Chicken Egg Rolls

I had some of the Five Spice Chicken Lettuce Wrap chicken left over and decided to make egg rolls. I don't know if it was the frying process or what but these were freakin fabulous!! The flavors popped. Everyone raved- I had seconds. :)

No real recipe here. I used the filling from my Five Spice Chicken Lettuce Wraps, egg roll wraps and an egg- beaten. I first put some oil in a pan and heated. I took one of the egg roll wraps and brushed a little of the egg on the inside. I put a scoop or two of the chicken mixture in the middle and wrapped it up. I brushed a little of the egg on the outer flap to seal it. I then placed the egg rolls in the hot grease and fried till golden brown. Remove and place on paper towels to drain.

Five Spice Chicken Lettuce Wrap

I found this recipe on Pinterest and wanted to try it. I didn't have any turkey on hand so I used chicken breasts and cut it into small bites. I also made a few other changes to the original recipe (it called for bell pepper and water chestnuts) to make it more to my liking. The result is below. I enjoyed them and look forward to lunch tomorrow!

Five Spice Chicken Lettuce Wrap:

1/2 cup cooked rice
2 teaspoons oil
1.5 chicken breasts, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup shredded veggies (mine was a broccoli/carrot/cabbage mix I found pre-cut at the store)
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoon five-spice powder
Sriracha sauce to taste

Heat oil in a pan and add the chicken, garlic and ginger. Cook till chicken is done. Add shredded veggies, onions, mushrooms, hoisin sauce, five spice and sriracha sauce. Cook till veggies are tender then add the rice. Stir well and serve.

Crock-Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup

It's recipe swap time again and this time the theme was soups and stews. I was given Crock-Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup from Hezzi-D's Books & Cooks. My man is not a big fan of tomatoes or bell peppers but I am! This recipe is super good and would be excellent on a cold night. Today is was 78 degrees in Georgia but I still enjoyed the soup. My best friend is excited to get a container of soup tomorrow!

Crock-Pot Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup:

1 pound ground beef
1 package of dry onion soup mix (I used two)

1 large can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes with garlic

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
3 large green bell peppers, chopped into 1 inch pieces
½ large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 beef bouillon cubes (I used 3)
1/8 c. brown sugar
2 T. vinegar (preferably apple cider vinegar)
2 t oregano
1 t. black pepper
4 c. water
1 c. cooked white rice
Mozzarella cheese (to top the soup)

1. In a large skillet brown the ground beef. Put it in the crock-pot.

2. Combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and dry onion soup mix in the crock-pot. Mix well. Add in the peppers, onion, garlic, bouillon cubes, brown sugar, and water. Stir well.

3. Sprinkle with oregano, black pepper, and vinegar. Give it a stir. Cook on low heat for 8 hours. Add in the cooked rice and cook for an additional hour. Serve topped with mozzarella cheese.

Chicken Sriracha Stir Fry

K and I were expecting company for dinner the other night so I went searching for something easy and delicious. I found Chicken Sriracha Stir Fry from A Taste of Home Cooking. It was easy and delicious. I like a little spice so I kept the recipe the same but K said it was a bit on the hot side for him. Next time I will eliminate the sriracha sauce in the marinade to reduce the heat. Our company didn't show so we were left with plenty for lunch the next day, which I was really happy about.

Chicken Sriracha Stir Fry:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

Marinade for chicken:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon Sriracha

1 tablespoon cornstarch
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 cup green beans, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Transfer chicken to a plastic food storage bag. Add marinade ingredients and toss to coat thoroughly. Let stand for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch, water, Sriracha, soy sauce and oyster sauce.

In a wok heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat, add vegetables. Stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Remove to a plate.

Wipe wok out with wet paper towels. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the wok. When hot, add ginger and garlic; after a few seconds, add chicken mixture. Stir-fry for 2 to 4 minutes until chicken is fully cooked. Pour in the sauce. Stir until thickened. Return vegetables to the wok. Serve over rice.

Italian Stuffed Pork Chops

I came up with this recipe because I just bought a bunch of cool stuff from the grocery store. K loved it! Not only did he eat his whole piece, he had half of another. He never eats that much! Guess this recipe is a keeper. Sorry the measurements are exact but I just do what looks right.

