Chicken and Crab Egg Rolls

Chicken and Crab Egg Rolls

1 1/2 pound chicken breasts or tenders

12-14 ounces crabmeat drained

1 1/2 cups finely shredded Napa or Chinese cabbage

1 large carrot, grated

4 green onions, sliced fine

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons dry sherry or rice wine

4 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Zest of 1 lime

1 package egg roll wrappers

Vegetable oil for frying

1. In a medium saucepan add water to fill about half way, and season with 1 teaspoon each of salt and sugar.  Add chicken, and poach until chicken is cooked through about 12-15 minutes.  Remove chicken, let cool slightly, and shred with a fork.
2. Combine shredded chicken, crabmeat, cabbage, carrot, green onion and cilantro in a large bowl.  In another bowl combine soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, sesame oil, sesame seeds and lime peel.  Pour sauce over chicken mixture, and stir to combine.
3. Working with one egg roll wrapper at a time.  Take an egg roll wrapper, and lay it down in front of you so it forms a diamond shape.  Place 1/4 cup of chicken mixture in center of wrapper.  Fold the bottom point of the egg roll wrapper until it almost reaches the top point, making sure it covers the chicken mixture.  Fold each side point over the center, so the points meet in the center.  Dip your finger tips into water, dab the edges of the egg roll wrapper with your wet fingers.  Bring the top point down to seal the egg roll.  Gently seal the egg roll with wet fingers ensuring  that no filling can come out of the wrapper, and that's it's wrapped up tightly.  This step takes some practice.

Add quarter cup filling to bottom half of wanton wrapper

Fold up bottom tip over all of the filling.

Fold side points toward the center of the egg roll, seal seams with wet fingertips

4. 

   Roll egg roll up tightly, seal all seams with wet fingertips.

   

   Small white bubbles should quickly form around egg rolls.

   When egg rolls have been wrapped, place seam down onto baking sheet.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  And, in a heavy 3 quart saucepan pour in vegetable oil, until it's about 3 inches deep.  Heat oil over medium high heat until 350-365 degrees.  If you don't have a thermometer to check the oil temp, you can carefully dip one end of the egg roll into the hot oil.  It it starts to bubble around the egg roll, then the oil is ready.  
5. Fry the egg rolls for 2-3 minutes per side, until the wrapper gets golden brown.  Remove egg rolls from hot oil, drain and keep warm in oven.

TO MAKE AHEAD:  Fry egg rolls, and let drain.  Let cool, and then freeze.  Reheat in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes before serving.  

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Breakfast Sandwiches

If you're normal, you LOVE McDonald's breakfast sandwiches.  But, did you know that you can make your own breakfast sandwiches at home??  And, did you know that breakfast sandwiches are freezer friendly?  SO, on a busy morning you can just pop a breakfast sandwich into the microwave and POOF, you have instant breakfast.  These sandwiches are very versatile, you can add your own stuff.  Add a sliced tomato, avocado, sauteed mushrooms, peppers or zucchini.  Sometimes, I add some blanched broccoli to a scrambled egg before adding it to the sandwich.  Also, add some tapatio, or salsa too! I love these grab and go sandwiches...I think I'll go grab one right now.

Breakfast Sandwiches

For 1 to eat right now:
English Muffin
Sausage, Bacon, or Canadian Bacon cooked
Sliced Cheese (I prefer a sharp Cheddar)
Egg
OPTIONAL: any other toppings you'd like!  See above for ideas!

Set oven to warm.  Carefully separate the English muffin into two halves.  Add sliced cheese and choice of breakfast meat to the English Muffin and make a sandwich.  Wrap sandwich with foil and place into warm oven.

Cook egg to your personal preference.  Scrambled eggs work well. OR, eggs over medium or hard work well too.  I DO NOT recommend over-easy eggs.  It's too messy.  The eggs should just ooze slightly when you bite into the sandwich, not explode over your hands, face and clothes.  When the eggs are cooked to your liking, remove foil wrapped sandwich from oven.  Unwrap, separate sandwich (the cheese should be all melty, gooey) add egg, make into a sandwich and enjoy!!

