Raw Spice Bar

Raise your hand if you love to cook, but find yourself just finishing up your 8,987th meal and you are fresh out of ideas. Just me?  I have 4 children (yes, that is why I have been absent from the blog) and I love for them to try new things. We are not a chicken nugget and hot dog family. I am no fancy chef, but I love new flavors, and new dishes every night. This desire to not make the same ol' thing every night leads to my current frustration of "what should I cook?!" This is where Raw Spice Bar saved the day.

With Raw Spice it is all about the spice (duh), but seriously where else should you go for great taste? They take quality ingredients, fresh flavors, and then they toast them up and grind them up creating deep, delicious flavors. I was given the opportunity to try their September flavor kit. Each month they focus on a different origin of flavor, for September it was the Argentine. Each kit comes with 3 different spices and a clever recipe to try with each.

I tried the Chipotle Smoked Salt on some roasted veggies. The recipe that coordinated with this particular spice called for squash and zest of lemon on the grill. I had cauliflower, carrots, and zuchinni on hand and wanted to roast them up instead of grill. I can't even tell you how good it was. I am going to be craving this flavor for the rest of my life. After the first bite my husband and daughter perked up and said "what is on these vegetables?! They then proceeded to have 3 servings. To be honest, it was a problem. I was looking forward to these particular leftovers, and there wasn't a crumb of a veggie left.

The coolest part is you can subscribe to this awesome kit every month for just $8 dollars. This would make for a fantastic birthday or Christmas gift for the foodie in your family. I want more! Check them out here.

I am so grateful for this company getting me out of my "slump". I now look forward to cooking again. This is a big deal people! Get you some.

Kneader's Raspberry Bread Pudding

My mother-in-law was in town for the week to help with the new baby and older hoodlums I seem to be raising. She isn't your typical MOL (mother-in-law). She is exceptional in every way. Leaving beautiful Utah to stay for 9 days with crazy me in 115 degree weather is quite the sacrifice. Along with being super easy going and beyond helpful she introduced us to this recipe. The cream sauce is amazing and bread pudding will never be the same without raspberries.


This recipe is adapted from the Sister Cafe

Kneaders Raspberry Bread Pudding 

Note: If you can prepare the sauce ahead of time to cool, that is best. Otherwise prepare sauce as soon as pudding is in the oven and then place in the fridge to cool it down rapidly. The bread pudding is great served hot and I felt it needed the cream sauce to be cold to cool down the dessert enough to taste all the favors.

 

Cream Mix

1 1/2 loaves aged, white bread (I used french)The more dried out the better.

1 quart heavy cream(4 cups)

3 cups sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla In large bowl combine cream, sugar, egg and vanilla. Cut bread into 1 1/2″ cubes and add to cream mixture, coating bread well. Let stand 30 minutes stirring every 5 minutes to allow cream to absorb completely.

Fruit Filling
5 cups frozen raspberries

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup apple juice Combine raspberries, sugar and apple juice, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Layer a 9×13 dark baking dish 3/4 full with bread mixture, pour fruit filling over bread mixture, spreading evenly, top with remaining bread. Bake 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve warm. Top with vanilla sauce.

Vanilla Sauce
1 1/3 cup butter

5 tablespoons flour

3 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup sugar Over medium heat melt butter, and add flour stir 10 minutes until it has a nutty aroma, do not brown. Add cream and sugar and boil till mixture is thick, remove from heat adding vanilla. Serve this wonderful sauce cold.

Serve and Enjoy!

Coconut, Toffee, Chocolate Bars

I'm back! I still have horrible pictures, old blog layout, but I do have a wonderful new addition in my life - our third child! I just gave birth to a darling baby boy. From morning sickness in the first and second trimester, to surviving my large worthless self in the third trimester, I seem to lose the ability to bake and cook. But I am back! I started a post baby body diet this week, but here is a delicious dessert that I made TWICE before I realized this wasn't going to drop the pounds.

