Ever since we moved to California, I've been eying these Southwestern Egg Rolls on All Recipes. You see, in Virginia, there is a small chain restaurant, Sweetwater Tavern, that serves to-die-for Tex Mex Eggrolls. These were a must-have item for every visit. What better opportunity to try replicating them than when guests are over?
I served the egg rolls with a Cilantro Cream Sauce. An avocado dipping sauce would taste wonderful with these egg rolls too. I also served chips, salsa, and guacamole on the side.
Alas, I'm missing pictures of these delicious eats, but will be sure to update this post when I make them again.
Since I served chicken with dinner, I left it out of the egg rolls which made them vegetarian...
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup minced onion
1/3 cup red bell pepper
1 cup unsalted canned corn kernels
3/4 cup low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained OR fresh spinach, trimmed and chopped
1/3 cup diced jalapeño peppers*
1.5 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1.5 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 pinches cayenne pepper*
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1-2 packages of egg roll wrappers (depends on how much filling you add to each wrapper)
1/4 cup water
*These ingredient amounts will vary depending on your spicy-heat tolerance. I make my chili powder a little spicy, so one jalapeño was perfect for us. Also, you can use the pepper membrane and/or seeds to add more spice. Be sure to use gloves when working with spicy peppers!
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
1. Rub 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over chicken breasts. In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook chicken until no longer pink, and juices run clear. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Stir in minced onion and red pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender.
3. Dice chicken and mix into the onion and red pepper. Mix in remaining ingredients except cheese. Cook and stir 5 minutes until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in Monterey Jack cheese until melted.
4. Remove one egg roll wrapper at a time from package (to prevent the awaiting wrappers from drying out). Use a small amount of water on your fingers or a paint brush, and moisten each side of the wrapper. Spoon a small amount of filling into the wrapper, and roll like this:
6. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
I was able to squeeze 23 egg rolls out of the above filling.