For 12 to save in the freezer:
English Muffins
Sausage, Bacon, or Canadian Bacon cooked
Sliced Cheese (I prefer a sharp Cheddar)
12 Eggs

Assemble sandwiches with meat and cheese.  Cook eggs to your preference.   Scrambled eggs and eggs over hard work best for make ahead freezer friendly sandwiches.  Add one egg to each breakfast sandwich.  LET COOL!  When cool, place into freezer friendly plastic bags, and place in freezer.

When ready to eat:  Remove from freezer, place into microwave for 2 minutes.  Let cool for 1 minute, enjoy!

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House Sausage Patties

If I had a choice between sausage and bacon, I would choose sausage.  And, when I find something I like, I want to make it myself.  This recipe is based off of a Martha Stewert recipe, but I found hers to be slightly mellow and sweet in flavor, also they didn't stay into nice round patties.  I changed the seasonings, and added some breadcrumbs.  These patties are great on their own, but I like to put them on a breakfast sandwich.

House Sausage Patties

1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (panko, or homemade)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tablespoon ground sage
3/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg white
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
OPTIONAL: pinch of red pepper flakes

1.  Combine all ingredients, except for the vegetable oil, in a large bowl.  U se a fork to mix ingredients until the spices are evenly distributed.  Chill bowl for approx. 15 minutes.
2.  With clean, cold hands (rinse in cold water), shape pork mixture into patties.  Add vegetable oil into a skillet, over medium-high heat.  When hot, fry patties until cooked through.

Serve and Enjoy!

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Spicy Bacon

This is the best bacon recipe I've every found. I always make it on Thanksgiving with pumpkin pancakes, but lately I've been making it for very special breakfasts. It's not THAT spicy, it has just enough spice that your tongue tingles a bit, and your mouth fills with warm heat and sticky sweetness. Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin. The secret to this recipe is THICK CUT bacon. Not all bacon is created equal. When you're buying bacon, get the good stuff. Make sure it's equal parts meat and fat, and see if it's the same size at each end of the strip. My personal favorite is the thick sliced Applewood Smoked bacon that is sold at Costco. Excuse med while I wipe the drool off my chin again. Out of all my breakfast parties, this dish has been consistently oohed and ahhed. So, if you need a wow'em breakfast dish, this is your recipe. And, the best part of this recipe, it pairs very well with a mimosa! OR, for the man in my life...he likes it as a garnish in a bloody mary. 

Spicy Bacon 

16 slices bacon, thick cut (see above)
1 cup light brown sugar 
1 tsp. black pepper 
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (use more if you'd like, just don't kill your taste buds...or your guests) 

 1. Preheat oven to 350, and prepare baking sheets. Take a rimmed baking sheet and line it with foil. Place a wire rack on top of foil lined baking sheet. Lay strips of bacon on top of wire rack and bake 10 minutes. Combine sugar and peppers. Flip bacon over, and bake another 10 minutes. 

 2. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of brown sugar pepper mixture along each strip of bacon. Use your fingertips to rub the mixture into the bacon. Place bacon into oven, bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven, flip bacon over, and sprinkle another teaspoon of brown sugar pepper mixture on back of each strip of bacon. Stick the bacon back into the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked and crispy, and the brown sugar pepper mixture has caramelized all over the bacon strips. 

 Serve and enjoy!

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Sprinkle Cookies

Not going to lie, I love Real Housewives of whatever...it's a guilty pleasure, I'm not proud of it. But, I love it.  There was an issue in the last episode involving "sprinkle cookies".... which is apparently very offensive to bring to someone's Christmas Eve party.  I don't get the drama, but I'm fascinated.  And, at the end of the episode I had a desire to make sprinkle cookies for my friends, who would never ever throw them away.  I liked this recipe because it's cakey and uses a lot of vanilla.  I would even recommend using a vanilla bean to make these cookies extra special.  These cookies have lots of names like, funfetti cookies, confetti cookies, or sprinkle cookies...but I like the name that Jett has given them, "Donut Cookies"

These cookies are basic, and festive.  You are limited by the types of sprinkles that you have in your pantry.  I suggest investing in some colored sprinkles so you can make these beautiful cookies for all occasions.

