Vegetable Eggrolls (for oven or air fyer)

Gung Hay Fat Choy, everyone! I hope the Year of the Rabbit greets and treats you all with gentleness and kindness. And also, good food that celebrates and nourishes with energizing wholesomeness.

I wasn't going to take a picture of these air-fried (or baked) egg rolls, but  having leftovers the next day  I decided on a whim that I had to have a record of their perfect size. You see, the ones I used to make were beloved enough between the three of us for us all to somehow overlook their gargantuan proportions. That is, until the day we served them to visiting family whose first impression was, "what are these?" They cleaned their plates quite happily, but their genuine bewilderment at they were being served ensured that theirs were the last monster eggrolls that came out of our kitchen.

These days, I lean on Nasoya vegan egg roll wraps, and they never steer me wrong. They're hardy and don't tear easily, yet at the same time feel light and crisp up perfectly--no waste, and great taste. I love loading up these beauties with whatever veggies are in the fridge. You can use the quantities in the recipe below, but if it’s easier and more fun, just throw in about 4 cups of whatever you want, shredded. You can't really go wrong! Extras are always handy for a stir-fry the next day.

Unfortunately, crisping this batch up again I got distracted by work emails, as you can see. A little burnt along the edges, they were still delicious one day old. Besides, perfection isn't a necessity for anything to be joyful or memorable, right? It had better not be, since ‘perfect’ doesn’t really exist without padding like ‘for me’.

To be honest, I haven’t been looking forward to bidding farewell to the Year of the Tiger. My birth date declares me a Wood Tiger, and I can’t help but feel attachment. Superstitions can function surprisingly similarly to placebos. Case in point, last lunar new year I was emboldened to put myself out there vying for potential new projects, and to my delight I got some! I could have given the kudos to myself, but no, I attributed them to the Tiger. This year, ‘ve decided to take more ownership. I will love you, swift Rabbit, but I will try to be less timid than the rabbits I know. Those of you who also struggle with this intention, let’s be brave together! Wishing you bold, beautifully quirky and memorably imperfect vibrance, friends. xo

These crispy rolls are healthy and easy!

Vegetable egg rolls

1 package Nasoya egg roll wraps
2 Teaspoons sesame oil (or just use water or cooking spray)
1 teaspoon grated or minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts, sliced
1 16-ounce package firm tofu, crumbled
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 zucchini, shredded
1 red bell pepper, shredded
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup low sodium tamari sauce

Saute ginger, garlic, and green onions in a large skillet for about 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (minus the wrappers), and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Roll the filling into wraps and air fry at 400 for 10 minutes, turning once, or bake (also at 400F) for 25 minutes, turning halfway.