Olive Oil Croutons and Creamy Caesar Dressing

Olive oil croutons

Homemade croutons and salad dressings pack a flavor wallop and and are healthier than the store bought alternatives. I have been making croutons for some time. They are the "crouton of choice" of my kids, and they even like to eat them for a crunchy snack. I recently started making my own dressings which are more flavorful, less salty, and fresher tasting than the dressings available at the grocery store.

Two favorite recipes for our salads are Olive Oil Croutons and Creamy Caesar Dressing. Both can be made in minutes with ingredients you usually have on hand. The lemony and Parmesan laced dressing is mixed in a mason jar which allows me to shake up the ingredients and store the dressing in the same container. I make a big batch of croutons hoping that I'll have enough for a couple days.

Freshen up your salads with your own dressing and croutons. You'll never reach from the store bought brands again.

Olive Oil Croutons

1 loaf of French or Italian bread cut in 1-inch cubes
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, place the bread cubes and generously drizzle with olive oil. All the cubes should be covered evenly, but not saturated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the cubes are lightly browned. Watch carefully to insure the cubes do not burn.

Remove the croutons from the oven and allow to cool. Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days.




All the players

Creamy Caesar Dressing

4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon or spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
juice of half a lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

In a mason jar, add all the ingredients. Screw on lid and shake to combine. If the dressing seems too thick, add a little more olive oil and shake again. Dressing can be stored in refrigerator for about 1 week.

Garlic Roasted Chicken

A busy work week for me coupled with a traveling husband and a full plate of kid activities has caused my weeknight dinners to fall by the way side. I have relied on old favorites this past week, but I did manage a new dish last night when we were all home for dinner.

Garlic Roasted Chicken was a simple yet satisfying meal for a rainy night. I have been meaning to try similar recipes from a couple of my cookbooks including Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home and Everyday Food: Great Food Fast. I used chicken breasts on the bone with skin because they are more flavorful and juicy than boneless skinless chicken breasts. After minimal preparation for the Garlic Roasted Chicken, I worked on the rest of the meal while the chicken roasted. Accompaniments for the chicken included a saute of mushrooms, zucchini, onions, and red peppers (I cleaned out my vegetable drawer in the refrigerator), Crispy Parmesan Potatoes, and toasted ciabatta bread with the roasted garlic.

The whole family enjoyed our meal. Maybe it was because we actually got to sit down to dinner together. Eat dinner with your family this week. You'll like it.

Garlic Roasted Chicken

serves 4 or 5

4 bone-in, skin on, chicken breasts
olive oil
salt
pepper
2 heads of garlic, tops sliced off
toasted ciabatta bread

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a baking dish, place the garlic heads. Top with the chicken breasts that have been drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken for about 40 - 50 minutes basting occasionally with pan juices. The chicken should be browned and an instant read thermometer should read about 165 degrees when inserted in the thickest part of the meat.

Remove chicken and garlic from oven. Serve toasted ciabatta bread spread with the roasted garlic.

Note - I made a quick gravy because My Oldest would like all meals served with gravy. In a small sauce pan heated to medium high, add about 3 tablespoons of the pan juices from the chicken pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups of chicken stock and 1/2 cup milk and cook until thickened. Season with salt and lots of pepper.

Crustless Quiche Squares

Crustless Broccoli and Swiss Quiche Squares

Besides having a couple dinners in the refrigerator, I like to keep a few healthier breakfast items on hand. After indulging in chocolate chip bagels, Sugar Corn Pops, and those so-called cereal straws I was coerced into buying, I made Crustless Quiche Squares as a more nutritious alternative to my kids sugar-overloaded diet.

This recipe was adapted from one by The Frugal Gourmet - Jeff Smith. He was a television chef in the 1980s before it was in vogue. I did watch his show a few times, but mainly because it came on after Julia Childs' The French Chef. From my endless hours of viewing PBS cooking shows, I was probably the only fourth grader who knew what a pissaladierie was.