Italian Stuffed Pork Chops:

Boneless pork chops
Mozzarella cheese
Alfredo sauce
Bacon, uncooked
Onion, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
The following ingredients I used the kind that comes minced in a jar:
Shallots
Garlic
Basil
Oregano

Preheat oven to 350. Pound pork chops thin. Take a small amount of shallots, garlic, basil and oregano and rub into one side of the pork chop. Place a thin line of cheese on top of the seasonings and top that with a spoon of Alfredo sauce. Roll pork chop and wrap a piece of bacon around it, securing it with a tooth pick. Repeat with remaining chops. Place chops in a baking dish.

In a pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil and add mushrooms and onions. Cook till onions are tender. Top chops with mushrooms and onions and place in oven. Cook for 30-45 minutes or till chops are done.

Girl's Night Out!

It was time for a girl's night out and the foodie in me offered to make all of the snacks. It was a hit! Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures. I forgot my nice camera at home and had to use the cell phone.

Here is the menu:
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wrap
Cucumber Feta Bites
Caprese Skewers
Tortilla Pinwheels
Artichoke Dip (no pic but I've blogged about it already)
BBQ Pork Sliders (made this a few nights ago)
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Trifle (no pic yet but link will take you to the recipe)

I also made custom tooth pick toppers!
And here they are in my BBQ Pork sliders!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

I wanted to serve chicken bites for our girl's night out gathering but wasn't sure how I wanted to make them. I made this up as I went along and they were delicious. I will be making them again!

Sorry for the bad cell shot!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites:

Chicken tenderloins
Asian Sesame dressing
Bacon
Toothpicks

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and place in a frying pan with a little bit of veggie oil. Pour Asian dressing (I use Ken's) over chicken and cook till almost done. Remove from heat and cool. Once cooled drain juice from pan and discard. Wrap chicken bites in bacon (1 strip will cover 2-3 bites) and place in pan. Return to heat and cook till bacon is crisp. Drain on paper towel. Place toothpicks in bites and serve.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This recipe has been floating around for quite a while and I decided to finally make it for my girl's night out. I don't have a link to this recipe but I'm sure you can Google it.

Sucky cell phone shot- taste better than it looks!

Buffalo Chicken Dip:

1 lb chicken, shredded (can use canned)
6oz hot sauce
8oz Ranch dressing
8oz blue cheese
160z cream cheese
8oz shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Turn crock pot on low and let simmer for a few hours, stir a few times.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wrap

I can't wait to make these again! They were so easy to make and are a healthy snack/meal alternative. The spiciness of the sauce can be adjusted to your liking. I made it mild since I wasn't going to be the only one eating them.

Another crappy cell phone pic. Looks like a happy face though!

Asian Chicken Wraps:

• 8 oz skinless, boneless chicken thighs, ground (I used breast meat and diced it)
  
• 1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms (I did not use)
  
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
  
• 1/4 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
• 1⁄2 tsp sugar
• freshly ground white pepper, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 6 iceberg lettuce leaves, rinsed (careful not to break)
• 2 tbsp diced scallions

For the Spicy Hoisin Dipping Sauces:

• 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tsp chili sauce, I used Sriracha
• 1 tbsp warm water

Place mushrooms in hot water to soften a few minutes. Remove stems and chop fine. Combine soy sauces, oyster sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, rice wine, sugar, and pepper in a bowl. Combine chicken, softened mushrooms and water chestnuts into a bowl. Pour over chicken; toss. Let marinate for 15 minutes. Mix Spicy Hoisin Dipping Sauce ingredients in another bowl. Set aside. Heat remaining sesame oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic; cook until golden, about 10 seconds. Add chicken mixture; stir fry until browned, breaking the chicken up as it cooks, about 4-5 minutes.

To serve, spoon 1/4 cup of the chicken into each lettuce leaf. Garnish with scallions and a spoon a little Spicy Hoisin Dipping Sauce onto each one.

Cucumber Feta Bites

The original recipe (found here) called for the cucumber to be sliced into strips. I didn't have the right tool to do this so I cut them into rounds and topped it with the feta.
Crappy cell phone pic. They were so good!

