Cookin’ in Little Bear #1: Spring Rolls
After many requests, and an unfortunate amount of time on our hands, we are finally sharing some of the recipes to meals we cook on the road! These recipes will all be focused on things you can cook without electricity, or too many tools. We’re very excited to start this new series!
We will begin with a rather non-traditional “camping” dish: Spring Rolls! Mandy majored in Chinese during college, and in her time there she learned to make these spring rolls from her good friend, Candice. When Mandy asked her permission to share this recipe, she simply replied “of course, good food is meant to be shared”!
Candice & Mandy 2004
So in that spirit, please enjoy this video. For more details, see instructions and photos below! Happy eating!
Recipe: Spring Rolls
INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs. Ground pork
3-5 Stalks Green Onion
2 Heads Green Cabbage
5 Eggs
3 Large Carrots
Bean Sprouts (optional)
APPLIANCES:
Stove or campfire
SEASONINGS:
Garlic Powder
Rice Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Ginger
UTENSILS:
STEP 1: Season Ground Pork
In a bowl, mix the ground pork with 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp. pepper, sesame oil, 1 tsp. ginger. Season more or less to taste. Mix and set aside.
STEP 2: Chop Vegetables
Chop cabbage, shred carrots, and chop green onions into 1 cm. pieces.
STEP 3: Brown Ground Pork
In a very large pot, heat a little oil and brown the pork. When the pork is done, push to one side of the pot.
STEP 4: Add Eggs
Scramble eggs in the other side of the pot. Make sure eggs scramble into very small pieces.
STEP 5: Add Chopped Veggies
Add all vegetables into the pork/egg mixture. Let them cook down making sure to stir the mix to prevent burning.
STEP 6: Add more seasoning to taste
Add more of all seasonings to taste (soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, salt & pepper). Allow to cook down, and taste again.
STEP 7: Drain additional liquid
Drain away excess liquid from mixture. Discard, or save for future use!
STEP 8: Allow mixture to cool
Allow mixture to cool either in a refrigerator or cool area.
STEP 9: Separate Spring Roll Wrappers
While mixture is cooling, open your packs of wrappers. Separate the wrappers and place them on a plate in a rotational pattern they will be easy to pick up. (I was only able to find an Amazon link to 500 count. However you should be able to find these at your local Asian Market).
STEP 10: Prepare Egg Wash
Create a simple egg wash by beating together 1 egg and about 1 Tbsp. of water.
STEP 11: Roll the Rolls!
Place a heaping spoonful of filling into 1 wrapper. You will roll them diagonally as you would fold up a burrito. Make sure to wrap the roll tightly, allowing no holes for the filling to escape upon cooking. When you reach the final corner, brush on a small amount of egg wash to seal the roll shut.
*Set aside the rolls you will cook immediately. The rest, you can put in zip lock bags and freeze. I recommend using parchment paper so they don’t stick together.
STEP 12: Fry!
Deep fry in your preferred oil until golden brown. This should only take 3-5 minutes. If you are able to measure the oil temperature, it should be around 350 degrees. Place on paper towel to let excess oil drain away.
STEP 13: Dip & Enjoy!
Only one thing left to do… dip & enjoy! Be careful, because they will be HOT right out of the pan. I find these can be served as an appetizer to any meal, a great potluck item, or even just a meal in itself.
The most traditional dips for spring rolls would be a sweet chili sauce or peanut sauce. We also enjoy hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sriracha! (Also, I found this adorable sriracha set with a keychain that would be perfect for camping)!
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