Southwestern Flavor

Southwestern Egg Rolls with Avocado Ranch

(makes 48 mini rolls, or 24 regular rolls)

For the egg rolls:

2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1-15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (I mashed mine up a little bit to help it blend in)
1-9 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towel (There was a lot of spinach, I will cut this back next time, maybe by half)
2 cups shredded Mexican or Cheddar cheese
1-7oz can diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder (I used a little less)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I used a little less)
1 package of egg roll or wonton wrappers

 **I added approx a cup of finely shredded chicken breasts that I had sauteed with salt, pepper, and a little onion powder.  This really helped pull everything together! If you wanted to keep this meat free, you could also try rice.

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 425F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix together corn, beans, spinach, cheese, chiles, onions, cumin, chili powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and chicken. Using a small spoon, scoop a small amount of filling onto the wrapper. Starting at a corner, carefully start to roll the wrapper. When it’s slightly rolled, tuck in the two side and continue rolling to the last point. Wet your finger with water and dab a bit on the corner to seal the egg roll. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling, placing them slightly apart on the baking sheet.

Lightly spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes, flipping them at least once during baking. (It took at least 15 minutes on one side to start to crisp up so plan for a little extra time.  It might also help to put a cooling rack on the pan so that the egg rolls get heat on all sides.  I liked the low-fat aspect of baking, but these would be REALLY yummy deep fried!)

For avocado ranch:
3/8 cup mayonnaise
3/8 cup sour cream
3 Tbs buttermilk (I left this out because I didn't have any)
1/2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 green onion, chopped (I will substitute cilantro next time to add another layer of flavor)
1/4 tsp salt
1 avocado, peeled and pitted

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Use immediately. 

You could also add in chopped/chunks of avocado after you've blended or just serve it with mashed avocado. I really liked this dressing, but I will also try putting some slices of avocado into the egg rolls before cooking.