Southwestern Egg Rolls w/ Cilantro Cream Dip

I made these on Tuesday night for a Halloween party we went to. They were a hit! I'll be honest - they were easy, but there is a lot of preparation work involved. Worth every bit of effort as far as I'm concerned...

These recipes came from one of my favorite websites, allrecipes.com. I jazzed up the egg rolls a bit, and my changes are the "or"'s.

Southwestern Egg Rolls
5 Servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
• 2 tablespoons minced green onion
• 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers OR 1 small can of diced green chiles
  
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley OR 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese OR Taco flavored shredded cheese
  
• 5 (6 inch) flour tortillas (I used the raw tortillas found with the Mexican cheeses and cream cheese at Walmart. They are very easy to roll. It's like using a egg roll wrapper.)
  
• 1 quart oil for deep frying

DIRECTIONS

1. Rub 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over chicken breast. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook chicken approximately 5 minutes per side, until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in green onion and red pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until tender.
3. Dice chicken and mix into the pan with onion and red pepper. Mix in corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno or chile peppers, parsley or cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in cheese so that it melts.
4. Wrap tortillas with a clean, lightly moist cloth. Microwave on high approximately 1 minute, or until hot and pliable. **Not necessary if you are using the raw tortillas.
   
5. Spoon even amounts of the mixture into each tortilla. Fold ends of tortillas, then roll tightly around mixture. Secure with toothpicks.
   
6. In a large, deep skillet, heat oil for deep frying to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep fry tortillas until dark golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Serve with Cilantro Cream Dip (below).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 (7 ounce) can tomatillo salsa
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, pepper, celery salt, cumin, garlic powder, cilantro and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Place in a serving bowl.