This dish can be assembled in about 10 minutes with an additional 30 minutes cooking time. Based on what you like in your quiche, you can change up the fillings you add. I liked this recipe because it did not have a crust (mine is usually soggy) like a traditional quiche, and the vegetables did not have to be sauteed before being stirred into the egg mixture. The finished quiche can be cut in nice neat squares for serving. Refrigerate any leftovers and reheat in the microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds.

Now let's see if No Thank You Boy will swap out his cinnamon swirl toast for a quiche square this morning.


Crustless Quiche Squares

makes about 16 (2-inch squares)

5 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese, small curd
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard or a squeeze of prepared mustard
2 cups of vegetables chopped, ham, cooked and crumbled bacon or sausage
1/2 cup grated cheese - cheddar, gruerye, swiss

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cottage cheese, butter, and mustard. Add the vegetables and/or meat and cheese and stir gently.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes or until the center is just set. Let cool slightly and cut into squares.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Fresh Fig Sauce

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Fresh Fig Sauce

I shop at a small family market that is nothing like your huge, chain grocery store. My store is about 15,000 square feet and includes a deli, sushi bar, seafood counter, flower market, fresh bread, dairy section, and lots and lots of produce. They stock many funky foodstuffs that I wouldn't be able to find at the local mega-grocery store. My store even has fish heads for sale. I'm not sure I want to cook with fish heads. But when I do, they've got them.

While wandering the aisles of my store, I spied a container of about 20 fresh figs for $1.99. $1.99? I can't find fresh figs at the local mega-grocery store let alone for only $1.99. I had no idea what I was going to cook with my figs, but I bought my figs.

Looking through all the recipes I save "To Make at a Future Date" I found one that included pork chops with a dried fig and balsamic sauce. I changed up the recipe a bit and made Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Fresh Fig Sauce. Two tenderloins were seasoned with salt, pepper, and sage and browned before roasting in the oven until the internal temperature reached 135 degrees. The sauce includes diced red onion, balsamic vinegar, chicken stock, butter, fresh thyme and my figs. We also had mashed potatoes made by My Oldest and Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts.

Rave reviews all around for this recipe. The sauce is flavorful, but not overpowering. The figs add a taste twist we don't usually have. The Husband commented, "This is different from the other pork tenderloin you make. I like it much better. The other one is too sweet." The "other one" is Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin. The kids love the maple glazed pork. I never knew The Husband thought it was too sweet because he always ate it. My Middle One who insists she does not like fruit on meat, loved this dish. She ate two servings.

Fresh figs do not have a shelf life. They are best eaten the day you purchase them. I had a few before dinner with blue cheese. I felt very cosmopolitan. When I see figs at my store, I will definitely be buying them again.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Fresh Fig Sauce

serves 5

2 pork tenderloins
olive oil
salt
pepper
dried sage
2 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup diced red onion
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
about 16 fresh figs, cut in wedges

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rub tenderloins with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and sage. Heat a large, ovenproof saute pan to medium high and drizzle with olive oil. Brown tenderloins on all sides. Roast tenderloins in the oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. Remove tenderloins from oven and tent with foil.

In the same pan that the tenderloins were browned, add 1 tablespoon butter and the red onion. Saute until softened and lightly browned, about 6 - 8 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and scrap up the bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce reduces by half, about 5 - 7 minutes. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, thyme and about 3/4 of the figs and heat the sauce just through.

To serve, slice the tenderloin into medallions and top with the sauce and a few of the reserved figs.

Note - The Husband said it tasted even better when he had it for leftovers the next night.

Blogging on The Martha Stewart Show

Martha! Martha! Martha!

Yesterday, I spent the morning as an audience member of The Martha Stewart Show. The audience was full of bloggers looking like geeks with their computers on their laps. Me included. Even Martha has a blog.

Here is the set of the show. It looks just like it does on television.

The taping of the show ran very smoothly. Each segment is planned out and filmed followed by wild audience clapping. It takes an army of people to put on a television show. Martha looks like she has a talented group of people running her show.

Here is Martha and her stage manager conferring between taping segments.

