A Saturday Night Treat

Thought I would share my Spring Roll Recipe, since it is our "nice" meal for Lent. Since wine and oil are permitted on Saturday and Sunday, I try to make these spring rolls most Saturdays during Lent. The kids like them, and they are nice enough to serve company (not that we ever have any :) The original recipe I copied long ago (14 years ago to be precise) from a cooking magazine I ran across at someone's house. The recipe has evolved over the years so that it is much changed from that original, and has become my own favorite Lenten meal.

1 head "purple"cabbage (in my house we call a purple cabbage a purple cabbage - none of that silly "red cabbage" nonsense! - same goes for redbud trees - 'round here they are "purplebuds")
1 zucchini
1 bunch green onions
1 small package sliced almonds
1 red bell pepper
sno peas
shrimp - I like to use the frozen precooked - just thaw and remove the tails
1 package phyllo dough - thawed
cooking sherry
olive oil
cornstarch
soy sauce
fresh ginger root
sugar

1. Chop all of the vegetables up and combine in a large bowl. Slice the shrimp into bite-sized chunks and add to vegetable mixture.

2. In a small saucepan on the stove - combine about 1/2 c sherry, 3-4 T soy sauce, 2T sugar, about 1-2 t fresh grated ginger root (I grate it straight into the pan, so you can sort of go by taste on this) and 1-2 t cornstarch (I start with 1 t, then add more if the sauce is not thick enough). Boil this mixture until it creates a thick sauce, then remove from heat and pour over the vegetable/shrimp mixture.

3. Using a 50/50 mixture of water and olive oil, brush a sheet of phyllo, the add a generous scoop of the vegetable mixture. Roll the spring rolls "envelope" style - over once, then fold sides in, then continue rolling. Place on a baking sheet that has been brushed with the oil/water mixture, then brush each roll with the oil/water. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 5-8 minutes. Watch them carefully, the phyllo can burn quickly. Basically you are just heating them - since the shrimp is already cooked. (I used to make them with raw shrimp, and the phyllo always burned before the shrimp was cooked through, so that is why I switched to the precooked shrimp).

Serve with fried rice and sweet and sour sauce (mix vinegar and your favorite jelly to make a quick and wonderful sweet and sour sauce).