2 packages square eggroll wrap
Canola oil for deep frying (about 2 cups for a small saucepan)
Salt and pepper to taste
STEPS
1. Add a little oil in a pan and sauté cabbage and grated carrots until cabbage is wilted. You may add salt to taste. Using a slotted spatula, remove cabbage and carrot to a bowl. Be careful to drain as much liquid as possible from the cabbage (otherwise, the egg rolls will be soggy).
2. Beat 2 of the eggs and add a little salt and pepper. Heat up frying pan with a small amount of oil. Pour in egg batter and cook a thin layer of egg. Once cooked, remove to a cutting board and let cool. Once cool, thinly slice the egg and set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix pork, soy sauce, cornstarch and sugar. Then, lightly fry the pork until meat is cooked through. Set aside in bowl and let cool. Add a little oil to the pan and cook the baby shrimp. Set aside in bowl and let cool. Once all the ingredients are cool, mix the cabbage, carrots, egg and pork together.
4. Beat the last egg in a bowl. This egg will be the “glue” for the egg roll.
5. Carefully peel off an egg roll wrap. Turn it so it faces you like a diamond. Add the cabbage, carrots, egg and pork mixture in a straight horizontal line in the bottom third of the diamond. Add 2 to 3 baby shrimp and diced green onion (to taste) on top.
6. Roll the egg roll (similar to a burrito). Start with the bottom point, roll it over the inside toppings and continue rolling until halfway. Then fold the sides in and continue rolling. When you get to the top point, brush a little beaten egg to it and finish rolling. The egg mixture acts as “glue” and should hold your egg roll together. Continue making egg rolls until you run out of ingredients.
7. In a small saucepan, pour in the canola oil and turn the heat to mediumhigh. Carefully add 2 to 3 egg rolls into the pan and deep fry. Be sure to turn each egg roll over several times to avoid burning it. It’s important not to add too many egg rolls into the pan at one time. Enjoy!
Note: Egg rolls are also very easy to freeze. After rolling them, and before deep frying, put them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Set in freezer for 30 to 45 minutes or until egg rolls are frozen. Then put frozen egg rolls into a freezer zip bag. Since you already pre-froze them, the egg rolls should not stick together. When you’re ready to cook them, no need to thaw. Simply deep-fry them.
Manicotti
Makes about 15
The first time I decided to cook a meal for my friends I called my mother and asked her for the recipe for manicotti. Having made it a million times, she knew the proportions by heart: “First you beat a dozen eggs …” I knew I was in trouble because there were only going to be four of us for dinner and Mom had no idea how to make a smaller batch of the Italian crepes. Her recipe evolved because we purchased ricotta in three-pound tins and that made enough filling for five dozen manicotti.
Here’s a scaled-down version of Mom’s manicotti.
INGREDIENTS
CREPES:
1 cup flour
½ cup water
½ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
FILLING:
1 pound ricotta
½ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 quart tomato sauce
STEPS
1. Whisk the crepe ingredients together and let rest for 1 hour. Heat an 8-inch pan over medium-high heat and coat with nonstick spray. Pour in just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan. When the crepe is just dry, turn and cook for a few seconds more. Stack the crepes on a plate. If you are not making the manicotti immediately, you can cover the crepes with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to one day.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Mix the filling ingredients together. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the filling across each crepe and roll up. Place seam side down in a baking dish that has a layer of tomato sauce in the bottom. Spread a little more sauce along the top and sprinkle with additional grated cheese. Cover with foil and bake for about 25 minutes.
Kreplach
Makes 24
Another feature that is shared by many cultures is that they serve certain dishes only on special occasions. It doesn’t mean that you can’t have Sfingi di San Giuseppe in November but you expect to have it on March 19th. And so it is with this recipe for Jewish “dumplings” called kreplach. Except that, depending on who you consult, they will tell you the dish is traditional for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Chanukah or Purim. I just think they are delicious and appropriate for any day when a soothing bowl of chicken broth needs a little elevation.
INGREDIENTS
DOUGH:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4–6 tablespoons cold water
FILLING:
½ pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced fine
¼ teaspoon allspice
Salt and pepper
2 quarts chicken stock
STEPS
1. Add the flour and salt to a food processor. Pulse a few times to distribute the salt. Add the eggs and pulse until a coarse dough is formed. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until a smooth dough is formed and cleans the sides of the processor. Remove and knead for a few minutes on a floured board until the dough is smooth and pliable. Cover in plastic wrap and let rest at least 20 minutes.
2. For the filling: In a small fry pan, brown the meat over medium heat, breaking the meat up with the back of