Cucumber Feta Bites:

2 cucumbers
6 ounces crumbled feta
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 tablespoons finely diced sundried tomatoes or red bell pepper
8 - 12 pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon roughly chopped dill or oregano
2 teaspoons lemon juice
pinch of pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Peel the skin off of the cucumbers and cut into rounds. Add the feta and yogurt to a medium bowl. Mash to combine using a fork. Add the bell pepper or sun dried tomatoes, olives, dill, lemon, and pepper to the bowl. Stir well to combine. In a bowl, mash the feta using a fork. Place 1 - 2 teaspoons of mixture on top of each round. If not serving immediately, chill until ready to serve.

Caprese Skewers

These were soooooooo good (I love basil) and only took a second to put together. I found the original recipe here.

Sorry for the poor quality of the cell phone pic!

Caprese Skewers:

Cherry tomatoes
Mozzarella (block or balls)
Fresh Basil leaves
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar

I took a basil leaf cube of mozzarella and a tomato and put a tooth pick through it. I placed them on a platter and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Tortilla Pinwheels

This appetizer is easy and delicious! I wouldn't change a thing, but next time I might add a little shredded chicken to the mix. The original recipe can be found here.
Sorry for the crappy pic. I left the good camera at home and had to use my cell phone.

Tortilla Pinwheels:

Ingredients

• 10 large flour tortillas
• 1 cup chopped veggies - I like used red and green bell peppers and onion
• 1.5 blocks cream cheese, softened
• 1 package dry ranch dressing mix
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• Mix cream cheese with ranch mix and salsa
• Spread mixture onto tortilla; top with chopped veggies and cheddar cheese. Roll and place in a casserole dish and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.(I only did four)
  
• Chop off the end of each tortilla and discard (or eat as you go along...); chop tortilla into bite sized pieces and serve. Each tortilla should give you 6-8 pieces.

Chinese Chicken Salad

I saw a picture of a Chinese chicken salad and wanted to make one. I decided that I would make it my way and this is what I came up with. The chicken mixture is also yummy over rice.

For this recipe I used the stir-fry seasoning packet and dressing below:

Chinese Chicken Salad:

2 large chicken breasts
1 green bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper (can also use red or yellow)
1 small onion
Lettuce
Fried Chinese noodles
Optional: Sesame seeds

Cube chicken and cook in pan till brown. Follow directions on stir fry seasoning packet. Once chicken mix is ready plate lettuce, top with chicken and noodles. Lightly toast sesame seeds and sprinkle on top with dressing.

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

A certain someone in my house doesn't like red sauce and I wanted to make a lasagna. After doing some research I found a delicious white cheese chicken recipe on Allrecipes. It's so good we both had seconds! I made two small lasagnas instead of one so I could omit the spinach in his. I wish it photographed better because it was absolutely incredible.

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta, and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken, and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach, and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese, and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast (Pulled Pork Sandwiches)

I was craving BBQ so I made it for dinner one day. I wanted to do more than dump a bottle of BBQ sauce over a pork roast. I asked around and was directed to Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast from Six Sisters Stuff. It was perfect. Not too sweet and not a vinegar base. I shredded it and made it into pulled pork sandwiches. I like mine with coleslaw on top!

1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork roast
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp dried basil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place roast in slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, oil and salt; pour over pork. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours then switch to low for 4 hours.

Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Return pork to crock pot and shred. Stir in gravy and cover till ready to eat.

Glazed Apple Cream Pie

I was in the mood to bake a pie the other nite. I asked him what kind of pie he liked best and he said he liked them all. I researched and found a Glazed Apple Cream Pie on Allrecipes. one I wanted to make. When we went to the store I headed to the apples. He then asked me why I was getting apples and that he didn't like them! Well, he missed out. I ate half the pie cuz it was so frickin good! I gave the rest of the pie away after I realized ate I had eaten so much. :(

Glazed Apple Cream Pie

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (15 ounce) package pastry for double-crust pie
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup cream, and 1/4 cup butter. Heat until butter is melted, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, 2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla; stir into saucepan. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a medium bowl, combine the apples, flour, and cinnamon. Mix well.
3. Line a 9 inch pie pan with pie dough. Pour thickened filling mixture into pastry-lined pie pan. Arrange apple mixture evenly over filling. Top with second crust, seal and flute the edges. Cut slits in top crust.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
5. In small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon softened butter. Blend until smooth; pour evenly over warm pie.

