Homemade Egg Rolls

Happy New Year!!

I rang in the new year with some homemade eggrolls - the first time I had ever made those myself. Judging by the ravings of my husband and our guests, they turned out great.

The recipe I have calls for pork and shrimp, but I just used shrimp.  Here's the recipe and the preparation info:

Sweet and Sour Sauce:                                               
2/3 cup sugar                                                             
3/4 cup water                                                            
1T. white vinegar                                                         
1T. ketchup                                                                
1 dash soy sauce                                                           
                                                                                 
Egg Rolls:                                                                   
1 tsp peanut oil, plus for frying                                     
1 pork tenderloin about 1 lb. cut into                          
very small pieces                                                         
1 clove garlic, minced                                                
1 lb. small shrimp, roughly chopped                           
2 cups shredded green cabbage                                
4 oz. mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. dry sherry
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pkg. egg roll wrappers


1. Put sauce ingredients in small pot and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.
2. Heat large fry pan over med.-high heat.  Add 1 tsp. oil, pork and garlic; cook 5 min.; remove to strainer.  Add shrimp, cook 3-4 min.; remove to strainer.  Add vegetables; cook until crisp-tender.  Add remaining ingredients (except wrappers), mix well.  Drain well in strainer.  Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly.
3. Place 2 tablespoonfuls mixture in center of wrapper and roll.
4. Heat 1 inch of oil in large fry pan over med.-high heat.  Fry egg rolls in batches, about 1 min. per side.  Drain on plate lined with paper towels.  Place sauce in dipping bowl and enjoy!    

Three-cheese Garden Pizza

Here's a simple and delicious recipe that I made quite often at shows when I was first getting started. It's healthy and can be prepared in about 45 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 pkg (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup (1 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 small onion, sliced into rings
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Unroll dough onto bottom of lightly greased Large Bar Pan. Gently stretch dough to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Place oil in (1-cup) Prep Bowl. Press garlic into oil using Garlic Press; brush evenly over dough using Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush. Bake crust 7 minutes. Remove from oven; place on Stackable Cooling Rack.

2. Meanwhile, grate cheddar and mozzarella cheeses using Ultimate Mandoline fitted with grating blade; place in Classic Batter Bowl. Grate Parmesan cheese over batter bowl using Microplane® Adjustable Grater. Add Italian seasoning to cheeses using Adjustable Measuring Spoon; toss lightly using Small Mix ’N Scraper® and set aside. Using Ultimate Mandoline, slice onion and tomatoes using v-shaped blade; slice zucchini using crinkle cut blade. Slice mushrooms using Utility Knife.

3. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture evenly over crust; top evenly with onion, zucchini, tomatoes and mushrooms. Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Bake 15-18 minutes or until crust is golden brown; remove from oven to cooling rack. Cut into squares using Pizza Cutter. Serve using Mini-Serving Spatula.

Yield: 6 main dish servings or 12 appetizer servings

Microwave White Chicken Chili

Colder weather means its a perfect time to start cooking up some chili. Here's a great recipe I found for some white chicken chili.

Ingredients:
3 whole heads garlic (about 48 cloves), unpeeled (this may seem like a lot but "roasting" them in the microwave lends a mild, mellow taste)

¾ tsp salt, divided
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 poblano peppers
1 medium onion
1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp Southwestern Seasoning Mix
2 cans (15.5 oz each) Great Northern beans, drained
1 jar (16 oz) salsa verde
 
1. Using (5-in.) Santoku Knife, slice about 1/4 in. off the pointed top of garlic heads to expose

cloves. Place garlic cut side up in Classic Batter Bowl. Sprinkle garlic with 1/4 tsp of the salt and
drizzle with 2 tbsp of the oil. Cover batter bowl with lid; microwave on HIGH 3 minutes or until
garlic is soft. Set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, finely dice peppers using Santoku Knife. Chop onion using Food Chopper. Combine
peppers and onion in Deep Covered Baker. Trim and finely dice chicken using Boning Knife.
Add chicken, seasoning mix, remaining 1 tbsp oil and remaining 1/2 tsp salt to baker; mix well
using Master Scraper. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 4 minutes; stir to separate chicken. Cover;
microwave an additional 4-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, gently squeeze cooled garlic from heads into batter bowl (discard skins); mash using
Mix ‘N Masher. Add beans and salsa to batter bowl. Transfer bean mixture to baker; mix well.
Microwave, covered, on HIGH 5-7 minutes or until chili is heated through.

Yield: 8 servings (8 cups)

Cheesy meat loaf and potato wedges

Last night, I used two of my favorite items to make a meal that everyone loved. In fact, there weren't even any leftovers.

I baked a cheesy meat loaf in the Deep Covered Baker, aka the Magic Pot, and I used my Large Bar Pan to roast some potato wedges.

To prepare the meat loaf, I mixed the beef with egg, shredded cheese and onion. After baking for about an hour, I put a bit of ketchup on top and baked for a few more minutes. You can also make meat loaf in the microwave using the Deep Covered Baker in about 15 minutes.

I cut several potatoes into wedges, tossed them in oil and then sprinkled them with salt and garlic powder. I baked them for 30 minutes.

Double Chocolate Mousse Cups

Want to impress your friends and family with a fun dessert? Check out The Pampered Chef ®
Double Chocolate Mousse Cups

Recipe

Waffle Cups

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 pkg (4 oz) prepared waffle bowls (10 bowls)

Mousse & Garnish

1/2 cup white chocolate morsels
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg (3.3 oz) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted
1 container (6 oz) fresh raspberries

For waffle cups, place semi-sweet morsels in Prep Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 60-90 seconds or until melted and smooth, stirring every 15 seconds. Dip Chef's Silicone Basting Brush into chocolate. Swirl basting brush around inside walls of waffle bowls, replenishing brush with chocolate as necessary.

For mousse, place white chocolate morsels into another Prep Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 60-90 seconds or until melted and smooth, stirring every 15 seconds. Combine milk and pudding mix in Classic Batter Bowl; whisk using Stainless Whisk until thickened. Add melted white chocolate; whisk until smooth. Fold in whipped topping using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®.

Coarsely chop almonds using Food Chopper. To assemble cups, spoon mousse into gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Trim corner of bag with Utility Knife; using a circular motion, pipe mousse evenly into cups. Sprinkle mousse with almonds and top with raspberries.

Yield: 10 servings

ENJOY!

© The Pampered Chef used under license.

Pork Tenderloin in 15 minutes?

Yes, it's true. One of my favorite dishes to prepare at cooking shows is a juicy pork tenderloin - done in 15 minutes in the microwave.

Before I get into the details, I have to tell you that the secret is something we've dubbed "The Magic Pot." Officially, it's the Deep Covered Baker, but whatever you want to call it, it's the best investment I've made in my kitchen in years.

The Deep Covered Baker is made of stoneware. Like our other stoneware pieces, it can be used in the oven, microwave and freezer. And it's easy to clean.
So back to the tenderloin. Prepare it by brushing it with oil and a rub of your choice, garnish with onions and potatoes or leave it by itself, put it in the microwave on high for 10-12 minutes, take it out and let it sit for 10 minutes - the amazing thing is the meat continues to cook once it's been removed from the microwave.

Voila! A tasty, healthy meal with meat and veggies in less than half an hour.

That's one great recipe with the Deep Covered Baker. I've got dozens more I'll share with you in upcoming posts.