In honor of Mother's Day

I would like to write this blog to honor my mom, Josefina, on Mother's Day.  Although she probably won't be able to read this, because she's not a blogger, nor internet savvy.

I just thought to share a little something of what my mom has taught me growing up. So it was the other night while I was preparing dinner for my family, I remembered that I learned that particular dish from my mom. She's a very good cook, of course. And I have learned from her cooking from not only enjoying in eating her dishes, but because she was always asking me to help her prepare the ingredients. Even through that children learn from being around their parents. I wouldn't have thought of that back then, but now that I'm a parent I so believe it.

So  with that said I would like to share a recipe that I've learned to make because of my mom, but with a little twist of my own recipe. Here is the filipino style egg roll, the healthy way:

Ingredients:
1 bag of Wrapper - I use Menlo
1.5 lb Ground Turkey (Foster farms), this is my twist to the recipe (usually cooked with pork or beef)
1 bag of bean sprouts
two squares of firm tofu
1 cup carrots (slithered)
2 cups of cabbage
5 cloves garlic minced
1 tblsp of fish sauce
1 tblsp of soy sauce
2 tblsp of oyster sauce

note: Actually you can add other vegetables of your choice. For instance, green peas, corn, garbanzo beans. And lastly, my measurements are really my "guess-timate". If you've been cooking for awhile you probably have your style of measurement. For those who is following exactly my recipe. Those are what I believe I have added to my dish.

Instruction:
I use a large wok to cook the whole thing. Starting off with a swirl or two of oil, preferably olive oil. Saute garlic, add the ground turkey, add the two sauce. Let it simmer until the meat is cooked. Then add all the vegetables and the oyster sauce. Keep stirring and tossing the whole thing until vegetables are cooked it. It will eventually create a liquified sauce because of the vegetable and meet cooked together. Once completely cooked (give it a good 15 to 20 minutes for the cooking time), let it cool. You can't start wrapping until your filling is cool. It helps. (Note: notice that I didn't mention to add salt and pepper, because depending on how much sauce I add sometimes it's enough to taste. But it's totally up to you to add salt and pepper to your cooking)

Wrapping instruction:
This is when the thought of mom comes in. I remember sitting with her at the table where the two of us wrapping her sauteed ingredients into a egg roll.
Make sure that the Menlo wrapper (or it could be any wrapper you find at Ranch 99 Market) is thawed before wrapping.
Prepare your work table where the filling is close and easy access. Get your plates or any clean and flat surface ready to go for wrapping, and containers to store your egg roll. I use a freezer bag and wax paper for more than two layers. It keeps the wrappers from sticking together. Laslty, you need a bowl of water to seal the wrapper at the end.

This how to wrap it! ( I tried googling a post about it, and I couldn't find one. It looks like I have to tell my way of wrapping)

1. The wrapper is a square shape, face the wrapper where it looks like a diamond shape.
2. Then add your filling at the lower corner pointing to you
3. Start to wrap beginning at the corner pointing to you (where the filling is closest to), then roll at least twice.
4. When stop almost half way, fold the two side corners to lock the ends
5. Then keep rolling until at the end, dip a finger in the water bowl, wipe on the end of the wrapper, then close.

I'm not a professional chef, I just like to cook. Sometimes I follow people's recipe (especially my mom's), and sometimes I innovate the recipe I've learned from the past. Most of all I like to share it on my blog especially when it's healthy. Lastly, I rarely hear Lumpia/egg rolls being cooked with ground turkey among the filipinos, I thought I should share that it's so good to make these dishes with ground turkey.  Don't be scared to use ground turkey!