I first discovered this recipe when I made them for my mother's birthday. She loved them! These are adapted from Mom On Timeout . They have a little bit of everything with a bit of a gooey center. They melt in your mouth, but almost seem healthy with the oatmeal and coconut crunch. On second thought, maybe blogging about these delicious treats are proving to be detrimental to my diet....

Ingredients

CRUST:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 cups flaked coconut
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg, lightly beaten
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips ( I used dark chocolate in one batch and half semi-sweet and dark in another)

FILLING:
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Karo® Light Corn Syrup
4 oz of cream cheese
1 1/4 cup toffee bits

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
CRUST:
Combine flour, oats, coconut, and brown sugar in a large bowl of electric mixer and mix at low speed.
Add butter and continue mixing until a crumbly dough forms. Add egg and continue mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips.
Reserve 1-1/2 cups of dough for topping. Press remaining dough into bottom of a lightly sprayed 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
Bake 10 minutes.
FILLING:
Combine sweetened condensed milk and corn syrup in a small bowl and mix until combined. Mix in softened cream cheese until all are well blended.
Pour evenly over hot crust.
Sprinkle with toffee bits.
Top evenly with reserved crust mixture.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool and cut into bars. Try not to eat the whole pan in one hour, but it will be tough not to.

Mazola Oil Winner

Congrats to Deborah B. for winning the bottle of oil. It is great stuff and on its way to your house! Thanks to all for playing!

Mazola Corn Oil

Let's do a little review thanks to Mazola Corn Oil. Mazola sent me a nice size bottle of corn oil to try out and one to give away to you perhaps! I am really glad they did because, up until now I have used coconut oil and olive oil primarily as I thought they were the only healthy oils out there to cook with.

Mazola Corn Oil is really a beneficial oil to cook with. I learned from their site that corn oil is made from "plant sterols, also known as phytosterols, are plant-based micro-nutrients naturally present in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, legumes and vegetable oils.1 Clinical studies indicate that, when consumed as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, plant sterols can help reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the gut, which, in turn, can lower LDL blood cholesterol.2" It has 4 times more the cholesterol blocking sterols than olive oil. Who knew!?

Besides the reassurance that it was a healthy oil, it is really a great oil to cook with. Below is a recipe for pesto stuffed chicken Parmesan that crisped up nicely thanks to this oil.

Be sure to like their facebook page and leave a little comment in the end to be entered into the giveaway of your own bottle of Mazola Corn Oil!

Pesto Stuffed Chicken Parmesan

Mine is not as pretty as the traditional Chicken Parmesan covered in cheese, but this turned out great and a little healthier. Too bad I have such a pathetic camera that the picture does not capture it's true deliciousness.

Sauce:
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 cup grated carrots
2 cloves of garlic minced (I like my garlic)
1 large can of plum tomatoes ( I used two cans of diced tomatoes that I had a lot of )
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbs. Mazola Corn oil

Directions.
Pour oil and onions in a cold saute pan. The onions will get perfectly tender just as the pan heats up. When they start to sizzle add garlic and cook a minute more careful not to burn. While this is cooking place tomatoes in processor and blend until they are a thin consistency. Add to onions along with remaining ingredients. Slowly simmer for 30 minutes to an hour.

Chicken

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
4 Tbs of pesto
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1 cup  Italian Bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs beaten in separate bowl
1/2 to 3/4 cup Mazola Corn oil depending on how big your frying pan is. I like just enough to cover half of the chicken when cooking.
1 box of favorite pasta boiled while preparing chicken

Directions:
Pound out chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap until it is nice and flat. Spread one tablespoon of pesto in each breast and sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan cheese. Fold up or roll up depending on how thick it is. You want the pesto spread tucked in while keeping the chicken as thin as possible to ensure thorough cooking.  Prepare bread crumb mixture by mixing remaining cheese, garlic powder into the bread crumbs. Once the chicken is rolled up, cover with beaten egg mixture and then toss in the bread crumb mixture. Heat oil on medium to medium high and place each chicken breast in oil. Depending on your stove, you may need to turn it on low. Cook chicken slowly and thoroughly so that the chicken cooks all the way through the layers. I like mine dark and crispy and this oil worked perfectly. Drain pasta, cover with sauce and serve with chicken. Serve and enjoy!

