June 19, 2012

Chicken and Pepper Egg Rolls





Am I the only one that's noticed that chicken breasts have gotten incredibly large? I know I probably should be grossed out by this because it's so unnatural, but I'm not. I'm actually a little thankful for it. I secretly like that I get a lot of chicken for a good value. I do try to buy the best quality chicken that our budget allows; as close to "organic" and "local" as possible. Even still, these chickens are stacked! I ended up adapting this recipe for my family of 5 and I only used 1 large chicken breast to make 8 egg rolls and feed all of us, with leftovers. Crazy!!!!

As for this meal, I found this on a website that I often follow that has family-friendly, budget-friendly meals. The particular recipe collection that this was in touted "15 meals under $1.50 per serving". Score! This one was actually advertised at $1.35 per serving. Mine ended up being $.87 per serving, due to my frugal chicken usage! It was a perfect application for my unusually large chicken breast.

(NOTE: Our side dish was leftover broccoli slaw.)

Chicken and Pepper Egg Rolls
Adapted From: DisneyFamily.com

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
2 T sesame oil, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 large bell peppers (any color) cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2-4 tablespoons soy sauce (depending on taste)
1/2 cup water
2 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of dried, ground ginger
1 avocado, sliced
a few splashes of lemon and/or lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
8-12 egg roll wrappers
cooking spray

Directions:
Cut chicken into strips and season with garlic powder, ground ginger, salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Cook chicken strips just until no longer pink. Push to one side of pan.
Add pepper, garlic, and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add soy sauce, water, and sugar and stir well. Cook until most liquid has evaporated.

Remove from heat, toss with 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil and cool for 15 minutes. This is important; adding hot ingredients to the egg roll wrappers will cause them to break down and leak.

In the meantime, cut avocado and coat with a sprinkle of salt and a few splashes of lemon and/or lime juice (I use both). Set aside.

Once cooled, lay several strips of chicken, onion and peppers, and a slice or two of avocado in the center of an egg roll wrapper that has been laid on a surface with one point toward you. Fold the right point over and under the filling. Fold the top and bottom points down and roll from right to left, securing the left point with a touch of water.

Repeat with all wrappers and filling. Place each egg roll on a lined baking sheet and spray the tops of each roll with cooking spray. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. If egg rolls are not browned on top, flip on the broiler for 2-4 minutes to brown and crisp the rolls.

(I used the baked method for mine, but you can fry them as indicated below.)

ALTERNATE METHOD: Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry egg rolls, turning over once during cooking, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

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