Fun with Egg Roll Wrappers: How to Make Edible Salad Bowls, Flatbread Crackers and Garnishes

Have you ever been served salad in an edible bowl? They look fancy and difficult, but truth is that they are a total snap to prepare.

All you need (besides egg roll wrappers) is some non-stick foil, a baking sheet, cooking spray and a hot oven. You can make miniature cups, too,  with won ton wrappers and mini muffin cups.

To make the salad bowls, you need to spray the wrapper with cooking spray and then lay it over your form.

An ideal form is an upside down foil bulkeleh pan (giant muffin cup). You can also make your own form using heavy duty non stick foil: take an upside down bowl or custard cup and cover it with heavy duty non stick foil. Gently lift off the foil, which should now be in the shape of the upside down bowl.

Place the foil form on a baking sheet. Take a egg roll wrapper and spray both sides with cooking spray. Drape it over the form, gently smoothing it into a bowl shape.

You can bake the wrapper as is (375 degrees, 8-10 minutes, or until golden).

Or you can sprinkle some seasoning over the wrapper before baking it. Coarse salt and cracked pepper is the simplest seasoning. Another option is a mix of onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, caraway seeds and a touch of cumin seeds. This mix will give the bowls a taste like flat bread crackers.

You can also bake the seasoned egg roll wrappers flat to make homemade crackers. If you want to make sure that the seeds stick really well, brush the egg roll wrappers with egg white (or a whole egg, beaten) before sprinkling on the seasoning mix. Cut the egg roll wrappers into rectangles or cut them using cookie cutters into interesting shapes.

If you like, you can go sweet instead of savory by sprinkling over cinnamon sugar. A lattice of egg roll strips, brushed with egg and dusted with cinnamon sugar makes a pretty and low calorie garnish for a fruit dessert.

You can make a different garnish by wrapping strips around mini cannoli tubes (or round wooden clothespins wrapped in non stick foil). You get cute spirals this way.

Tags: edible salad bowls, egg roll salad bowl, egg rolls wrappers, everything flatbread crackers, flatbread