This recipe is an elaboration of the basic egg roll recipe that was shared with me a long time ago by Julie Nabong and Narcisa Babaran. I will always thank them for their tips on making Filipino-style egg rolls like those we shared during our lunch-time pot luck meals.

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound package frozen mixed vegetables
• 3 cups fresh bean sprouts
• 1 4-ounce can mushrooms, drained
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup diced green peppers
• 1/4 cup Teriyaki Sauce

• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 package egg roll wrappers

1. Place frozen vegetables in a pan, cover with water, heat to a boil and simmer 2 minutes. Pour into colander and allow to fully drain. Sauté ground beef until fat is rendered. Skim off fat and discard. Add drained vegetables, onions, celery and green peppers. Continue cooking until onions are transparent.
2. Add spices. Mix corn starch with Teriyaki sauce and add to meat-vegetable mixture. Stir while simmering. Add mushrooms and bean sprouts. Taste and adjust seasonings.
3. Cook until the liquid in the pan reduces and thickens with the corn starch and the mixture in the pan is "dry." Any excess moisture in the filling will make the egg roll wrappers tear when filled and handled. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool until it can be handled without burning the fingers.

   

4. Open egg roll package. Keep under damp towel until used but do not get wet. Place an egg roll wrapper, as a diamond shape, on dry work surface. Place a large spoonful of filling near middle of wrapper. Pull closest corner across mixture. Form egg roll with fingers, fold over sides and then roll remaining wrapper around mixture. Moisten corner flap with water-wet finger-tip and seal.
5. Place completed egg roll on hard, non-porous surface. The egg rolls will stick to a paper towel or porous surface. If the egg roll sticks to a hard surface, they can be removed with a sharp spatula without tearing the egg roll wrapper.
6. Repeat until all mixture is used. Makes about 20 egg rolls.

   

7. Cook in deep-fat fryer at 375°F. until golden brown. Note: Carefully place egg rolls in the bottom of the basket and then lower the basket into the cooking oil.
8. The egg rolls can also be fried in a wok or fry pan - heat 1 to 2-inches of oil in a small fry pan until water droplet "skitters" across the surface. Cook a few egg rolls at a time so the cooking oil doesn't cool down too much. With experience you will find a "setting" of the burner that will maintain a good cooking temperature for the egg rolls but it is better to start off using a thermometer. Use tongs to place, turn and remove egg rolls in the frying pan. (I found a small round basket with a handle that just fits the small frying pan.) Cook until egg rolls are golden brown.
9. After cooking the egg rolls, place on a rack or paper towels to drain.

   

10. These egg rolls are wonderful hot with or without any type of dipping sauce. On some days it is a wonder that any of them make it from the kitchen to the table. On those rare occasions that there are left over egg rolls, they can be frozen. When thawed and warmed in a microwave oven, the wrapper is not crisp like when they were fresh but the flavor is still there.
11. Your own or a commercial sweet and sour sauce or a cocktail sauce with a dollop of Chinese hot mustard makes a nice dipping sauce for the egg rolls.

Traditional egg roll skins can be purchased in most supermarkets. Lumpia wrapper are a possible alternative. When all else fails, try filo dough which makes a interesting but satisfactory substitute.