Lumpiang Shanghai (Filipino Spring Rolls filled with Pork)

This delicious Lumpia (Filipino Spring Rolls) recipe was found over at Rasa Malaysia

Ingredients:

1 package Lumpia wrappers (25 sheets); Chinese or Vietnamese spring roll wrappers meant for frying can be substituted.
2 pounds ground pork
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Using a serrated knife, cut the square lumpia wrappers in half so that you have two stacks of rectangular wrappers. Place a damp paper towel over the wrappers to keep them from drying out as you work.

Combine the pork, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, eggs, and black pepper in a large bowl. Using your hands, or a rubber spatula, mix the filling well so that the seasonings are evenly distributed.

Place one of the rectangular wrappers vertically on your work surface with the short edge facing you. Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling on the wrapper about half an inch from the edge closest to you. Grasp the bottom edge of the wrapper and roll it up and over the filling, continuing to roll until 2 inches of wrapper remain.

Dip two fingers into a bowl of water, then moisten the last 2 inches of wrapper with your fingers. Finish rolling the lumpia, then rest it on its seam. Continue rolling with the rest of the filling and lumpia wrappers.

At this point, you can freeze your rolled lumpia if you wish by placing them in freezer bags and then into your freezer.

To cook the lumpia, fill a large frying pan with about 1/2-inch of vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Gently place the lumpia into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes total (if frying frozen lumpia, it will take 1 to 2 minutes longer).

Place the fried lumpia on paper towels and serve immediately with sweet and sour sauce (bottled from the store is fine).

Note: You can also add finely minced raw shrimp to the pork mixture if you’d like. Also, instead of ground pork, you can use ground beef, or even ground turkey if you’re watching your girlish figure.

Makes about 50 lumpia/spring rolls

Wonton Soup

Johannes makes so many delicious dishes and I have been blessed to have tried several of them.  This is his go-to soup recipe for those evenings when he wants something warm and satisfying.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch green onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, divided
• 6 fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (16 ounce) package wonton wrappers
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 16 uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
• 1 medium head bok choy, torn into 2-inch pieces
• 16 snow peas
• 1 dash soy sauce, or to taste (optional)
• 1 dash sesame oil, to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Dice the green onions, and set aside all but 1 tablespoon. Slice the mushrooms, and set aside all but 1 tablespoon. Finely chop the 1 tablespoon of green onions and 1 tablespoon of sliced mushrooms, and place in a bowl with the ground pork, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, egg, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Stir to thoroughly mix the pork filling.
2. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the pork filling onto the center of each wonton wrapper. Use your finger or a pastry brush to lightly moisten the edges of the wonton wrappers with water. Fold one corner of the wrapper over the filling onto the opposite corner to form a triangle. Press the edges together to seal. Moisten the two long ends of the triangle, fold them together, and press them firmly to seal.
3. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Drop the wontons, one by one, into the broth, and let them cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until they float to the surface. Reduce heat to a simmer, and gently stir in the shrimp, bok choy, and reserved sliced mushrooms. Let the soup simmer 2 more minutes, until the shrimp turn pink, and then drop in the snow pea pods. Garnish with the remaining green onions and a dash of soy sauce and sesame oil, and serve immediately.

Serves 8.