I was most interested in the segments that were about food. But I did find Perez Hilton quite amusing. He gave some tips on how to have a wildly successful, popular and money-making blog. He has people. People to help with advertising, writing, and gathering information. I am going out today to find those people for myself.

During the cooking segment, Matt over at mattbites.com made some tasty looking cookies. I really wish we got to taste the tasty looking cookies. Note to self. When Martha has me on her show, bring cookies for all the audience members.

The next few segments were on crafting with flea market finds, gardening, and politics. I found myself looking around the set at this point and wondering what they were making in the kitchen. They were getting ready to tape a segment on Hotdog Tasting which is airing on September 23rd. Martha was to taste about 27 different hotdogs (toppings included) from restaurants across New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

Here are a few of the hotdogs Martha tried.

I have a new found respect for Martha. She ate, and ate, and ate her way through all 27 hotdogs. She could be a real contender at the Coney Island Hotdog Eating Contest.

There is a job that I will be applying for on the set of the show. One person is in charge of the lint roller. This person's responsibility is to make sure there is no lint on Martha. I think I could handle that job.

I wish I had gotten a chance to be seen on television during the show. I was seated directly to the right of the audience members who had their brush with fame and were shown blogging away on their laptops. If it had not taken me 2 and 1/2 hours to drive to New York City (it usually takes about 1 and 1/2 hours) and had I not been the last person let in the door before it was closed behind me, I would have gotten a better be-on-tv type of seat. I can't complain, though. That was the back of my head you saw in the bottom left hand corner of your tv screen right after the last commercial break. Since you didn't see me, here is the sweater I wore. We were told to wear something bright and colorful, but not too busy. I thought Martha would approve of argyle. I saw about 5 other people in argyle sweaters. I guess I was not the only one with the idea.

After spending the morning with Martha and her people, it was back in my car and my life as mom and personal chef. Guess what we had for dinner last night? Leftover Grown Up Tuna Noodle Casserole. I wonder what Martha had for dinner last night?

Grown Up Tuna Noodle Casserole

While I was growing up, we would have tuna noodle casserole (TNC) only when my Dad was out of town on business. One of the main ingredients in the recipe was canned tuna. My Dad detested tuna in a can 35 years ago, and he still detests it to this day.

When I began making TNC for my own family, I realized why my Mom would make it for us. It was a hearty, inexpensive meal that could be whipped up in a matter of minutes. She even made us the fancy version with crushed potato chips on top. I liked TNC night when I was a little kid. But tonight, I felt it was time to update the recipe. Introducing Grown Up Tuna Noodle Casserole.

The sauce in the original recipe is basically a can of cream of mushroom soup mixed with some milk. My new recipe has a white wine-based sauce with loads of fresh mushrooms and onions. A handful of chopped parsley also brightens up the sauce. I kept some of the original ingredients - canned tuna (sorry Dad) and frozen peas. Some of the canned tunas are actually very good, and I like frozen peas.

My Oldest was overjoyed when I informed her we were having TNC for dinner tonight. "Put in lots and lots of peas, please," she said. It is the least I can do to make her happy. My Middle One and I also enjoyed the lightened up tasting version of TNC.

My Dad is coming for a visit next month. Maybe I can get him to try my Grown Up Tuna Noodle Casserole. And maybe I'll win the lottery.




Grown Up Tuna Noodle Casserole


serves 5

8 ounces of wide egg noodles, cooked and drained
3 tablespoons of butter
1 1/2 cups onion, diced
3 cups mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup clam juice
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup half and half
2 cups frozen peas
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans of albacore tuna packed in water, drained

Heat a large saute pan to medium high and melt the butter. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook for 8 - 10 minutes or until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Add the wine and cook until it is reduced by half.

Sprinkle the flour over the onion-mushroom mixture and stir to combine with a large spoon. Cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the clam juice and cook for 3 - 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in the milk and half and half. Cook for an additional 2 - 3 minutes. Add the peas and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently stir in the tuna.