Don't forget to like their facebook page and leave a comment to be entered into a giveway for your own bottle of Mazola Corn oil!

Baby in the belly and Chicken, Pesto Stuffed Shells

This blog was not that cool to begin with, but it gets extra lame when there are no posts for several months. I apologize. I don't do much in general besides being a mom, but lately I have been growing a baby and that seemed to take over a little bit as I get some super fun morning sickness.

We are well on our way to a Bakers Dozen (JUST KIDDING) by adding #3 this June. Now that the sickness has subsided and I am just working on getting pretty darn fat I thought I would share this tasty recipe.

I made this the other day for a friend who just had her 6th child. I know, I am way behind. This is easy to make ahead and heat up when needed and really puts the other stuffed shells to shame.


Chicken and Pesto Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:
4 Chicken breasts cooked and shredded (I actually put mine in the food processor)
3 heaping tablespoons of Pesto
1 8 oz cream cheese softened
1 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese (I used an Italian blend with Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano)
1 Box of shells (surprisingly Walmart was the only place I could find that carried them)
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions ( I cook mine a little less than directed and the oven does the rest). While it is cooking, assemble the "stuffing". Combine chicken, pesto, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, and cream cheese in a large bowl. When shells are cooked, drain and mix with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Place a tablespoon or more in each shell and place on a large casserole dish.  Pour marinara sauce on each shell and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the top. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. You can also just sprinkle with cheese, bake, and then pour the sauce on after. Serve, deliver, or devour like I did.

I delivered this dish in a disposable aluminum tin with garlic bread, salad, and dessert. Enjoy!

Salmon Cakes

Even if you don't love crab cakes, or seafood for that matter, I am convinced you will still love these.  This a great way to use up leftover salmon from the night before and throw everything in the fridge in them. You can make it your own with veggies you have on hand or keep it simple. Here is how I made them.

Salmon Cakes:
1 pound of sauteed salmon shredded from skin and bone.
1 cup corn (I used fresh boiled corn)
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1/2 onion
1/2 green pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup to 11/2 cups bread crumbs
1 Tbs salt
1 Tbs Cajun seasoning
1 tsp pepper
1/3 cup coconut oil

Directions:
Start by sauteing corn, zucchini, onion, and pepper in olive oil just slightly. Add vegetables to salmon in large bowl. Add egg, mayo, bread crumbs, and seasonings. Mix well together and form patties. Cook until brown and crispy on each side in coconut oil or olive oil. 
Ta da!
 Super easy, very tasty, and my kids loved them. I am sure you can hide any veggies in these. Not only is the salmon and veggies good for you, but I am reading great things about cooking with coconut oil. Let me know if you try them!

Chinese Chicken Salad

 I have two things to say about this recipe: 1)This is only like the best salad ever. 2) The above picture actually isn't horrible.  I know! Miracles can happen with a cheap digital camera! This seriously is the epitome of summer all in a healthyish meal (yes I made up that word). It is a bit more tedious to put together compared to most salads, but well worth it. This recipe is adapted from (foodiecrush.com)

Ingredients for salad
12  3-inch wonton skins, sliced into 1/4″ strips
1/2 cup canola or corn oil for frying
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 chicken breast, shredded (I used rotisserie)
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted lightly
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 cups cooked fusilli pasta noodles, cooled

dressing
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable  oil
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil (add more to taste if you prefer a strong sesame taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Heat canola or corn oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry wonton skins in batches of 5-7 strips for 30 seconds each side or until lightly browned, working quickly so they don’t burn. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels until cooled.
2. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken breast, green onion, almonds and pasta.
3. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well until sugar dissolves. Dress lettuce mixture with 2-3 tablespoons of sesame dressing and top with sesame seeds and wonton strips and serve.

