Mary's Very Authentic Egg Rolls

I don't know Mary, but someone does! So, if you want to hear the cool story behind this recipe, head over to Mel's Kitchen Cafe and have a read!

I was very excited to try these out because 1: I love Asian food, and 2: I am intimidated by it so I love recipes that are authentic, but easy to follow and execute with ingredients you can actually find!

A couple things: It says to not use egg roll wrappers, but I did, and we still thought they were delicious. I also did not use the vermicelli. I could not find it, and I didn't miss it either!

Also, when I was putting together the rolls I wasn't sure if I was supposed to cook the meat before frying or not, so I didn't. However, I did measure the temp of the meat after it was done frying, to make sure it was hot enough to be considered "fully cooked". So, you are safe, you do not have to cook the meat beforehand, but you can if you want.

So, even with my changes, these were awesome! It made a lot of filling, so I just threw the filling in a freezer bag for later. If you want you can also make all the egg rolls, fry them, then freeze the ones you do not eat. From there you can reheat in the oven or microwave.

Mary's Very Authentic Egg Rolls
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe 

This recipe will make 50-100 egg rolls, you can half the recipe and even then freeze what you don't use. 

Filling:
2 packages vermicelli (or Muong Bean Thread noodles) noodles (6 ounces total)
2-3 pounds meat (I use a combination of ground pork and ground turkey)
1 head of cabbage, shredded finely (or use 1 10-ounce package of pre-cut cabbage)
4 whole eggs
3 egg whites (save the egg yolks for sealing the egg rolls)
1/2 pound carrots, shredded finely (or use the 10-ounce bag of shredded matchstick carrots)
2 onions, finely chopped

Sauce:
3 tablespoons salt
8-10 tablespoons oyster sauce
4-5 tablespoons black soy sauce ( I just use normal soy sauce)
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fish sauce

Put the vermicelli noodles in a large bowl and pour hot water over noodles and let soak for 15-20 minutes (if using boiling water, soak for 10 minutes). Once soaked, drain very well and chop noodles up a bit into 2-3 inch pieces (not too short).
Mix all the filling ingredients (noodles, meat, cabbage, whole eggs, egg whites, carrots and onions) in a large bowl. Hand mixing works best. Then add the sauce ingredients.
Mix together.
Pull apart spring roll pastry wraps. Leave main stack of wraps covered with a damp towel while rolling egg rolls. Lay the wrap so it is a diagonal in front of you. Put a large spoonful of filling about an inch above the bottom diagonal. Fold up the bottom triangle and tuck under the filling then proceed to roll up the egg roll, folding in the sides and tucking them in. Moisten the top triangle with the remaining egg yolks and roll/press to seal.
Heat canola or vegetable oil (I always use canola oil) 1/3 full in pot. Heat the oil to about 375 degrees. Fry egg rolls until golden brown and cooked through. Constantly turn the egg rolls so they don’t overcook on one side. Drain on crumpled paper towels and serve with sweet chili sauce.

Chili

My husband often comes home from work bragging about some awesome lunch he had, or the great doughnuts someone brought in. Every once and a while he will rave about something he had that was actually homemade. I love this because I can have him get the recipe and then I can make it and share in his joy.  This is where the chili recipe comes in. My husband said it was hands down is favorite chili. I was super excited when I saw the recipe too, because it is easy AND you can control the heat (by the heat of the rotel and the green chili's), so you can make it as mild or as spicy as you want. 

 


Chilli

2 lbs. ground beef browned

1 large bell pepper diced

1/2 large white onion diced

Mrs. Dash original flavor

Salt 

Pepper

Chili powder

garlic salt

4 cans Bush's Chili beans

2 large cans S&W kidney beans

1 small can green chilli's

1 large can petite diced potatoes

1 can Rotel

Brown ground beef along with bell pepper and onion. Sprinkle pretty much equal amounts of seasonings over ground beef (don't completely cover the meat, just sprinkle over the surface), stir, taste the meat with seasonings and make any adjustments you feel necessary.  You want the meat to have a really good flavor before you add the other ingredients. Add all of the canned ingredients along with their juices. Cook everything through until it's warmed and enjoy! Oh, and like most chili's this is freezer friendly.

Baltimore Beef Bad Boys with Grilled Romaine

 This is a great recipe from the Food Network Magazine. It is great to have a recipe source that I know ALL the recipes will be good. This particular recipe comes from Guy Fieri, and if Guy Fieri told me dirt tasted good I would probably believe him. This recipe does not taste like dirt however, it is delicious and easy to assemble. It reminds of a beef rueben sandwich, and I love reubens. This is also a great recipe because my husband is in charge of the grill, so it is a great way to "trick" him into making dinner. 


We also threw out some grilled romaine to add to this meal. Cut the romaine hearts into halves or fourths. After you grill your meat add on romaine hearts with cut side down and grilled until the leaves are just charred. Top with crispy bacon, blue cheese and ranch dressing!

