Crispy Vegetarian Egg Rolls

Serves 12

Ingredients

Spring Rolls

Bean sprouts2 cups

Carrots2 oz

Bamboo shoots2 oz

Mushrooms2 oz

Vegetable oil2-3 tbsp

Salt½ tsp

Sugar½ tsp

Soy sauce1 tbsp

Egg roll skins12

1 tbsp cornstarch paste (1tbsp cornstarch + 1.5 tbsp water)

Flour for dusting

Instructions

  1. cut all vegetables into thin shreds (like size of bean sprouts)
  2. Heat oil in preheated wok and stir-fry the vegetables for 1 minute. Add salt, sugar, and soy sauce and continue to stir for 1.5 minutes. Remove vegetables from wok and put into bowl. Drain off excess liquid and let cool.
  3. Place 2 tbsp of vegetables one-third of the way down on the egg roll skin, with the triangle pointing away from you.
  4. Life the lower flap over the filling and fold in one end.
  5. Roll once and fold in the other end to completely enclose the filling.
  6. Roll once more, brush the upper edge with a little cornstarch paste and roll into a neat package. Lightly dust a tray with flour and place the egg roll with the flap-side down. Make remaining rolls.
  7. Heat the oil in a preheated wok until smoking. Reduce the heat to low and deep-fry egg rolls in batches for 2-3 minutes (golden and crispy).
  8. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with dipping sauce (soy sauce).

Oriental Salad

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Dried vermicelli¼ cup

Chinese leaves½ head

Bean sprouts2 cups

Radishes6

Snow peas4 oz

Carrot1 large

Dressing:

Juice of 1 orange

Sesame seeds, toasted1 tbsp

Honey1 tsp

Sesame oil1 tsp

Hazelnut oil1 tbsp

Instructions

  1. Break vermicelli into small strands. Heat skillet and dry-fry the vermicelli until lightly golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Shred the Chinese leaves and place in large bowl. Slice and add radishes, snow pease, carrots, and bean sprouts to bowl.
  3. Place all dressing ingredients into jar and mix together.
  4. Mix together lettuce, vegetables, vermicelli, and dressing.

Vegetable Chow Mein

Serves 4

Ingredients

Egg noodles1 lb

Vegetable oil4 tbsp

Onion, thinly sliced1

Carrots, thin sticks2

Mushrooms, quartered1 ½ cup

Baby Corn1 can

Water chestnuts1 can

Bean sprouts2 cups

Bamboo Shoots1 can

Broccoli

Celery2 stalks

Cashews

Soy sauce2 tbsp

Salt1 tsp

Sugar1 tsp

Cornstarch1 tsp

Sesame oil1 tsp

Instructions

  1. Cook egg noodles according to package. Drain, rinse with cold water, set aside.
  2. Heat 4 tbsp of vegetable oil in large skillet. Add vegetables one at a time and cook for a few minutes. Then add noodles and mix together.
  3. Blend together the soy sauce, salt, sugar, cornstarch, and sesame oil and pour over noodles and vegetables.
  4. Stir fry until thoroughly heated.

The Basic California Roll.

If you are going to introduce someone to sushi, this is the way to do it. A California roll contains crab meat, avocado, and cucumber.

Spread about a cup of rice on the sheet of nori, leaving about an inch of uncovered nori at one side. Do not pack the rice, rolling will take care of that. The rice should be less than a 1/4 inch thick -- you should be able to see nori through the rice. The biggest mistake is using too much rice.

Put avocado slices on top of the rice first, one slice thick, near the edge of the rice, the edge opposite the uncovered nori. Unwrap and split a piece of imitation crab meat lengthwise into two pieces. Place the two pieces end to end on top of the avocado. Then add several strips of cucumber next to the crab and on top of the avocado. (If you put the avocado on last, it is a lot messier to roll.)

I prefer to place the nori on a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the bamboo mat, to keep the avocado and rice out of the mat. Slowly fold the mat over, tucking the end of the nori to start a roll. (Keep lifting up the mat and plastic wrap as you go.) Lessen the pressure slightly to straighten out the roll, if needed. Then continue rolling with medium pressure.