When you find you can’t somehow
Make it like all the rest
You won’t need to scrounge around for someone else
Torn between the unknown
And the place that you call home
And the life you want but have never known
“Looking for a Way Out” by Uncle Tupelo
I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for quite some time, it is dedicated to one of my students that graduated last month.
Last summer I taught summer school to make a little extra cash. Summer school for an alternative education teacher is pretty easy, it is only a month long and we only meet for four hours a day. The factor that made things a little difficult was that I started school three days after my son was born. I was really struggling to scrape my rear end out of bed and come to work with a decent attitude. The one person that kept me from shutting down and quitting was a special student named Alma. Alma was a four foot nothing Filipino girl that came to every day of summer school (which was rare). Not only was she there every day, she was there with a bright personality and warming smile. Nearly every day, Alma would entertain me by talking about the food of her culture, which she was very proud of (she moved from the Philippines when she was in grade school). The one thing that she always bragged about was how great her mom’s lumpia were.
For those of you who are not in the know, lumpia are Filipino egg rolls that are much heavier on the meat then on the vegetables and are served with a sweet chili sauce.
After bugging Alma all summer, she finally coughed up a recipe. Because her mother “eyeballed” her recipe, her recipe kind of guessed on some of the portions. Whether it was the exact recipe or not, I do not know. I do know if you use this recipe, you will not be disappointed.
Alma graduated in June and I’m sure will be on to bigger and better things. I know that every time I make this recipe I will remember her.
Adapted from Alma’s mom and http://www.allrecipes.com
Makes about 18 lumpia
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, rough chop
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onions, green parts only
1/2 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons soy sauce
18-24 lumpia wrappers or “Shang-Hai style” egg roll wrappers
Directions:
1. In large skillet, heat vegetable over high heat
2. Cook pork until its browned, set aside
3. Add onion, cook for about 3 minutes
4. Add garlic, cook for about 30 seconds
5. Stir in pork, carrots, green onions and cabbage
6. Add pepper, garlic powder and sauce soy, stir to combine and remove from heat, season with salt if necessary
7. Place two heaping tablespoons of filling in each wrapper and roll into very tight logs
8. Deep fry or pan fry in about ½ inch of oil until golden brown, serve hot with sweet chili sauce
