Lee's Hot n' Sour Soup w/ Homemade Egg Rolls

As some of you know, I am not the only cook in my house. Lee, my girlfriend, is very good at it as well. One of her must-haves when we have Chinese is Hot n' Sour Soup. She has been saying for awhile how she wanted to make her own, which brings us to the next post. Delicious Hot n' Sour soup with homemade egg rolls! 

Hot n' Sour Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
• 1 cup chopped cooked chicken or pork (optional)
• 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup bamboo shoots, cut into thin strips
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 ounces firm tofu, well drained and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon chili paste
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablesppons cold water
• sliced green onions for garnish

Directions

Combine chicken broth, chicken/pork, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, venegar, soy sauce, chili paste, pepper and garlic in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 3-4 hours or on high 2-3 hours or until done.

Stir in tofu/ Combine cornstarch with water; mix well. Stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until thickend (about 10 minutes).

Garnish with sliced green onions.

Pork Egg Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 quart canola oil for frying
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 cups coleslaw mix
• 8 (7 inch square) egg roll wrappers

Directions

Season pork with ginger, garlic and garlic powder and mix thoroughly. Heat mixture in a medium skillet, stirring, until pork is cooked through. Set aside.

In another large skillet heat oil to about 375 degrees F. While oil is heating, combine flour and water in a bowl until they form a paste. In a separate bowl combine the cabbage, carrots and reserved pork mixture. Mix all together. 

Lay out one egg roll skin with a corner pointed toward you. Place about a 1/3 cup of the cabbage, carrot and pork mixture on egg roll paper and fold corner up over the mixture. Fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll. Brush a bit of the flour paste on the final corner to help seal the egg roll. 

Place egg rolls into heated oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels or rack. 

**A really interesting video on the history of American Chinese Food**