Sprinkle cookies

aka "Donut Cookies"

3 cups flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, 2 sticks at room temperature

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla, or 1 vanilla bean split seeds removed

2 eggs

1 cup sprinkles

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter, white sugar and vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds.  Beat until the butter and sugar is light and fluffy.  Gradually add the eggs on at a time, blending well after each addition and making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Gradually add the flour, blending well, making sure the dough has the same consistancy throughout.

Chill the dough for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Use un-rimmed baking sheets that are either non stick or lined with parchment paper.  Remove dough from fridge, and roll into one inch balls.  Roll each cookie dough ball into the sprinkles and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes.  Let cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Cheers!

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Lemon Burst Cookies

(Chocolate Crinkle cookies - chocolate) + Lemon = Lemon Burst Cookies!
They taste like a bite of sunshine, and are perfect on a Summer Day, with a cold iced tea.  No fake lemon crap.

Lemon Burst Cookies

3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
yellow food coloring (optional, I did not use)
powdered sugar


In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

In an electric mixer combine butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time making sure the eggs are completely mixed in with the butter.  Add vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Mix again until all wet ingredients are well combined, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.

Scoop the flour mixture into the butter-sugar-egg-lemon mixture, about a cup at a time.  Make sure the flour mixture is well mixed with the butter-sugar-egg-lemon mixture.  The cookie dough should have the same consistency throughout the entire batch.  Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in fridge for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Use un-rimmed baking sheets that are either non-stick or lined with parchment paper.

Put 1/2 cup of sugar into a shallow bowl.  Scoop out 1 tablespoon of cookie dough, and roll into a ball.  Then, roll the ball into the powdered sugar and place onto prepared cookie sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough and powdered sugar.

Bake for 12 minutes.  Let cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet, and then let cool completely on cookie cooling racks.
enjoy!

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Chocolate Chip Cookies for a Crowd

I once wrote an essay on Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I have no idea where it is now.  Chocolate chip cookies are just full of nostalgia.  They're simple.  They're sweet.  They're lovely.  And, I think that everyone has a chocolate chip story.  These are the cookies that are provided after soccer games.  These are the cookies that we pack up and give the neighbors.  These are midnight snacks, and munchies.  These are desserts in the kids lunch boxes, and they are what I bring to share at the park.

This recipe makes A LOT of cookies, like 6 dozen.  The dough will freeze, so if you're not ready to produce 60 cookies make them into cookie balls, and pop them in the freezer until ready to use.  I like options for variations in cookies.  
NOTE: This recipe can use milk, semi-sweet, or white chocolate chips.  Sometimes I see fancy chocolate chips that are chocolate mint or chocolate raspberry.  I've been known to make these cookies with those types of chocolate chips too.  Live on the edge, jazz up your cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 pound butter (four sticks) at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2 Tablespoons vanilla
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
3 cups chocolate chips + 1 cup more for garnish  (I prefer nestle semi-sweet morsels, see note above)
1-2 cups chopped nuts (I'm not a nutty person, but I've heard that walnuts taste good in cookies if you're in to that sort of thing)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Use non-stick baking sheets, or line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and a pinch of salt.

In an electric mixer beat butter and sugars together until very light and creamy.  Add eggs, one at time beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in vanilla.

Add flour to butter-sugar-egg mixture one scoop at a time making sure the flour is well incorporated.  Add 3 cups of chocolate chips and nuts if using.  Mix until the chips and nuts are evenly distributed throughout the entire dough.

Scoop out cookie dough 1 tablespoon at a time.  Roll into a ball, and place on to prepared cookie sheet. Use remaining cup of chocolate chips to add more chocolate chips to the top of the dough ball, I recommend 3 per cookie.

Bake for 12 minutes.  Let cool for 3 minutes on the rack and then place on a cookie cooling rack until completely cool.

enjoy!

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