Baltimore Beef Bad Boys

2 tablespoons seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 pounds top round, cut in 2-equal pieces*
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup horseradish
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
16 slices Rye bread, lightly toasted

Combine seasoned salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, onion and garlic powder, oregano, paprika and chili powder in a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag. Mix thoroughly and then add 1 piece of meat, shake it around in the bag, remove it and repeat with the second piece of meat. When both pieces are done, return them to the bag, and let marinate for 24 to 48 hours in refrigerator. Remove meat from refrigerator at least 20 minutes, prior to grilling.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, horseradish, garlic and sea salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and place into refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Set grill or large grilling pan to high heat. Cook meat for 20 minutes or until desired temperature. Remove from heat, cover and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Best served medium-rare.
Slice cooked and rested steaks paper thin using either a knife or counter-top deli-slicer. Place 4-ounces of meat on a slice of toasted rye and spread on sour cream horseradish.

This made more than enough or my family of 5, so after I dredged the meat in the seasonings I wrapped one up and threw it in the freezer for next time!

*remember, you can ask the guy behind with meat counter at the grocery store to split your top round in half for you. 

Cheese Stuffed Shells

This is a great recipe, which I believe is from my mother-in-law. This is a family favorite. Come on, who doesn't love pasta, sauce, and lots of cheese! You can't go wrong!

Cheese Stuffed Shells

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion chopped

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 bay leaf

16 extra large shells

1 c part skim ricotta

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

black pepper and salt

1 can tomatoes, chopped with juice

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 c Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 egg white

Heat oven to 375.

Heat olive oil in a heavy sauce pan on medium heat. Add onion, basil, oregano, bay leaf, half the garlic, red pepper, and salt and pepper. Cook uncovered until onion is soft (about 5 min). Remove 2 tbsp if the onion mixture and set aside. Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes and tomatoes past. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes. 

Cook pasta shells, drain and rinse with cold water.

For the filling combine 1/4 c Parmesan with ricotta cheese, nutmeg, egg white, the remaining garlic, red pepper, and the reserved onion mixture. Set aside. Take the tomato mixture and spoon half the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking [an, and take the cheese mixture and spoon 3 tsp into each shell. Top with remaining tomatoes mixture. Bake for 25 min covered with foil. Uncover and top with remaining Parmesan and bake for 5 min longer.

Like lasagna, this can be made, and then frozen before baking. When ready, let defrost and bake as directed!

Chicken Roll-Ups

Another great recipe from my mother-in-law. I loves these because they are simple, the kids love them, and you can freeze them for later!

Chicken Roll-Ups

2 tbsp onion chopped (or green onion)
8 oz of cream cheese
1/2 c melted margarine
1 1/2 c cubed chicken
2 pkg. refrigerator biscuits or crescent rolls
Bread crumbs or stove topped stuffing (I used panko mixed with some poultry seasoning)

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix onion, cream cheese, butter and chicken for filling (I left the butter out, to make it healthier, and haven't noticed a difference). Flatten out biscuits. Place heaping tablespoon of chicken filling in the center of the biscuit and fold biscuit over and pinch shut. Dip or roll in butter and then bread crumbs. Bake at 325 for 30 min or until lightly browned. If you want, you can serve with heated cream of chicken soup and a sauce.

Homemade Hot Pockets

My kids love hot pockets, but I can't bring myself to buy them anymore. I love this recipe because you know what is going in them, and you can change it up depending on what foods you have on hand. Even better, you can make a bunch and freeze what you don't eat! You can heat them up individually for lunch, or save them all for another dinner down the road.

Homemade Hot Pockets
from Our Best Bites

1 recipe Breadstick and Pizza Dough

Desired fillings (I used about 6-8 oz. of ham and 4-6 oz. sharp cheddar)

Prepare dough through the first rise. After dough has risen the first time, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle, probably about 16x8 inches big (16 inches long, 8 inches tall). Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 8 equal portions. Leaving a little bit of a "margin" on the right and left sides, add toppings with the cheese going on last. Stretch the dough out a little to give yourself a bit more dough to work with. Fold the left side over the middle and then the right side over that. Starting at the bottom of the "mummy," tightly roll the filled dough, stretching it very gently as you go to make sure you're getting a tight seal. Place on a sprayed cookie sheet and repeat with remaining dough. When finished, cover the pan with a clean cloth and preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. When oven has heated, bake pockets for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. For shine, you could brush the tops with a bit of egg white mixed with water during the last 5 minutes of baking, or you could rub a little butter on top of the rolls while they're still hot.

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS:

Bake according to directions and allow to cool. Place in a Ziploc freezer bag, squeezing out all the air. When ready to serve, just pop in the microwave for 2-3 minutes (depending on how fast your microwave cooks).

