Egg rolls

My mom found a Pinterest recipe for authentic egg rolls. We made them for the first time yesterday and couldn't believe how easy it was and how great they tasted! These egg rolls are the real deal.

You can add shrimp or pork, or make them vegetarian. You can also add different vegetables to your liking, such as bean sprouts or mushrooms.

Here is the recipe we used.

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 package of Cole slaw mix from grocery store
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp canola oil
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
1/3 lb ground pork
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Wonton wraps from grocery store, 20 count package
Canola oil for frying

Instructions:

Mince the garlic. In a skillet pan, add canola oil and garlic and cook on medium heat. Grate the ginger and add it to the pan. We used a food processor to shred the cole slaw mix more, so  that it was very finely chopped. After a few minutes of the garlic and ginger cooking, add the cole slaw mix into the pan.

Allow this to cook down for several minutes, stirring frequently. Now spread this mixture on to a baking sheet and let it cool. In the same pan you just used, cook your ground pork. We used a potato masher to mash the pork a bit so that it was in smaller pieces.

Take the baking sheet with your veggie mixture and tilt it to allow any liquid to drain out. Now add the cooked pork onto the baking sheet.

Lay out the wonton wraps. Mix the cornstarch and water to make a paste. One at a time, brush a bit of this paste onto all four edges of the wonton wraps. Angle the wrap so it is like a diamond shape with one corner towards you. In the bottom center of the wrap (as pictured) place a tablespoon of your veggie/pork mixture. Fold the wonton wraps tightly upwards until about half the wrap is rolled up, now fold in the two sides, and continue to roll.

Fry these in oil on the stove top for about two minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with some duck sauce or eat them as they are. Enjoy!

Rhubarb & Strawberry Bars

Hi readers!  I've been on a hiatus for a little while but I'm back with an awesome recipe full of fresh summertime flavors.  As you know, I love using fresh ingredients from the garden.  My parents have an area near their garden that's full of rhubarb.  I had never baked with it until today, but now I think I've found a new inspiration for summer desserts.  In a previous post, I showed you how to make homemade strawberry jam.  This recipe uses that homemade jam. If you don't want to make it, you can substitute store bought jam.

Here is my new favorite recipe for rhubarb and strawberry dessert bars:

Ingredients:

Base & topping crumble:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 sticks cold butter

Filling:

2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup strawberry jam

Instructions:

Cut the cold butter into small pats.  Add this with all of the ingredients for the crumble into a bowl.  Use a pastry cutter to mix it and cut up the butter into smaller pieces.  Measure out one cup of this mixture and set it aside.  Take the rest of it and press it firmly into the bottom of a square baking pan (greased first of course.). Bake this at 375 for twenty minutes.

Now, while that's baking, we will make the filling. Peel the rhubarb. Dice up the rhubarb into small chunks.  Add the flour and brown sugar to this.  Mix until coated.  Now add the lemon juice, vanilla, and strawberry jam.  Stir until well combined. Simmer this mixture on the stove top for about five minutes, just to soften up the rhubarb.

When the base of the bars has baked, take it out and spread the filling mixture evenly onto it. Bake this at 350 for about twenty five minutes. When done, take this out and sprinkle the remaining crumble on top (the cup that you set aside earlier.) Bake for about fifteen more minutes.

Let these cool for about an hour before cutting them into squares.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Pepper Rolls

I tried this recipe for the first time at Thanksgiving, and I've been making it pretty frequently since then. This is an easy one for cheesy roasted red pepper rolls. You only need five simple ingredients! And altogether this takes about 20 minutes, most of which is the baking time for the rolls.

*Yields 8 rolls*

Ingredients:

Pack of crescent rolls, store bought
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 jar of roasted red peppers, diced
1 tbsp. of grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

On a nonstick baking sheet, lay out the crescent rolls flat. Once the cream cheese is softened a bit, mix it with the shredded mozzarella. Place a spoonful of this onto each crescent roll. Now dice your roasted red peppers and add a spoonful of these to each roll as well. Roll up your filling into the crescent rolls. This gets a bit messy but as long as they're rolled up they'll taste great. Now, bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.

When they come out of the oven, sprinkle the grated Parmesan on top of the rolls while they are hot, so it sticks.

Serve up as a side dish or appetizer and enjoy!

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Hi blog readers! I'm back with a super easy recipe for chicken parmesan. It's made healthier by the fact that it's baked and not fried. This great recipe makes two servings. 

 

Ingredients:

2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
Olive oil
2 cups pasta of your choice
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450. Drizzle a nonstick pan with olive oil. Cut chicken breasts into thinner slices, to make about eight pieces total. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Coat chicken with breadcrumbs, covering all of it evenly. Place chicken on pan and bake for fifteen minutes. While that's baking, boil pasta and heat pasta sauce on the stove top. After fifteen minutes in the oven, take the chicken out and sprinkle mozzarella cheese onto it. Put back in the oven for five minutes.

Drain pasta, place in bowl with sauce over it and top with chicken. Add extra parmesan cheese on top of desired.

Enjoy this easy and healthy chicken parmesan!