Fun Tip: I doubled the dressing and lots of everything else leftover. I really wanted to have it the next day, but feared it being a soggy mess. It turns out putting it all in a mason jar really does work. I kept the dressing aside, but put the rest in a jar, with lid, and it was all crispy and perfect the next day.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

My sister-in-law introduced me to this little dish and I am in love. When she explained to me that there was not going to be in frying involved I was hesitant. It turns out that not everything needs to be fried in order to be tasty. This actually taste fresh, healthy, light, not to mention they make for  a pretty fun hands on meal.

Hit up your local Asian market for a few of the ingredients and the rest at your favorite grocery store. You can also personalize this dish with your own favorite ingredients. Just experiment and decide what you like. The following is what is inside the above horrible picture. Pork, rice sticks, lettuce, carrots, cucumber, and avocado.

Ingredients:
Pork Roast
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup shredded carrots
Three Ladies brand rice paper (Asian market)
Maifun rice sticks
Sliced cucumber slicked into small matchstick size
Sliced avocado (optional)

Sauce Options:
Teriyaki Sauce
Peanut Sauce
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Sweet Chili Sauce (Asian Market)

Soy Sauce

Directions:
Sprinkle Pork Roast with salt and pepper and cook in crock pot on low heat for 6-8 hours. It is best served sliced in small chunks, but not shredded so cook accordingly trying to avoid cooking it to the point of shredding. In the last hour of cooking, prepare the rice sticks by boiling water and then turning off the heat and letting noodles sit in hot water for 10 minutes. Place the fresh ingredients in seperate bowls along with the noodles to be selected for the insides as desired buffet style. Boil water and pour about a cup of it into a pie plate to soften the rice paper. Take one rice paper and slowly place the paper into the water while turning it so the entire paper is able to soften in the water. Once the paper is soft and sticky place on a clean plate and fill with desired ingredients. Fold like a burrito and select your favorite dipping suaces to dip the spring roll in. Serve and Enjoy!

Scones with Blackberry Sauce

I hope I placed this picture big enough that it practically punches you in the face with its awesomeness. It was delicious. If scones throw you off, you can also call this Indian fry bread.  This makes for a tasty breakfast or dessert. Blackberries were on sale this week so I topped my scones with a tasty sauce.

Scones or Indian Fry Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

For the Dough:
1.5 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast OR 2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
4 1/4 bread flour
2 tablespoons  butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
oil for frying

Instructions:

In your bread machine, add all the ingredients as instructed by your bread machine manufacturer.  Usually its the liquids first, followed by seasonings, then flour - and very last you make a well in the flour and add the yeast.

Set your bread machine on the 'dough cycle'. When it is done, remove the dough and wrap in plastic wrap leaving room for it to raise. Place in warm space and allow to rise. Once it is done raising, heat up 1- 2 cups of oil in fryer or pan sufficient for frying with enough 2 inches of oil. Slice off large serving size off of dough and stretch carefully on all sides and place in oil. Fry each side until golden brown and then place on paper towel to dry.

For the Blackberry sauce that can be made ahead:

Ingredients:

2/3 c. butter, melted
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. orange juice
2 c. fresh or frozen blackberries
Dash of salt

Directions:
Combine butter and cornstarch in saucepan. Add sugar, salt, orange juice and blackberries. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thick. Strain and remove stems before serving.

Assembly:
Take one fried scone and top with honey, blackberry sauce, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy!

Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered my little giveaway. My comments were humble in numbers and therefore the selection was fun. Congratulations to Manda! Look for your box of goods soon!

