Egg Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce

We had a really fun dinner tonight, we had some friends over for dinner and I tried out two new recipes. I thought I would share them with anyone who is interested. I have a long history of making egg rolls and coming to terms with my limitations in the egg roll department, however the fates smiled on me tonight and I think I like this recipe. The dipping sauce is not my recipe, it is from the famed chef Emeril Lagasse, who I don't really care for, though I'm sure he is a nice man.

However, whoever is writing/creating his new recipes for him really did a good job on this one. I noted the changes I made in italics, though I am sure the recipe is great on its own, I just didn't happen to have everything it called for.

Egg Rolls:

Shred in a food processor

1 carrot
¼ red peppers
1 small yellow squash
Thinly slice ½ of a small Napa-- cabbage
Mince 4 cloves of garlic
Mince one knob of fresh ginger

You will also need:
About 2 tsp black sesame oil
About 2 tsp chili oil
A pinch of salt
Egg roll wrappers
-Sauté the garlic and ginger in the oil on low heat until it is tender
-Add the veggies & a pinch of salt and sauté for a few minutes, until just tender
-Cool completely before stuffing the egg roll papers
-Deep fry 2-3 minutes at 355 degrees
-Serve with sweet and sour sauce


This recipe makes about 15 small egg rolls


Sweet and Sour Sauce:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil I used chili oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped dice these pretty small
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger dice these pretty small and I used about a Tbsp
1/4 cup finely diced pineapple I didn’t use pineapple
1/3 cup rice vinegar I used white vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (recommended: Sriracha) I used red pepper paste
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chicken broth I used water to make veggie egg rolls but added a pinch of salt to compensate
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and -cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Stir in the pineapple, vinegar, ketchup, chili garlic sauce, and the sugar. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth and cornstarch until smooth. Add to the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, remove from the heat, and cool slightly.

Pour the sauce into a small food processor or blender and pulse several times, if desired. Alternatively, leave the dipping sauce chunky. Serve warm. I left the sauce chunky cause I didn’t read that last part in my haste to get dinner ready, but it might be nicer to have a smoother sauce. I also garnished it with chopped green onions. I would double this recipe to serve four comfortably.

Enjoy!