Egg rolls just might be my perfect food. A fresh filling tucked inside a doughy wrapper that’s deep-fried and then dunked in dipping sauce? Count me in. And in fact, count me in times eight, because that’s how many of the above egg rolls I ate while making this recipe. But this isn’t any ordinary chicken egg roll recipe. It is one of the many new recipes in the recently released cookbook, Bountiful: Recipes from Our Garden, by Todd Porter and Diane Cu of White On Rice Couple.
I have had the pleasure of getting to know Todd and Diane over the years, as we’ve shared many meals and many laughs from coast to coast. Most special of all was a dinner in their beautiful California garden. From the sweetest tomatoes and juiciest tangerines to the freshest mint and crispest cucumbers, each taste was better than the rest.
Bountiful, with its 100 garden-inspired recipes, is a true testament of Todd and Diane’s love of fresh, wholesome food. And now that I’ve officially qualified myself for the Major League Eating circuit with these kale and chicken egg rolls, I’m moving on to more of their enticing recipes, including Roasted Cherry Tomato and Goat Cheese Dip, Butternut Squash Crumble, and immediately next on my list, Blood Orange Bars with Brown Butter Crust.
Hungry yet? Todd and Diane have graciously offered to send one Just a Taste reader a copy of Bountiful, so you too can experience garden-inspired cooking at its best. Read on to enter for your chance to win this cookbook giveaway and then get cooking with their recipe for Kale and Chicken Egg Rolls with Ginger Soy Dip.
UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winner, Terryia (comment #151)!
To enter for your chance to win a copy of Bountiful, leave a comment on this post that answers the following question:
If you had a garden, what fruit or vegetable would you most look forward to growing?
You can earn up to four bonus entries by leaving a separate comment (with the same email address) for each of the below actions:
- Bonus Entry 1: “Like” Just a Taste and White on Rice Couple on Facebook. (Leave a separate comment if you have done this.)
- Bonus Entry 2: Follow Just a Taste and White on Rice Couple on Twitter. (Leave a separate comment if you have done this.)
- Bonus Entry 3: Follow Just a Taste and White on Rice Couple on Pinterest. (Leave a separate comment if you have done this.)
- Bonus Entry 4: Follow Just a Taste, Todd Porter and Diane Cu on Instagram. (Leave a separate comment if you have done this.)
One winner will be selected via Random.org and announced on Wednesday, October 23, 2013. This giveaway closes on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 12 p.m. EST and is open to U.S. participants only. The winner will be contacted via email, so please include a valid email address in the email address entry box.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground chicken
- 1/2 pound kale leaves, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3/4 cup shredded carrot
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce or soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 dozen 7- to 8-inch egg roll wrappers
- Egg white, for sealing wrappers
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
- Chili paste, to taste
- 2 teaspoons sliced scallions
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, kale, carrots, egg, sugar, soy sauce, and garlic. Mix well. Set aside to marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.
- To roll the egg rolls, place one wrapper at a time on your work surface and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the lower one-third of the wrapper. Begin rolling from the bottom, tucking the filling under and folding in the sides as you roll. Brush the edges of the wrapper with egg white to seal them. Set the finished rolls aside on a sheet pan as you finish them.
- In a large frying pan, heat approximately ¾ inch oil over medium heat. Test the heat of the oil by adding a small piece of egg roll wrapper to the pan. If it sizzles and browns too quickly, then your heat is too high.
- Gently place the egg rolls in the heated oil and fry for 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden on the bottom. Turn the egg rolls over and cook until they are golden on the other side and the filling is cooked through.
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, ginger, chili paste (to taste) and scallions. Stir well.
- Serve the egg rolls warm, with the dip on the side.
- Most American grocery stores carry thicker, more flour-based wrappers. These fry up to a nice bubbly roll, but take longer to cook, so take this into account when you’re frying. At Asian specialty markets, you’ll find a greater variety of wrappers, many of which are thinner. These wrappers fry up much lighter and crisper. Select the type that works best for you and, again, take this into account when adjusting frying times.
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Recipe adapted from Bountiful. Reprinted with permission from Todd Porter and Diane Cu of White on Rice Couple.
This looks so amazing, I really want to make it. I have a couple of questions:
1) if I use raw chicken and freeze these rolls, will they cook all the way when I fry them directly from frozen? Or do I have to thaw them first?
2) do the raw chicken and raw vegetables inside the rolls release liquids that make the rolls soggy after a little while?
3) if I’m having a party can I fry these ahead of time, do they taste great even room temperature or does the texture change?
Sorry for the questions, I’m really eager to try this out for a party soon!
Hi there! You’ll likely need to fry them longer if cooking from the frozen state. I’d actually recommend frying and THEN freezing them; the rolls do not get soggy; they’re great at room temp!
Amazing and so pretty I did add a little honey to it cause the sodium level scared me lol thank you kids and husband loved it ❤
I’m so glad your family enjoyed the recipe, Becca!
Can you freeze some of these for a later date
Absolutely, Janet!
Could they be baked instead of fried?
Hi Karen – I’ve never tried baking this recipe but I do have another recipe for Crispy Baked Chicken Spring Rolls – https://www.justataste.com/crispy-baked-chicken-spring-rolls-recipe/
Do you pre-cook the ground chicken or do you put it in raw and it cooks when fried?
You do not pre-cook it, as it’ll cook through while the egg rolls are being fried :)
Gracias por compartir sus conocimientos y experiencia son ricos
Is it possible to sub cabbage for the kale? I am not able/allowed to eat kale. This looks like such a great recipe.
Absolutely!
We made these last night and they were delicious! Thanks for a great recipe :)
Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Rachel!
Liked the recipes so far
Thank you!
Are the egg roll wrappers gluten free if not what else can I use
I have “Liked” Just a Taste and White on Rice Couple on FaceBook.
I’m assuming that the ground chicken is precooked?
Nope! It cooks while being fried.
Zucchini!!!
I was worried about the raw, ground chicken, too! I’m guessing the chicken may cause others to hesitate before cooking this recipe so it could be helpful to add a note (even though the chicken cooking in the frying process may seem obvious to some). I’m not a frequent fryer. About to try it now so fingers crossed that everything works out as it should.
It’ll definitely cook through, Kelly! If it’s cooked in advance and then fried, it gets too dried out. Hope this helps!
Do you cook the ground chicken first before wrapping it up? It is not mentioned so is 5 min. enough time to cook the chicken in the egg roll wrapper?
Hi Mary – No, you don’t cook the chicken in advance, as 5 minutes in boiling hot oil is enough to cook it through. Enjoy!
We just made these today and not only are they just as pretty as they are in your photos but, they are delicious!
I almost ate one one of the rolls off the page.