Vegetarian on a budget: Baked veggie eggrolls

I like the idea of eggrolls. Delicious food wrapped in delicious dough - it's like a tiny bean-less cheese-less rice-less burrito. What I don't like about eggrolls is that they are often tasteless, filled with vegetables I don't like, dripping with grease and too crunchy (or not crunchy enough?).

The solution, of course, is to make my own eggrolls. These are a little time-consuming, but easy and healthy. 

The most difficult part is finding eggroll wrappers. If you have Chinatown or an Asian foods store nearby, look for SpringHome brand (on the right). If you don't have access to these, almost every supermarket carries the Nasoya brand(on the left). These are usually located in a refrigerated aisle next to veggie hot dogs, fancy salad dressings, and tofu. 

The filling can be anything you want it to be, but if you want to go the traditional route, here are the basics for your shopping list:



- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Mushrooms

Once you chop and dice these core ingredients, sautee them briefly with your preferred seasoning (or sauce) in a tiny bit of oil to soften them up and infuse flavor.

You can add anything that strikes your fancy to this mix. This is the time to poke around your fridge and create your own mixture. Marinated tofu, shrimp (for the pescaterians), jalapenos or chili peppers for spice, zucchini, bamboo, even potato (I tried it and wasn't a fan, but others who sampled it said it was unique and perfectly edible).

Next, bust out your eggroll wrappers. If they were frozen prior to this cooking experiment, let them thaw out for at least 30 minutes so you can easily separate them without creating tears or struggling with solid blocks of dough.

Lay out your thawed out wrapper on a dry surface and place what you consider an appropriate amount of filling into the very center of your wrapper.

Next, wrap it into an eggroll however you see fit. Below, I include a visual of the steps I took to make my eggroll. Fold the bottom, fold the sides, and roll up to create a tight bundle of delicious.

Spray the baking sheet with a bit of oil or place aluminum foil down before arranging your beauties so they do not touch. Stick into the oven at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, wait until they cool enough to not burn your mouth when you stuff them into your face, and ENJOY!