If you didn't win, you know I love you and hopefully there will be more fun stuff to come! Thank you!

Mediterranean Entertaining with Peloponnese

Phew! That title is a mouthful literally and figuratively. Peloponnese offers some tasty Mediterranean goods and I am so happy to have tried them. This is what came packaged in a pretty box ready to enhance our dinner with the flavor straight from the warmth and finesse of the Greek climate:

                     -            Peloponnese® Artichoke Spread

-          Peloponnese® Hummus Spread

-          Peloponnese® Halved Kalamata Gourmet Black Olives

-          Peloponnese® Florina Whole Sweet Peppers

-          Peloponnese® Baba Ganoush

-          Peloponnese® Antipasto Party Olives

-          Specialty Olive Bowl

That's a lot of tasty goods!

The hummus spread is delicious. I love any kind of artichoke spread and this version did not disappoint. Both are great on pita chips or any kind bread. The party olives are always a hit served as an appetizer and I was especially excited about the little serving platter that came with the olives. In summary, this is all great stuff, but let's talk about what I made with the Kalamata Gourmet Black Olives and the Florina Whole Sweet Peppers:

With the help of these two ingredients, my sister, and this recipe, I made a pretty tasty dip.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 block (1#) of feta cheese  (I don’t like the pre-crumbled kind because I think it is dry)
tomatoes (any kind)…I use about 4 Roma’s
1 bunch of green onions
1 Peloponnese sweet pepper finely chopped
1/4 cup of Peloponnese Kalamata olives finely chopped
1 baguette
1-2 tsp of Greek Seasoning (see pic below) (I used more to taste)
1 large platter

Directions:
Dice all ingredients into small pieces. Add olive oil and seasoning and mix well. Slice baguette and arrange on a serving platter with dip in a bowl in the middle. Serve and enjoy! I sure did!

 GIVEAWAY
The whole box of goods can be yours if you simply leave a comment, like their facebook page, and visit their site for future inspiration in the kitchen. It's a whole lot of tasty Greek flavor that could be yours. The winner will be picked one week from today! Good luck!

Strawverry Shortcake Cake Pops

Every chef needs one of these, a Babycakes cake pop maker. This is the most fun I have ever had. My mother-in-law gave this to me for Christmas. Why yes I do have awesome in-laws for several reasons.

The possibilities are endless with this little gem. One day on a lovely Sunday afternoon I needed dessert, an easy one to be exact. I had strawberries and cool whip, but no shortcake. Thanks to this little gadget I was able to whip up some vanilla cake pops super quick and it made for a fun dessert.

(I halved this recipe)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups of all purpose flour ( I substituted in half whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup milk

1 pound strawberries
1 container of cool whip

Directions:
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside
In a separate bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients with the wet and follow instructions for your cake pop maker to bake.

Top with sliced strawberries and cool whip for a refreshing fun dessert. It's a great one for the kids.

Stay tuned for a review and giveaway of some great Mediterranean tasty goods!

Pesto and Artichoke Chicken Alfredo

I don't mean to pat myself on the back, but this was pretty tasty and came mostly from my small-ish head. It is easy to switch up the ingredients and make it your own with what you have in the fridge. I love to cook, however, lately it seems my purpose in the kitchen is a little less noble. The hubby is a firefighter and it turns out a lot of those guys at the station can really cook. I now try to outdo every recipe my lover tells me was delicious that he experienced at work. Isn't that creepy of me? He sure doesn't complain.