In a large bowl, toss the tuna sauce with the noodles. Serve in shallow bowls sprinkled with a little more parsley.

Note - this dish can be made ahead and reheated at dinner time.

Clam Chowder with Fresh Thyme

Clam Chowder with Fresh Thyme

After a beautiful summer, we have be experiencing the after effects of the hurricane season in northern New Jersey. It has changed my way of cooking. Typical dinners have usually been on the grill. I have been thinking more about making chilies, pot pies, and big pots of soup.

First up was a stockpot full of Clam Chowder with Fresh Thyme. My Middle One frequently requests this soup along with Broccoli Cheddar. I don't want her to get a Jan Brady complex, so I made her one of her favorite soups with plenty leftover for the upcoming days.

This recipe calls for ingredients that you can keep on hand. Therefore, it is a soup that can be made when you can't think of anything else for dinner. No extra trip to the grocery store will be required. I use canned clams, but by all means you can substitute fresh ones for an even better chowder.

My Step mom always makes a pot of this soup when we visit the Jersey Shore. Kudos to her for the recipe.

Clam Chowder with Fresh Thyme


serves about 10

4 slices of bacon, diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 medium potatoes, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can of diced tomatoes
4 good dashes of Worcestershire sauce
4 cups of chicken stock or water
1 (8-ounce) bottle of clam juice
2 (10-ounce) cans whole baby clams
2 (8-ounce) cans chopped clams
3 tablespoons fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Add onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, and zucchini and cook for about 8 - 10 minutes. Add crushed and diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and clam juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the clams and their juices and thyme and just heat through. Adjust the seasonings.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Cookies

My Mom passed away about 16 years ago. She was a great mom. One of those moms that would do anything for you. She would always make french toast for breakfast. She would send my siblings and I off to school with lovingly made, brown paper bag lunches. Some were better than others. You knew it was close to grocery shopping day when you would pull out a cream cheese and jelly sandwich on stale raisin bread. Or one made of slices of American cheese and butter chunks. Sure she forgot to pick me up from basketball practice a few times, but who hasn't done that? How can anyone keep track of the schedules of 6 kids? Her kitchen counter always had a baked good of some sort albeit cookies, brownies, or Great Aunt Rose's Pound Cake to snack on after school.

What I regret most about my Mom not being with us today is that she never met my kids. I would have liked them to have been able to visit "MeMe," sit at her kitchen table and eat one of her baked goods while they chatted. The best I can do for my kids is make some of my Mom's favorite treats.

Every fall, you could count on a plate of Pumpkin Cookies at our house. My Mom got the recipe from a small gourmet shop in the town where I grew up. I am lucky enough to have her original recipe in my collection. Don't tell my sisters. They will want to steal it from me.


My Mom would write comments and notes on her recipes.

They must be good. Check out her comment.


My Notes - I follow my Mom's handwritten notes and bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. I also substitute the following frosting recipe.

Frosting for Pumpkin Cookies

4 tablespoons of butter, softened
3 cups of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
4 - 5 tablespoons of milk

Beat butter in a large bowl. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar slowly. Add the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of the milk. Add additional milk if the frosting is too thick to spread on the cookies. Make sure the cookies are completely cool before frosting.


My kids will be having a plate of Pumpkin Cookies as their snack today. Thanks for the recipe Mom.

Gorgonzola, Pecans, Apricots, and Honey in Endive

After a weekend that included watching No Thank You Boy play a football game during Tropical Storm Hannah and two softball games played by My Oldest and My Middle One, a relaxing dinner at home was on tap for us. I ran home between softball games today to get dinner going and make a quick appetizer. Gorgonzola, Pecans, Apricots, and Honey in Endive is both sweet and savory; two components that I particularly enjoy.

With all the ingredients on hand, this appetizer goes together in a few minutes. Stave off that pre-dinner hunger with this tasty tidbit.