The recipe said to refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours before serving (longer is better). I didn't. I even reheated it for about 30 seconds in the microwave.

Gnocchi with Fontina Cheese Sauce

It's recipe swap time and I got Gnocchi with Fontina Sauce from Cookaholic Wife's blog. It was deeeeeeeeeeelicious!! Seriously, it taste like what I get from my favorite Italian restaurant. Next time I make it I want to crisp the gnocchi a bit before I add the cheese sauce.

Gnocchi:

Ingredients:
1 lb. baking potatoes
1/2 - 3/4 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbs. milk

Directions:
1. Bring pot of water to a boil. Peel potatoes and cut them into cubes. Add them to the pot of boiling water and cook till soft.
2. Once the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, put into a medium bowl and mash with the milk.
3. Add the egg and salt and stir with a fork until combined. Start with the 1/2 cup of flour and use your hands to combine until a soft dough forms. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add additional flour.
4. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes. Roll the dough into long 1/2 inch wide rolls.
5. Cut the dough into 1/2" pieces and dip in remaining flour, shaking off the excess.
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place a dish towel over a wire rack.
7. Using a slotted spoon, drop batches of the gnocchi into the boiling water, making sure not to crowd the pot. Once the gnocchi float, about 2-3 minutes, remove with the spoon and transfer to the dish towel. Let drain before serving.

Fontina Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:
6 tbs. unsalted butter
2 tbs. shallots, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
7 oz. Fontina cheese, shredded
3 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbs. fresh oregano, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to *broil*. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the butter and shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the butter is melted and the shallots are soft.
3. Stir in the heavy cream and heat to an almost boil. Gradually mix in the Fontina cheese and Parmesan cheese, stirring until the mixture is smooth.
4. Remove immediately from the heat.
5. Serve the cheese sauce over the gnocchi. Garnish with oregano.
6. Place in oven and broil till cheese is brown.

Shrimp Fried Rice

I had a shrimp cocktail tray that needed to be eaten but we weren't in the mood for just plain shrimp. I was thinking about a pasta dish but I came across this package of Cantonese fried seasoning mix & decided to give it a go. Yummy! Next time I will use peas & carrots instead of corn & green beans (if I can get my man to eat them).

Shrimp Fried Rice

1 package fried rice seasoning mix
1 pound shrimp- cooked, peeled and deveined
1/2 can corn
1/2 can green beans, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cups cooked rice
2 eggs, scrambled
Vegetable oil
Soy sauce
Sesame Seeds

In a wok (or frying pan) add 2-3 tablespoons of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the rice and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce, seasoning packet and sesame seeds to taste then add corn, green beans, onion and scrambled eggs and mix well. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook till onions are tender then add shrimp. Mix well and serve.

Scrambled Dog

I am originally from Columbus, GA and the Scrambled Dog is a way of life here. I don't know anywhere else that serves these. There are several different ways to make this but the original scrambled dog (made famous by Lieutenant at Dinglewood Pharmacy) is posted below. Everybody says it's the chili that makes a good scrambled dog. I made mine but most find it perfectly acceptable to use the kind that comes in a can. I also like to add sauerkraut to mine (not pictured).

Scrambled Dog

Hot dogs (I put mine in the oven, others like to boil them)
Hot dog buns
Mustard
Ketchup
Chili (recipe below)
Diced onion
Coleslaw
Pickles (slices or dill relish)
Cheddar cheese (shredded)
Oyster crackers (I used crushed up saltines)

Chili:
1 pound ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, chili style
1 packet chili seasoning
Diced onions
Garlic salt
Pepper

Brown ground beef, drain. Combine remaining ingredients and let simmer till onions are cooked. I like to put mine in the crock pot.

Build your dog!