Microwave Taco Chicken

This is another one of my mother-in-laws recipes. We love this, and it is so great to have on those cold winter days (or cold spring days). It is  very easy to make, and you can feed a lot of people (or double it and feed even more people)! We call it microwave taco chicken, but it is not done in the microwave, and I have no idea why we call it this.  Our kids love this too, mostly because of the tortilla chips and the cheese. This is also a great recipe to freeze!

Microwave Taco Chicken

 2 14 ½ oz crushed tomatoes

1 pkg taco seasoning mix

½ kosher salt

¼ tsp garlic powder

3 whole chicken breasts cubed and cooked

1 can green chilies

1 c chicken broth

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 can olives drained and chopped

 Pour tomatoes into a large saucepan. Add salt, garlic, green chilies, olives, and heat. In another small pan, add cornstarch to chicken broth and heat on low while stirring until dissolved. Meanwhile, cook chicken with taco seasoning. Add meat to tomato mixture, and then add broth. Stir until thickened. Serve on top of crushed tortilla chips with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Slow-Cooker Tortilla Soup

This recipe was recommend to me by a friend. I pretty much love anything cooked in a crock-pot, so this was a must try recipe. It was very good, and a great meal for a lazy Sunday. The best thing about this recipe is it makes a lot, so you can have some now and freeze the rest for later, or have it for lunch all week like I am.

Slow-Cooker Tortilla Soup

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
*I also added a can of kidney beans, but I think it would be good with black beans too!

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chilies, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes ( I actually deep fried mine for about 5 minutes at 375).  To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup along with sour cream and cheese. 

Slow Cooker Chili

This is one of the recipes from my church cook book. This was submitted by one of my friends who shares my passion for good deals and good food, so I knew this recipe would be awesome. I have been wanting a good chili recipe, and now I have it! Plus it is done in a slow cooker, so you can let it cook all day while it fills your house with yummy smells. The best part is that is made a lot, so half of it is now sitting in my freezer! Thanks Kim!

Slow Cooker Chili

1 lb ground beef
1 green pepper. chopped
1 red onion, diced
1 4 oz can green chilis
1 15 oz cans kidney beans, rinsed, drained
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp caeyenne
1 14.5 oz can diced tomoatoes
1 14.5 cans tomato soup
1 c tomato juice (I didn't have tomato juice so did I another 1/2 can of tomato soup)
1/2 c brown sugar (I am really sensitive to sweet, so next time I think I will use a 1/4 c)
1 can black beans (optional but I would highly reccomend)
1 c frozen corn

Brown the ground beef in a pan, drain and then add to the crock pot. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or cook on high for 3-4. You can also do this vegetarian style!

Stuffed Manicotti

Another one from my mother-in law! We love this recipe, and it is fun to have something a little different from your basic lasagna. 

Stuffed Manicotti

1 lb mild ground pork sausage, or ground beef
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce, Italian style (or just add your own Italian seasonings)
1 6oz can tomato paste
1/4 c water
1/2 tbsp packed  brown sugar
1 15oz carton ricotta cheese
3 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1tsp parsley flakes
12 manicotti noodles, cooked, rinsed and drained
grated Parmesan cheese

In a large sauce pan, brown meat and drain. (I have done this meatless numerous times, and it tastes just as good!). Remove half of the meat and set aside. In the sauce pan stir in tomato sauce, paste, water and brown sugar. Simmer 15 min. Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl combine remaining meat, ricotta, 2 c mozzarella, egg, and parsley. In a 9 X 13 pan, pour 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce mixture in the bottom. Stuff manicotti noodles with ricotta mixture and place on top of sauce. Pour remaining sauce over filled noodles. Top with remaining mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

I like to half this recipe, and it feeds my family of 5 very easily. I make it in a 9x9 pan instead. You could even make the full recipe but split into two 9x9 pans and freeze one. If you do half it, for the half an egg, just crack egg in a bowl, whisk it, and then use half of that in the recipe.

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

I am not a huge baked pasta fan, or so I have discovered. This recipe looked delicious, and smelled delicious, but I was not in love with it. However, my dinner guests really liked it or maybe they were just being polite. Then again it was my older brother, so I think he would tell me the truth. Honestly, I have not ever had a baked pasta I have really liked ( besides lasagna, stuffed shells and manicotti). If you are a fan of baked pasta however, I think you might like this!

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage from My Kitchen Cafe 
*I used ground Italian chicken sausage from Sunflower Market and just precooked it** I also made this in two 9x9 pans, I cooked one, and froze the other!
 

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni
10 ounces frozen baby spinach, thawed and drained well (can substitute 1 9-oz. bag fresh spinach)
12 ounces precooked smoked chicken (or turkey) sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 4 ounces shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook for another minute.

Stir in tomatoes, oregano and basil; simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. (If using fresh spinach, add it to the pot of boiling pasta right at the end and cook until wilted.) Drain, and return contents to pot.

Add tomato sauce, sausage, spinach and cubed mozzarella to the pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop pasta into lightly greased 9X13-inch pan (or divide evenly between two 8X8-inch pans). Top with grated mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.