Gorgonzola, Pecans, Apricots, and Honey in Endive

1 head of endive, separated into leaves
2 tablespoons Gorgonzola, crumbled
2 tablespoons pecans, chopped
2 dried apricots, diced
honey

Arrange the endive leaves on a plate. Divide the Gorgonzola, pecans, and apricots among the leaves. Place the ingredients on the bottom quarter of each leaf. Drizzle each leaf with honey. Can be refrigerated up to 6 hours before serving.

Macadamia Crusted Cod with Kiwi Nectarine Relish

With school back in session and sports activities in full swing, I have returned to planning our dinners in a more organized manner. Good bye summer. We seem to be eating more in shifts, maybe 1 or 2 family members at a time, which requires me to prep dinner earlier than I did during the lazy summer months.

Friday night's dinner was no exception. I had most of it prepared by 5 p.m. with just a few finishing touches needed to dinner time. My Oldest leaves for school at 6:30 in the morning and returns home at 5:30 p.m. after field hockey practice. If she forgets to pack a snack, she is rather cranky when she gets home to say the least. She gets that personality trait from me. I am always packing granola bars or an apple to avert a hunger-induced meltdown. She arrived home in typical famished fashion and was to leave to babysit in a half an hour. She was the first to try Macadamia Crusted Cod with Kiwi Nectarine Relish.

I found a similar recipe for the August 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine. The original recipe calls for mahi mahi which I couldn't find. I substituted the freshest fresh at my local market which happened to be cod. My usual preparation for cod it a fish fry; this recipe would be something new. Cod fillets were dipped in a coconut milk, soy sauce and hoisin mixture and then dipped in panko and finely chopped macadamia nuts. The fillets are quickly seared, crust side down, and flipped over and finished in the oven. The fish is topped with a kiwi and nectarine relish. I served it with a side of roasted asparagus and israeli couscous and mixed grains (note: white rice was available for My Middle One and No Thank You Boy).

As for my assessment of the recipe, I would highly recommend it. It is easy to prepare and prep ahead. I coated the fish with the topping and stored it in the frig until cooking time (about 10 minutes is needed to sear and cook the fish). The recipe is also adaptable to other fish types. It could easily use salmon, halibut, or tilapia. For my faithful readers, you will remember that I have a family full of salmon lovers. I was expanding their culinary horizons last night with a different fish. My Middle One commented, "This is really good, and I bet it would be even better with salmon." My Oldest ate first and I'm not sure if she even tasted it because she ate so quickly. She did say she liked it though. All except for the fruit relish. My family does not like fruit on any meat. I make it just for me.

The remaining 4 family members ate together a little later. We all enjoyed the meal with The Husband commenting that he would like to try this recipe with a different fish. Cod reminds him of a fish fry. Next time I may use cod for a couple other recipes we like including Cornmeal Crusted Fish Sticks and Beer Battered Fish and Shrimp.

I consider our dinner a success. Recipes that are adaptable to other preparations are some of my favorites.

Macadamia Crusted Cod with Kiwi Nectarine Relish

adapted from the August 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine

for relish
1 kiwi, diced
1/2 nectarine, diced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 of a yellow pepper, diced
2 tablespoons salted macadamia nuts, finely chopped

for fish
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup salted macadamia nuts, finely chopped
3/4 cup light coconut milk
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin
6 (6-ounce) cod, tilapia, or other firm white fish
olive oil

For the relish, combine ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

For the fish, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the panko and macadamia nuts in a shallow dish. Combine the coconut milk, soy sauce, and hoisin in another shallow dish. Dip the fish in the milk mixture and dredge one side in the panko mixture. Pat down the panko mixture to help it adhere to the fish.

Heat a large nonstick saute pan to medium high and add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Add the fish, crust side down, and cook for about 2 - 3 minutes. Watch it closely so the crust does not burn. Remove the fish to a baking sheet and bake for about 6 - 8 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through.

Serve fish topped with relish.

Grilled Greek Chicken

I've made this dinner twice in the past two weeks. That must mean it is pretty good. It is one of those meals that can be customized to the tastes of the diners.

