Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Phyllo Purse, Awesome Egg Rolls, Bean and Vegetable Egg Rolls (serves 2)

Roasted Vegetable Phyllo Purse
Yield = 2 servings

Roasted Vegetables, diced medium 1/2 cup (carrots, turnips, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, and/or squash all work well)
Rosemary, chopped fresh 1/2 tsp
Sage, chopped fresh 1/2 tsp
Phyllo sheets 4 sheets
Butter, melted 2 oz
Butter, cubed 1 oz
Scallion 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, mix the vegetables, and herbs. Reserve.

Lay one phyllo sheet on the work table and brush with butter. Top with second sheet and brush again with butter.

Repeat until you have stacked the phyllo 4 layers high. Using a knife, cut the phyllo in half to get 2 squares. Reserve remaining melted butter.

Place half of the mixture in the center of one phyllo square and the other half in the center of the other square. Place butter cubes on top of each vegetable mixture.

Pull the four corners of each phyllo pile up around each filling pile to get two "purse" shapes. Slice the scallion in half lengthwise and use it as "string" to hold the purses tied around the filling.
Move purses to a baking sheet. Brush with remaining melted butter. Bake at 375 until purses are golden brown and flaky, about 7-10 minutes.

Serve purses hot.
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Awesome Egg Rolls
Yields: 8 servings

"cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts are seasoned with garlic powder and soy sauce, then wrapped up tight, and deep fried to a golden brown finish. Delicious with hot mustard. Use shredded chicken or pork, if you like."

6 cups cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)
2 tablespoons soy sauce 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
black pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
cornstarch
20 egg roll wrappers
vegetable oil for frying

In a large bowl, mix together cabbage, carrots, sprouts, celery, and onion. Stir in shrimp, soy sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper.

Pour beaten egg into a skillet placed over medium heat; cook flat and thin, flipping once, until done. Remove from skillet, cool, and chop finely. Stir egg into cabbage mixture. Sprinkle top with cornstarch, mix, and allow to sit 10 minutes.

Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water. Set aside.

Place 2 or 3 tablespoons of the shrimp mixture into the center of an egg roll skin. Dip a spoon into the water and cornstarch mixture, and moisten all corners but the bottom corner. Fold the egg roll skin from the bottom over the mixture, making a tight tube of the mixture. Fold corners in from the sides, and press to stick against folded roll. Then roll the rest of the way. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers.

Pour vegetable oil into a deep frying pan to a depth of 3 or 4 inches, and heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Carefully place egg rolls into hot oil, and fry until golden brown. Remove to paper towels.
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Bean and Vegetable Egg Rolls
adapted from a recipe by the Editors of Easy Home Cooking Magazine
Yield: Makes 12 servings

Chick-peas add a new dimension to this Oriental favorite and provide more protein than any other dried bean or pea.

1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 green onions with tops, sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded napa cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
4 ounces fresh or canned bean sprouts, rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
Black pepper (optional)
1 egg, beaten
12 egg roll wrappers
Peanut or vegetable oil

Combine sesame seeds and sesame oil in large skillet. Cook and stir over low heat 2 to 3 minutes or until sesame seeds begin to brown. Add green onions, ginger and garlic; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Add cabbage, carrots, celery, mushrooms and bean sprouts; cover. Cook 8 minutes or until cabbage is wilted. Stir in chickpeas and soy sauce; season to taste with pepper, if desired. Cool 10 minutes; stir in egg.

Place 1/3 cup vegetable mixture near one corner of egg roll wrapper. Brush edges of egg roll wrapper with water. Fold bottom corner of egg roll wrapper up over filling; fold sides in and roll up. Repeat with remaining filling and egg roll wrappers.

Heat 1 inch peanut oil in large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until oil is 375 F; adjust heat to maintain temperature. Fry egg rolls 3 to 5 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels; serve hot with Plum Dipping Sauce.