Southwestern Egg Rolls

Since I mentioned Southwestern Egg Rolls yesterday, I thought I'd post the recipe in case the idea appeals to any of my readers. They are really tasty! Once you make the filling, it's a snap to make up the rolls themselves - and you can freeze some of the filling for later if you want to. This is a recipe I adapted from allrecipes.com. In my version below, I use less cheese because I don't like them super-cheesy, I use less oil, I double most ingredients to make more filling and save some for later, and I bake them rather than deep-frying them in oil.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup minced green onion
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
2/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I usually use a Mexican blend of pre-shredded cheese)
flour tortillas

Rub 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over chicken breasts. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook chicken approximately 5 minutes per side, until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat and set aside. (Alternatively, you can choose to boil the chicken, or even just use any leftover cooked chicken you have on hand.)

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in green onion and red pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until tender.

Dice (or shred) chicken and mix into the pan with onion and red pepper. Mix in corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until well-blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in cheese so that it melts.

Wrap tortillas with a clean, lightly moist cloth. Microwave until hot and pliable. Spoon even amounts of the mixture into each tortilla. Fold ends of tortillas, then roll tightly around mixture. Arrange in a medium dish or pan, seam down. Bake at 350 degrees until the tortillas are lightly browned and crisp. Slice each roll in half with a decorative diagonal cut, and serve with sour cream, salsa, or guacamole.


Voilà - they're almost exactly like the tasty ones you find at restaurants! But much healthier, since they aren't fried - and in my opinion they taste better baked anyway.