No Thank You Boy and My Middle One eat the grilled marinated chicken all by it self with a side of steamed rice. Very adventurous. I don't think so. My Oldest tops her chicken with some of the tomato, cucumber, olive, and a good amount of feta. Lactose intolerant she is not. My Husband is a good eater. He eats a manly-sized helping of chicken with all the accouterments. I, on the other hand, eat more of the tomato, cucumber, olive and feta and less of the chicken. Watching my girly figure. Not.

This is one of those meals that can be prepared when you have a little extra time in your day. Marinate and grill the chicken, prepare the tomatoes and cucumbers, and crumble the feta. When dinner time rolls around, you'll be a star. Your family will love you even more than they already do. And you can enjoy a glass of wine with your extra time.

Grilled Greek Chicken

2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 large tomato, diced
2 kirby cucumbers, diced
1/2 cup black olives
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, ground mustard, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken in a resealable bag and add about 3/4 cup of the vinaigrette. Seal bag and marinate chicken for 1 hour up to 4 hours.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Remove the chicken from the vinaigrette and grill for about 5 - 6 minutes per side for the boneless breasts and 3 - 4 minutes per side for the tenderloins. Remove from grill/pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

In a small bowl combine the tomato and cucumber and add the remaining 1/4 cup of vinaigrette.

To serve, top grilled chicken with the tomato-cucumber mixture, a few olives, and some of the crumbled feta.

Better Than Take Out Egg Rolls

With our summer vacation winding down, I planned a causal dinner on the deck for tonight. Chipolte Crabby Patties with Sweet and Sour Slaw and Better Than Take Out Egg Rolls. I threw in some fruit salad for good measures. It is a weird combination of foods, but it worked for us. I knew I would be frying up the Crabby Patties, so the addition of the frying of Egg Rolls was no problem.

I hesitated making Egg Rolls in the past because I thought they would be too much work. I was wrong. They went together in a snap. They were similar to preparing a stir fry. And they fry up in less than 2 minutes. No joke. The filling smelled so good that No Thank You Boy was eating it before it made it into the Egg Rolls. I paired it with a sweet and vinegary dipping sauce and some purchased plum sauce. As I fried the Egg Rolls, I kept the finished ones warm in a 200 degree oven.

The Family gave thumbs up all around for the chicken and vegetable filled Egg Rolls. The exterior was nicely browned and crispy. We liked that they had larger chunks of chicken than the typical Chinese take out ones. The fresh vegetables also made a huge difference in the taste. My Middle One ate two and decided she would have half of one more. Before she realized the first half was gone, she was finishing the last bite of the second half. I'll take that she enjoyed them.

The Egg Rolls would also make great appetizers. They can be made ahead and then reheated before serving.

I'll never go back to the take out egg rolls again. Well, I'll never say never, but certainly not as often.


Better Than Take Out Egg Rolls

makes 10 - 12

peanut oil
1/2 pound boneless chicken breasts, diced in very small pieces
2 teaspoons ginger root, grated
1 bag (16-ounces) shredded cole slaw mix
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup snow pea pods, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
10 - 12 egg roll wrappers, I use Nasoya Egg Roll Wraps
canola oil for frying

Heat a large saute to high. Add peanut oil. Add chicken and ginger root and saute until almost cooked through. Add shredded cole slaw mix, scallions, and snow pea pods. Saute for about 4 - 5 minutes or until the cabbage begins to wilt. Remove from heat and add the oyster sauce and stir to combine. Let mixture cool.

On a flat surface, place one of the egg roll wrappers with a corner pointing toward you. It should look like a diamond shape. Place about 3 heaping tablespoons of the filling horizontally across the center of the wrapper. Fold bottom corner over the filling and roll half way to cover filling. Fold both sides snugly against filling and moisten top corner with water. Roll over flap to seal. Lay flap-side down until ready to cook.

Heat a large saute pan to high and fill with about an inch of canola oil. When the oil reaches 350 degrees, carefully add a few Egg Rolls. Fry until golden, about a minute or two. Turn once to brown on other side. Drain on paper towels.

Serve warm with Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce or purchased plum sauce.

Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with Egg Rolls.