I am not good at wrapping gifts. My corners get scrunched up, sometimes the paper tears, and this year, I kept cutting pieces of wrapping paper too small and having to tape other pieces over  the box to cover the holes. Yes, it's a bit of a disaster. Thankfully, when all of the gifts are sprawled under the tree, no one  knows about any of the wrapping mishaps. All they can see are some prettily coordinated packages and the paper is ripped off before anyone notices the adjunct pieces of wrapping paper or the haphazard pieces of tape!

Making these egg rolls was a lot like wrapping presents. I was embarrassed at the state that some of my egg rolls were in after I'd rolled them. Some were oddly pudgy, others had funny edges pointing out, and none looked quite like they belonged in a Chinese restaurant. Granted, these are Southwestern egg rolls, so you won't find them in a Chinese restaurant anyways! Much like the presents, once pulled out of the oven and placed on a tray, the egg rolls suddenly looked okay. And once I bit into one, all memories of rolling difficulties were forgotten.

These make a great appetizer, especially when you're looking for something more substantial than cheese and crackers. Don't limit them to parties though, I plan to make these again for dinner sometime! I also want to experiment with other fillings. I think a more traditional egg roll filling would be good, as would roasted vegetables and goat cheese, or perhaps chicken, brie, and apricot jam!


One Year Ago: No-Bake Granola Bars


Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls
from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
-2 cups frozen corn, thawed
-1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
-1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
-2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
-1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, drained
-4 green onions, chopped
-1 tsp. ground cumin
-1/2 tsp. chili powder
-1 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. pepper
-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
-1 package egg roll wrappers (mine had 20 wrappers in it)

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients except the egg roll wrappers in a large bowl. Mix with a spoon to combine everything well.
2. On a flat work surface, lay one egg roll wrapper with one of the corners facing you. Place 1/4 cup of filling in the center of the wrapper.
3. Fold the corner closest to you up over the filling. Continue to roll away from you, pulling in the corners on the two sides and folding them in toward the center.
4. Keep rolling into a cylindrical shape until a small part of the remaining corner (farthest away from you) is free. Press the corner into the egg roll and, with your finger dipped in a bit of water, press the corner to seal the egg roll.
5. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers. (You may have some filling leftover) Place all egg rolls seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, or until lightly brown, turning halfway through baking.
6. Serve warm with salsa and sour cream. (Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave)