I was reading a recipe on the cooking channel website by good Ol’ Emril and how he makes eggrolls. Well, I wanted to make this more healthy in some way so I set off to test something out and it turned out pretty darn good! I didn’t miss the pork or the vegetable oil, I added some more seasoning but all in all, I think these were a hit! The savory bite of the cabbage and crunch of the bean sprouts with the subtle soy flavor mixed well with the crunch of the eggroll wrappers that tasted just fine baked! In fact, the trick with these is do not over oil. I used coconut oil and loved the flavor it gave the wrapper. I made these as a treat to go with my Tofu Shrimp Pad Thai noodle bowl and it was just that… a treat.  Adapted from Emril’s baked eggrolls. See note*

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, plus extra for dusting
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3/4 pound sliced cabbage
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 cup finely chopped green onions (approx 4 stalks)
• 1 cup grated carrots (2 carrots peeled)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic  (1 large clove)
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
• Ten 6‑inch square egg roll wrappers
• 1 cup of canned bean sprouts
• 3 tablespoons Coconut oil

Fist thing is to slice and dice all the vegetables we will need for the eggrolls. Call me crazy, but I like to do things in a somewhat orderly fashion. First the cabbage. I sliced this like I was doing a long cut coleslaw until I had about 4 loosely packed cups and set aside.

Next, chop the carrots, ginger, garlic and onions.

Add your cut veggies and herbs all into one bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, add your soy sauce and sprinkle the cornstarch over the soy sauce until dissolved.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, salt and cayenne and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until the meat loses its pink color.

Once your chicken is done you can now add the veggies you had set aside.

When everything is starting to wilt, you can add the sesame oil and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Add the cornstarch, soy sauce mixture and stir well to blend and thicken, bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute.

Transfer to a wide bowl and let cool completely. I did this by putting the whole bowl right into the fridge for about 30 minutes. * The eggrolls are definitely something I would do ahead of time if you are doing anything else with your dinner.

When the filling cools you are ready assemble your eggrolls. Take a baking sheet, dust it a little with the corn starch so that the wrapped eggrolls don’t stick to the pan as this is where they will be placed when they are wrapped. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f at this time.

The second baking sheet is where you will wrap your eggrolls.  Pour ½ cup water into a small bowl and place next to your work area. Lay 1 of the large egg roll wrappers on the cookie sheet with one of the points toward you, like a diamond.  Dip a finger in the water and wet the edges of the wrapper.

Put about 1/4 cup of the chicken filling just below the center of the wrapper, above the bottom point. Top with a pinch of sprouts.

Pull the bottom point up over the filling, fold over the sides and roll up to completely enclose the filling. See below for step by step folding….

Place seam side down on the dusted cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.  (Note: If the egg rolls will not be cooked right away, lightly dust them with cornstarch to prevent them from sticking together, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 4 hours.) If your eggrolls are ready to bake, lightly brush them with the coconut oil.

Bake the egg rolls for about 20 minutes, or until they are light brown and crispy on the outside, turning them over and rotating the baking sheet once.

Now I did mine a little wide, hey it was my first time but I expect to get better with every roll because these were amazing. My family loved the idea that these were made here and I lightened them up. they were not as heavy as the ones in the restaurant and had just as much if not more flavor and way more filling.

Num Num!