrees for each batch, fry egg rolls until golden, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes; drain on paper towels. Serve with sweet-and-sour sauce and spicy mustard.
4. To Bake, Not Fry: If you prefer, these egg rolls can be baked. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet; place egg rolls on sheet and brush with cup oil*. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Serve with sweet-and-sour sauce and spicy mustard. If baking from frozen, bake about 15 minutes.

Cook's Note

HOW TO ROLL AN EGG ROLL
1. Filling It Up: Lay 3 or 4 egg-roll wrappers flat on counter. (Keep other wrappers covered with a damp paper towel.) Place 1/3 cup pork mixture in center of each.
2. Folding It Up: Using a pastry brush, wet border with egg. Fold point of wrapper that's closest to you over the pork mixture, and tuck under the filling.
3. Folding It In: Fold both side corners toward center of wrapper (they won't meet in the center). It should look like an open envelope.
4. Finishing It Up: Tightly roll up filled pocket to close wrapper, then gently press down to seal the edges**

*To save on fat and calories, I skipped the oil, and sprayed the tops of the egg rolls with pan spray.  They turned out beautifully!

**I mix a little flour and water and use it as a "glue" to seal the wrapper.  (a little trick I learned from my friend, Quan, in the HyVee Chinese Express!!)

Chicken Lo Mein

I'm a big fan of the recipes that offer restaurant flavor, only healthier and cheaper.  This one fits the bill.  And yes, the theme tonight is apparently chicken recipes.

Chicken Lo Mein

8 oz. lo mein noodles or thin spaghetti
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 lg cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. chicken broth
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame or olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 c. snow peas
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1.  Prepare noodles according to package directions.
2.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes, or until browned and no longer pink.  Remove to a plate and keep warm.
3.  Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, pepper, garlic and snow peas and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until tender-crisp.  Stir in the chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the chicken and noodles and heat through.