J's Gastronomy: Baked Southwest Egg Rolls

If you're like me, you can make a meal out of finger foods. Several popular restaurant chains offer versions of Tex-Mex Egg Rolls, but they're loaded with fat and calories. A serving of three rolls at one big restaurant chain costs you 810 calories and 51 grams of fat. That's almost half a day's caloric intake let alone a starter before the meal.

Several websites have posted versions of this same theme, a lighter, baked version of the traditional restaurant Tex-Mex roll. I've tried more than a few of these recipes, and they're all so boring! I want something that surprises me by how much flavor it has with just enough heat at the end, not something that tastes like beans and corn wrapped up in dough. After an afternoon well spent perusing my favorite spices, I finally cracked it. I served this for my family and received rave reviews from my brothers-in-law, sisters, nieces, and even my uber-picky mother who swears she hates anything spicy and turns her nose up at the idea of eating cilantro. And the best part, this baked version weighs in at 320 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving. With that calorie savings, you can enjoy this guilt-free with a side of guacamole and salsa.

When I make this at home, I like to use Penzeys Salsa Salad Seasoning because it has a good blend of spices ready to go. You can easily substitute taco or fajita seasoning, or your own favorite blend of Southwest spices instead. Theoretically this can be made vegan by omitting the cheese, but I cannot comment on the availability of vegan egg roll wrappers. If you're vegan and feeling adventurous, I might try this using small flour tortillas instead, and increase the baking time to improve crispness. Let me know if that works. Enjoy!

Baked Southwest Egg Rolls, Serves 6

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 can tomatoes with diced chilies, drained of excess liquid

3 oz shredded reduced fat pepper jack cheese

1 small handful cilantro, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 jalapeno, minced, optional

1 T. Penzeys Salsa Salad Seasoning

12 egg roll wrappers

Stir together all filling ingredients. Drop 1/4 cup of filling onto an egg roll wrapper; arrange into a rectangle and roll tightly. Tip: some liquid may accumulate as you go. To avoid a gooey mess, let any excess liquid drain from the filling before placing it onto the egg roll wrapper. This will maximize crunchiness. Place rolls onto a nonstick baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown, flip halfway through baking.

Rolling Egg Rolls Photo Tutorial