Ingredients:
3 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. flour
2 cups milk (depending on how thick you like it)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese (I just had this in the fridge, a good Italian cheese Asiago, for example, would be good)
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar of artichoke hearts
4 Tbs of pesto (in a jar in the Italian section, or homemade if you are incredible)
1 box of whole wheat penne pasta cooked
1 pound of chicken grilled with Italian seasoning

Directions:

Cook the first 3 ingredients like a basic white sauce, add seasonings as it thickens. Stir in cheese and pesto and remove from heat once cheese is melted. Grill the chicken while the sauce and pasta are cooking. When the pasta is done, drain and set aside while dicing up the grilled chicken into bite size pieces. Mix pasta and chicken into a large bowl and add artichoke hearts. Pour sauce over the pasta and chicken and mix. Serve with a salad or veggie and homemade bread sticks. Recipe for that to come! Serve and Enjoy!

Teppinyaki Valentines Dinner

I love Benhihanas! I loved it more back in the day when we could afford it. I thought it would be cool if I could somehow duplicate those flavors even without the large tabletop skillet. I found what I thought were almost the exact flavors from the Benihanas' dipping sauce. I found them here.

Ingredients:
Mustard Sauce:
Makes about 2/3 cup
Preparation time: about 5 minutes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons Oriental mustard (can be found in the international or Asian food sections of most supermarkets)
2 teaspoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Ginger Sauce:
Makes about 1/2 cup
Preparation time: about 5 minutes
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 ounce ginger root (a nickel-size slice), peeled and chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon (2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
Instructions:
For Mustard Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, mustard, cream and garlic powder. Stir or whisk until well combined. Chill before serving.

For Ginger Sauce: In a blender combine the onion, soy sauce, garlic, ginger root, lemon juice, sugar and white vinegar. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds or until the ginger root and garlic have been pureed. Chill before serving.

Once you have the sauce prepared, here is what you do for the rest.

Ingredients:
Vegetables-
2 cups cooked zucchini. Slice two zucchini in half and cook in skillet on medium high heat with garlic butter once the under side begins to brown slice into bite size pieces and cook a little longer with the addition of 1 cup sliced onion and 1 cup mushrooms. When just tender they are done.
Protein-
1 pound steak cooked on the grill or broiled to your liking and cut into bite size pieces.
I pound chicken cooked in skillet with garlic butter. Cut into bite size pieces.
1 cup fresh shrimp cooked in pan after chicken with garlic butter.

When protein and veggies are done serve with individual servings of dipping sauce. Chopsticks make it super fun and a little more tasty.

You could also serve fried rice on the side. I made mine with garlic butter, diced green onion, egg, and salt and pepper with rice of course and lots of soy sauce.

This is a super fun meal for the kiddos as well. Just poke toothpicks in the each bite for the kids to dip and they will have just as much fun as the adults with chopsticks! As always, serve and enjoy!

Egg Rolls and Chicken Wrapped Pies

In my last post we talked about stir fry. This week let's talk about the egg rolls. I have a really hard time eating egg rolls from restaurants after eating these. My mother has always made them and now that I can make them, I would prefer to not have any other kind. It would be an easy recipe to make your own with the ingredients that you love. Here is what I love in mine.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast cooked and shredded ( I used one rotisserie)
1 pkg egg roll wrappers
1 carrot julienned
1/2 cup celery diced
1 medium head cabbage finely chopped
3 green onions thinly sliced
1/2 cup of tofu (drained and chopped)
1 cup bamboo shoots
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon accent (to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and season to taste. Place a little over a tablespoon amount in center of wrapper, wet edges of wrapper with water and follow folding instructions as pictured on package. Heat about 6-inches of oil in a wok or deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Fry egg rolls 3 or 4 at a time until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

WAIT!! What do you do with the leftover egg roll wrappers? You make Chicken Wrapped pies! You will probably also have celery and carrot left over. Throw it in with this recipe and you will feel very clever using your leftovers in such a tasty new way!





1- Place egg roll wrappers in cupcake tin.

2- Make chicken pot pie filling as shown here.

3. Then place 1-2 tablespoons of mixture in wrapper and fold over. Bake until crispy and delicious!
Here is the exact recipe that I adapted for my own: Chicken Pot Pie Bundles

Enjoy!

