We spent a wonderful couple of hours yesterday at the home of very good friends of ours. My friend made some delicious guacamole, succulent bacon wrapped scallops (thankfully there were a few left over that she very kindly sent home with me 😊, a platter of cheese, crackers and veggies, and a wonderful assortment of cookies, cakes and other sweet treats (one of which was her delicious shortbread cookies, a family recipe with a secret ingredient - I now know it and have been sworn to secrecy!!! 😊 I took along some crispy chicken fingers (a favourite food of her eldest little boy), and these baked vegetable egg rolls.
I have to admit that appetizers are one of my favourite types of food - I've often been known to order a couple of appetizers instead of a main course in restaurants, much to the delight of my hubby, because undoubtedly there's usually enough for him to have a sample too 😊
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 carrot, grated
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 green onions, cut into 1 inch julienne strips
1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch julienne strips
2 bok choy, shredded finely
(any combination of vegetables can be used - beansprouts, water chestnuts, broccoli, corn...whatever's your favourite or you have on hand)
1/4 cup vegetable stock
2 Tbs soy sauce (I used Tamari)
1 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs sesame oil
egg roll wrappers (mine were about 4 inches square) - while assembling the egg rolls, keep the wrappers covered with a damp towel or kitchen towel so they don't dry out.
Mix the soy sauce, sugar and vegetable stock in a mixing bowl.
Heat the oil in a skillet and stir fry the garlic and ginger.
Add the carrot, pepper and green onions, and fry stirring frequently.
Add the bok choy, and broth mixture and bring to a boil.
Simmer for five min. reducing heat, until vegetables having softened.
Then remove from heat, and mix with the sesame oil.
Allow to cool for at least 20 min.
Preheat oven to 375 F, and place a rack over a baking tray.
Strain the veggie mixture.
On a flat surface laying an egg roll wrapper, brush the top, right and left edges with a water.
In the middle of each wrapper add 2 tsp of mixture, fold the bottom edge up, the top edge down to overlap the bottom.
Squeeze the ends of the roll to close the mixture inside.
Place the rolls on the baking tray, brush with olive oil and bake for twenty min. Serve with your favourite sauce.
it takes a little time to get everything prepared but well worth it.
saute the ginger and garlic - the smell is heavenly :)
add the onions, carrot and pepper.
add the broth mixture and bok choy.
mix everything well, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
let the mixture cool for 15 minutes and then strain the liquid away.
keep the wrappers covered with a damp towel or kitchen towel (on the left) while assembling.
after brushing the top and side edges with a little water and filling with the vegetable mixture, fold up the bottom edge.
fold down the top edge to overlap, before squeezing the ends to close.
brush each egg roll with vegetable oil.
even though I do have a couple of other, newer, basting brushes I always seem to grab my 'old faithful' first - he's stubby and losing his bristles, but he never lets me down, and I love him :)
Serve with your favourite sauce.
