Thai Baked Egg Rolls

I love food. I love food to the extent to where when I’m talking to people about food I get really energetic and excited. I get so energetic and excited that I get progressively louder and louder. As I get progressively louder and louder, it turns into screaming. Soon it becomes so out of control that I just start screaming in general. I scream at friends, strangers, hobos, children, etc. So in a nut shell, when I talk about food, it leads to screaming at children. 

That’s right, (no your eyes are not going out in your old age) you read that correctly, these are baked egg rolls.  I came across a recipe for baked egg rolls over two years ago when I first started cooking. My parents were going on some new healthy diet kick, so I was trying to find ways to make egg rolls but not have to deep fry them (even though deep fried anything is perfection.)  After a quick interest search, I came across this recipe. With some modifications, I created a recipe for my own.

I have an aunt that actually is from Thailand and she makes egg rolls that are AMAZING. Her son works for a Thai restaurant and she rolls one thousand egg rolls a week for them. That's right, 1-0-0-0. I knew that when venturing onto my culinary journey I wanted to make my own take on egg rolls. I was prepared from the start that I was going to get nowhere near the perfection that was and is my aunt’s egg rolls. What I got something that was completely different, yet strangely delicious. When my aunt and uncle came up from Florida for this past Thanksgiving (that’s right, they left sunny Florida and ventured up to cold weathered Illinois. I know crazy.) I wanted to get her in the kitchen and teach my how to wrap egg rolls the right way (because there have been some pretty pitiful wrapping displays in my day). 

These eggrolls are so delectable. The most recent time I made them, Dad ate about 8 of the original 15 I made (but we're not holding anything against him). For being baked, they really have a beautifully caramelized texture to them which gives a nice crunch. Remember, egg rolls are all about doing things the way you want to. You are in charge of your own destiny. Fill your rolls what you want. 

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Thai Baked Egg Rolls

Ingredients

            1 large onion

            2 tablespoons minced garlic

            2 tablespoons of olive oil

            1lb of ground turkey

            2 teaspoons of ground ginger or fresh ginger

            2-3 teaspoons of Flour

            Salt and Pepper for taste

            2-3 cups of shredded cabbage (or one bag of the coleslaw mix)

            ½ cup shredded carrots (if you are determine to not buy the coleslaw mix)

            3-4 tablespoons Soy Sauce

            2 tablespoons Sweet Chili Sauce

            1 teaspoon Chili Paste

            1 package eggroll wrappers

            1 egg

            Cooking spray

           

           

Directions

Pre-step: Cue theme music (preferably “Kung Fu fighting”)

Step 1- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Mince up one onion. Put your skillet on medium heat. Add your vegetable oil or whatever oil you use. Note: Check if the pan is hot by forcefully placing your hand on the bottom of the pan. If you suffer third degree burns, it’s ready.

Step 2- Throw in your minced onion and garlic. Add your ground ginger (you could also use fresh ginger if your heart so desires). Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until the onions and garlic becomes tender to the touch.

Step 3- Now slice open your ground turkey or ground beef, toss it in the pan, and cook until the meat becomes browned and edible. Season adding a dash of salt and pepper for taste. Note:  To test if your ground meat is fully cooked, invite one of your enemies in, let them taste, and see what they say. If they fail to suffer food borne illness, you’re ready for the next step.

Step 4- After the meat is fully cooked, take it off the heat and add your flour. The flour is used to absorb all the oil and other liquids left in the pan after the cooking process.

Step 5- Next add in your shredded cabbage, carrots, and soy sauce. Mix until well combined. Note: Be careful when mixing, some cabbage pieces may make a break for it in the hopes of pursuing its dreams. There can only be one dreamer in this kitchen and that dreamer is you!

Step 6- Optional step: Add your sweet chili sauce and chili paste. Mix until everything is well combined. Allow your mixture to cool before assembly. In a small bowl, take an egg, crack it into the bowl, and whisk it up.

Step 7- How to Wrap an Eggroll

Step 1: Lay your wrapper out so it creates diamond shape

Step 2: Place the desired amount of eggroll filling an inch or two above the corner closest to you.

Step 3: Take that corner closest to you and roll up.

Step 4: Tuck the corner you were just working within, creating tightness between the wrapper and the filling. Tightness is what makes a beautiful eggroll.

Step 5: Do a second roll, pressing in and creating that pressure

Step 6: Take the two side eggroll wrap flaps to your left and your right and fold them in.

Step 7: Take your egg wash, and using your fingers or a brush, brush a coating of egg on the upper perimeter of the eggroll. (Aka, the triangle part above the already rolled filling)

Step 8: Pressing in, finish rolling up the egg roll.

Step 8- Take your cooking spray and spray a thin coating of oil onto your cookie sheet or pan. Place your eggrolls (seam side down) about ½ inches apart from each other. Spray the tops with cooking spray. Bake your eggrolls for 8-10 minutes.

Step 9- Take the eggrolls out of the oven and give them a good flip over (this helps both sides of the eggrolls to get crispy plus it’s good for them to change their point of views). Put them back in the over for 8-10 more minutes or until the edges are brown and crispy.