Yikes! Despite feeling incredibly lazy this week, I’ve been cooking up some tasty meals for dinner. (I don’t know where the energy is coming from?!)

I went through some of my mom’s recipe books a few weeks back and came home with a thick stack of new recipes to try out. This particular recipe looked intimidating – I’ve never made eggrolls before – but it turned out to be super easy and quick. I was worried they wouldn’t hold together, but I didn’t have any problems. I made a baked and lightly pan-fried version, and we actually preferred the baked version. (Good thing, too – the baked version is literally about fifteen minutes of hands-on time and you’re done!) I served them with rice and some brussels sprouts that I picked up at last Saturday’s farmer’s market.

Quick & Easy Vegetable Egg Rolls

slightly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s Comfort Food Makeovers
>>this recipe can be fully-vegan by simply buying vegan egg roll wrappers

3 cups finely shredded green napa cabbage
1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded
1 green onion, sliced thin
1 1/2 T. soy sauce
1 1/2 t. dry white wine (or Chinese rice wine)
1 t. toasted sesame oil
1 t. sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. fresh ginger, minced
10 egg roll wrappers
5 t. canola oil
1/2 cup hot tap water

Combine cabbage, carrot, and green onion in a large bowl. Combine soy sauce, white wine, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds to heat up and dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot mixture over the vegetables and toss to combine.

Working one at a time, place an egg roll wrapper on your cutting board with a corner point facing you (so it looks like a diamond, not a square). Scoop 3 tablespoons of the vegetable mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up, tucking it under the vegetable mixture, then fold the sides to meet in the center. Brush the sides and up to the top point with water, and roll up tight to close. Set aside and repeat.

If you want to bake your egg rolls, preheat the oven to 400-degrees. Spray a pan with cooking spray. Line the egg rolls up on the pan and brush the tops with olive oil. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden and crisp.

If you want to pan-fry your egg rolls, heat the 5 teaspoons of canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully add the egg rolls, seam-side down, and cook until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes. Carefully add 1/2 cup of hot water to the pan and cover. Cook about 3-4 minutes or until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Uncover and continue to cook until the rolls are crisp on all sides, about 4 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes: Next time, I plan on adding a variety of other vegetables. I think red bell pepper – grated finely – would be so good!