Curried Beef Stir- Fry

I don't usually have much luck with Chinese food even with a recipe. Somehow it just never tastes right. This recipe redeemed myself in the kitchen and was delicious. I also made homemade egg rolls which I will explain on another post. Hope you're fabulous!

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
1 pound boneless sirloin steak cut into 1/8 inch pieces
1 large onion cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 large celery ribs, sliced
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 cup cold water
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder
Cooked rice to serve with

Directions:
In a bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic, ginger and 2 tablespoons oil. Add beef; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. In a large skillet or wok, heat remaining oil. Stir-fry beef over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove beef and set aside. In the same skillet, stir-fry onion for 1 minute; add peppers, celery,and carrot. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, return beef to skillet. Combine water, cornstarch, and curry until smooth; add to skillet. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve over rice or noodles. Enjoy!

Chicken Mushroom Soup (and a bit of everything else)

I love Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup. I am not crazy in love with the spicy sausage. My ideal soup is a chunky, creamy soup with chicken, lots of veggies, and that tasty kale and red potatoes found in the Zuppa Toscana recipe. I combined two recipes together and came up with the best of both worlds in this tasty soup. It was a HUGE hit at my house. It didn't hurt to add some homemade cinnamon rolls on the side either.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon garlic puree
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
6 cups chicken broth
chicken bouillon to taste (optional)
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup sliced celery
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2 cups quartered baby red potatoes
1 cup chopped yellow squash
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 bunch of kale slightly chopped
2 teaspoons thyme
2 cups light cream
1/2 bunch
2 cups chopped cooked chicken

Directions:
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic saute until tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper and mix until smooth. Gradually add the broth, then turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Add the mushrooms, celery, carrots, potatoes, squash, corn, and thyme. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Add the cream,kale, and chicken. Heat the soup for an additional 10 minutes, but do not let it boil.
Serve and Enjoy!
Makes about 15 cups.

Broccoli Tomato Salad

Perhaps this recipe is out of season. That is to say not out of "season"ing, but maybe it is more of a summer dish . I have a difficult time cutting off the cold fresh dishes when the weather gets cooler because I live in Arizona. Here we have "kinda hot "and "just warm" as the standard weather. When it becomes "just warm" or below 100 degrees I whip out the hot soups. I love soup! I often love to compliment the soup with some sort of bread or something salad -like. This is a beautiful salad that I think is great for any occasion. The dressing is delicious while the broccoli and tomato pair well together.

Ingredients:
1 large bunch broccoli, separated into florets
2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 green onions, sliced

Dressing:
3/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/3 cup tarragon or cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

Directions:
Cook broccoli in a small amount of water for 5 minutes or until crisp- tender. Rinse with cold water and drain. Place in a large bowl; add tomatoes, mushrooms and onions. Combine dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well. Pour over salad; toss gently. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Serve and Enjoy!

Death by S'mores Bars

I think that s'mores are the perfect dessert. I always have a chocolate bar, graham crackers, and marshmallows on hand just in case I need a go to dessert. These bars, however, are better. The crust is amazing and I might have to use it for other treats as well. It is like a fluffy, buttery, graham cracker slash cookie dough crust (yes I said "slash" not as pathetic as my poor food picture). When you take the buttery, yummy crust, top it with dark chocolate (that's how I roll), smear it with gooey marshmallow creme, with a final layer of the graham cracker dough it seemed like I was nailing the last nail in my coffin. These flavors work so well together, but as a bar, it is ten times better.

Needless to say my mom and I ate the whole pan in a day. Yum!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bars (if you want a more subtle chocolate flavor use regular sized chocolate bars; enough to fit) I used dark chocolate bars :)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (7 1/2 oz jar)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff. This part can be tricky. I made little disks with the dough and formed them into a sheet on some parchment paper then transferred it over. Spread it around gently.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Makes 16 cookie bars (or one giant one serving size bar if you are me).

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything