Game Day Substitution

With all of the challenges the year 2020 has brought so came along some great opportunities for growth and introspection. With that, my partner and I tried to take every opportunity to improve my prowess in the kitchen (which is severely lacking) as often as we could. Often experimenting with the meals we made as she tried to introduce me to entrees customary of her Filipino culture. Dishes like sinigang, pinakbet, chicken and pork adobo, lumpia, sisig (which pairs nicely with a cold one), and a new favorite of mine lomi.

If 2020 wasn't already filled with enough surprises this year, my girlfriend decided she actually wanted to learn about football. Who would've thought?

Usually for a day like the Super Bowl she would indulge me on my Americanized food preferences and we'd have a smorgasbord for two full of the classic stars. Buffalo wings, pizza, hot links off the grill and I make a mean Italian sausage rotel dip. With her newly found interest, we decided to make a delicious substitution that was a bit more familiar to what she was accustomed to for our Super Bowl festivities this year.

Homemade Lumpia!

To the untrained eye this dish looks just like traditional egg rolls. What I love about this dish is how simple it is to make and how much variety that can be added each time you make it. It's also great for bringing the whole family together for everyone to play a part in bringing the dish to life.

I have made this great party snack a handful of times and started off at a pro level, if I do say so myself. With these simple instructions, so can you.

Now as I stated, the brilliance of this dish is how many ways you can remix it to fit you and your families taste. For our household we use ground beef or ground pork (ground pork being the more traditional option) but ground turkey can also be substituted for a healthier option. Mixed with garlic, onions, carrots, green cabbage and added soy sauce, salt and pepper for flavor.

Here is a simple recipe I followed when starting off that can be easily varied upon:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium yellow onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium carrot, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1 lb ground pork

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 ½ cups canola oil, for frying

25 lumpia wrappers

Preparation consists of:

To make the feeling, heat the oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat.

Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and carrot. Cook for 4 minutes, or until the onion is slightly translucent.

Add the ground beef or pork and cook for about 6 minutes, or until cooked through.

Add the salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Stir for 2 minutes, you can add a mix of minced green onion and cilantro (if that interests you) then remove the pan from the heat and let cool.

Heat about an inch (2 cm) of canola oil in a deep, medium frying pan until it reaches 300°F (150°C).

Lay out one lumpia wrapper in a diamond shape and add filling amount of your desire at the bottom of the wrapper, be careful to leave about an inch and a half empty to give yourself space to roll.

Fold the bottom point over the filling, then fold in the edges to create an envelope shape. Roll the wrapper toward the top point. Brush the top point with a bit of water and finish the roll to seal the end. Some like to use a beaten egg as a sealant but a splash of water will do the trick.

Carefully place four to five lumpia at a time in the hot oil. Frying on each side for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Note: If the lumpia are cooking too fast or burning, reduce the heat.

Remove the lumpia from the oil and drain on a wire rack or paper towels.

They can even be made in an Air Fryer but they may not necessarily have the same look as if cooked in the oil.

If I'm in one of those drown myself in food moods, I'll fill up some rolls with just meat and cheese but a better person than me would probably opt for a vegetarian style instead.

Serve with sweet chili dipping sauce and enjoy! Though, my girlfriend likes to do a homemade garlic vinegar sauce.