February 8, 2019
My grandparents lived in Taiwan for 10 years during a portion of my grandpa’s engineering career. My mom lived in Taiwan with them after she graduated college & My uncle met my aunt in Taiwan. My grandparents were living in Taiwan when I was born and I actually made multiple trips there before I was even 5 years old. So it’s easy to see why our family has strong ties to the culture.
This recipe actually originates from the chef my grandparents had when they were living in Taiwan. My mom was gracious enough to share it with me and while it’s absolutely delicious, I have to find some humor in the way she had it documented. Honestly, there were no measurements. Many of the items were scribbled down in the nature of “big pile of cabbage”. As you can tell, that is very specific.
The original recipe did call for MSG, which I have eliminated (for good reason). And we are swapping the soy sauce for coconut aminos to make the recipe soy free. The reason I’m calling this “healthy” is that we are cleaning it up a bit by frying in some healthy fats & providing the option to bake, which eliminates the frying step completely.
If anyone out there has a gluten free version of an egg roll wrapper, I’d love to try. While the store bought isn’t horrible – it does include some questionable ingredients – so if you have a clean swap for egg roll wrappers, hit me up!
Healthy Pork & Vegetable Egg Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP avocado oil
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 bag coleslaw mix
- 1/4 c celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 c green onions, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 c coconut aminos
- 12 egg roll wrappers
- Avocado or Coconut Oil for frying see notes
- 1 Tbsp arrow root starch + 1 Tbsp water
- Salt to taste
Paleo Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 C ketchup paleo – compliant
- 2 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 1/2 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
For the filling
- In a large frying pan add 1 Tbsp Avocado oil & add ground pork and cook through, around 5-7 minutes. Remove pork when complete and set aside.Add 1 tsp sesame oil to the pan. Next add the minced garlic, green onions & celery. Cook for 1 minute, allowing the garlic to get fragrant, but not caramelized. To the pan, add the coleslaw mix & coconut aminos. Cook for 3 minutes.Add the pork back to the pan and the arrow root starch + water to the pan and mix.. Allow the cabbage mixture to continue to wilt, about 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat.
Wrap the Egg rolls
- This recipe makes 8-10 large or 12 small-medium egg rolls. Fill a small bowl with water. On a clean surface, place a egg roll wrapper down in a diamond shape. Place 2 Tbsp (or 3 Tbsp for large eggrolls) of filling into the center of an egg roll wrapper. (between two points of the wrapper)Fold the top & bottom of the diamond to meet over the top of the filling. Using a bit of water on your fingers, use the water to seal the folded flaps with the bottom of the egg roll. Starting with one side of the wrapper, roll the flap over the filling & tuck it under the filling, pulling it tight. Wet the edge of the remaining flap & begin to roll the egg roll towards the final point to secure the filling. Set aside & repeat**Google How to wrap an eggroll, if unsure**
Fry the egg roll
- To Fry:Prepare a plate or baking sheet covered with paper towels. This will act as a cooling tray after frying. In a small to medium sauce pan, fill the pan 1 – 1 1/2 inch deep of a clean/healthy oil. I suggest coconut or an avocado blend. Heat on high until the oil starts to simmer. Lower the heat to medium to high.In batches (2-3 eggrolls), add eggrolls to the simmering oil. Cook for 90 seconds, flip & repeat. Using a slotted spoon, remove from pan & set on the prepared cooling tray or plate. To Bake:Preheat Oven to 425. In a frying pan. add 2-3 tbsp of oil. I suggest coconut or an avocado blend. In batches, pan fry each side of the egg roll (about 30 seconds per side). Place on a baking sheet in a single layer & bake for 8 minutes or until crispy golden brown. Cooking times may vary based on oven type.
Sweet & Sour dipping Sauce
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk all ingredients to combine.Allow mixture to come to a boil & reduce heat to low & allow to cook for about 1 minute.Remove from heat & continue to whisk as the mixture continues to thicken .
