Weekly Recipe: Eggrolls

I've become close friends with theFood Network and HGTV over the last 8 weeks of my maternity leave.  You can't always count on Oprah to be on, but you sure can bet someone will be cooking up something or decorating.  In a lot of ways, they have helped me to remain sane and in other ways they've made me feel guilty for sitting on my toosh watching them!

One day when I was watching Giada, I got inspired to make the eggrolls she was making.  I had eggroll wrappers frozen in the freezer that had been there for a while just waiting to be used.  I had stir-fry on the menu that week, so it was a match made in heaven.

I have a friend who is half Filipino and I remember making eggrolls at her parents kitchen table with the help of her mother.  We hand cut each component into minute little pieces.  At the time it didn't seem so tedious but looking back, we must have had a lot of spare time on our hands!  The thought of hand dicing already small water chestnuts makes my fingers hurt!  Well Giada is a genius and totally simplified that entire process with a food processor.  Duh!  Why didn't I think of that?  That's why she gets paid the bi bucks and I sit on my toosh watching her!

The recipe is very easy to adjust to your likings.  I decided to go the healthier route and baked mine, instead of frying them.  If you decide to do that, just bake at 425 for 15-18 minutes.

My only complaints were the number of wrappers left over and that I didn't get as much filling as she did when she made them on tv.

Shrimp Spring Rolls
by:  Giada Di Laurentis

• 1 medium shallot, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 large carrot, peeled, and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) assorted mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, and button
• 3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used cooked shrimp)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 16 spring roll wrappers
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups cooked cellophane noodles or bean threads, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Vegetable oil, for frying (I baked mine)

For the Spring Rolls: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the shallot, garlic, and carrot until finely chopped. Add the mushrooms and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the shrimp, sugar, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Pulse until the shrimp is chopped into 1/4-inch pieces.

Place a spring roll wrapper on a work surface. Brush the edges with the beaten egg. Place a heaped tablespoon of the filling about 1-inch from the closest edge of the

wrapper. Spread the filling into a log, approximately 4 1/2-inches long and 1-inch wide. Place a heaped tablespoon of the cooked noodles on top. Fold the closest edge of the wrapper over the filling. Fold the right and left edges of the wrapper over the filling. Roll up the spring roll tightly and place, seam side down, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until ready to cook. Repeat with the remaining spring roll wrappers.

In a high-sided saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it registers 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Cook the spring rolls, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Cut the spring rolls in half diagonally and transfer to a serving platter. Serve immediately.