Spring rolls

What are they?  Spring rolls not according to the crazy 88's I work with.   I guess it would be a Vietnamese egg roll, but not really.  I will say they were good and worth the effort. 

Egg Rolls
Pkg spring roll wrappers
1 # ground pork
1 bunch green onion
1 carrot
1 serving rice vermicelli
1/2 head green cabbage
1 egg

Sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup dark soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 scallion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Combine all ingredients and stir.

Let your wrappers come to room temp before wrapping your roll. Cook rice vermicelli according to directions.   Brown pork in skillet adding seasonings to taste ( salt ,pepper, ground ginger).  Add grated carrot and finely chopped onion to pork cook  till soft, remove from heat.  Saute thinly sliced cabbage in a little sesame oil till wilted then combine with pork, veggies and noodles and stir.

Take a spoonful of mixture and place in wrapper roll each wrapper and seal edge with a little egg wash.

Fry in hot oil until they reach the color you like.

This is a family exercise I make a big wok of fried rice and this can be your whole meal.

Chicken and dumplings

Okay, let me say YES and YES.  Yes it is worth making your own stock and yes it is good.  I start with a basic homemade chicken stock.  Homemade stock is easy and sets the tone for your recipes,  I should have already explained making stock since it is the base to build from, anytime I need to boil chicken I make stock and freeze it (3 months).  I used a frozen pre-made dumpling (Anne's Dumplings) that is great if you like that type, if not make your own gross, wet bread biscuit type dumplings; whatever but don't blame me when it is all doughy and such.  When cold weather rears its ugly head, I like big bubbling pots filled with warm goodness.  Try this recipe on a cold day and think warm thoughts.

Chicken and Dumplings
1 pkg. Anne's Dumplings
4 chicken leg and thigh quarters
1 lg onion
3-4 ribs celery
3 carrots

Stock
Put chicken in pot and cover with water.
Add onion skin and cut off ends, add celery tops and cut off ends.
1 tbsp. poultry seasoning
1tsp. salt
1tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 bay leaves
Boil till chicken is cooked, remove chicken and let cool. Let stock simmer.  When chicken is cool pick bones, place meat in separate bowl.  Cut or break bones and add bones and skin back to pot.  Boil stock for at least another hour.  Strain stock into bowl and refrigerate, when cool remove fat.
That is your basic chicken stock.  Make it, use it, love it.

Chicken and Dumplings
Put  stock and chicken into pot, dice onion, celery and carrots and add to pot.  Bring to boil when veggies are done start adding dumplings.  Add dumplings (cut in half) and cook according to directions.
I like it to be thick you can change your viscosity by adding milk to thin or cold milk and cornstarch to thicken (1 cup milk + 1 tbsp. corn starch).  Let simmer and invite close friends to enjoy.  I served with fresh green salad but you're cooking you pick the sides.
Marcus

Breakfast

If you need to feed a group breakfast this is an easy way to do it.  This will feed 8-10 people as a main dish, I make it the night before so all I have to do is pop it in the oven while making the rest of breakfast.

Bacon and egg bake
12 eggs
12 strips bacon
4 cups potatoes O'Brien
12 oz. Velveeta
1/2 cup sour cream

Cook bacon set aside to drain.  Cook potatoes O'Brien in bacon fat and place in greased 9x12 baking dish.  Place even layer of thinly sliced Velveeta over potatoes  Whip eggs and sour cream together and pour over potatoes and cheese.  Dice bacon and sprinkle on top of mixture.   Bake at 350 for 40 min. or until middle of mixture is firm.  Enjoy.
Marcus

Wraps

I feel that I have been lazy with my cooking and recipes.  I just really don't do fancy and I am not a chef.  I cook and I like to eat; sometimes we eat "high on the hog", but mainly it is easy, good food.  I eat tons of sandwiches. I think the humble sandwich is so under rated.  Think about your possibilities: different meats, cheeses, breads you can have it, hot, cold, or even grilled.  Oh, don't even let me get started talking about stuffed or pockets.  Tonight I want to remind you about tortilla wraps.

Grilled chicken wraps
1 pkg. jalapeno cheddar wraps
2 chicken breast (marinated)
4 pieces bacon
1/2 red onion
lettuce
tomato
cheese (Your pick. I used Swiss and Provolone.)
Marinate your chicken overnight in Tuscan Italian dressing.  Grill chicken and slice on bias.  Heat wraps in skillet with a little of your bacon fat.  Assemble wraps like a burrito using the rest of the ingredients.  Enjoy.
Marcus

Taco Soup

I said I wanted to share inexpensive and easy recipes, well this is both and tasty to boot.  I love my crock pot.
ingredients
1 # hamburger
1 onion (diced)
1 can Rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can hominy
1 envelope dry ranch dressing
1 envelope taco seasoning

I make this the night before put it in refrigerator.  In  the morning turn crock pot on low and when you get home from work it is ready to go.
Brown hamburger and onion, drain, and put in crock pot.  Put everything else in crock pot and stir a bit.  Cook on low all day, the longer the better.  Serve with chips and cheese or whatever you like maybe green chilies or hot salsa or grilled peppers it is all good.  Go for it.
Marcus

Thanksgiving

How was everyones holiday?  Ours was great two houses, two meals and too much of everything else.  I know everyone has their own traditions and dishes for the holidays so I am not posting recipes today just a few suggestions and pictures.  I had an easy day only spinach and deviled eggs, Kerri did three bean salad and our family did the rest and boy, was there plenty!  Cheesecake Factory red velvet cheesecake is.... uh... awesome.  My buddy James was making green chili stuffing and a raspberry green chili glaze for his ham sounds like two new items to try.  Another friend always makes horseradish mashed potatoes definitely have got to borrow that recipe.  Good food good friends and great family I am blessed hope you are too.  Share your holiday meals with us. Know I am so interested on what you eat.
Marcus

Chicken and Rice Soup

This is a quick and easy chicken and rice soup.  Kerri (wifey) brought this recipe home from somewhere and it is a good cold weather quickie.

 Chicken and Rice soup
1 rotisserie chicken
1 onion (diced)
4 carrots (peeled, diced)
1 can mushrooms (drained)
1 cup brown rice
2 tbsp. Cavender's Greek seasoning

I suggest following the recipe the first time and try the dish as presented. You may like it.  This soup is easy to change and almost any substitution is good.  Celery, no mushrooms, dumplings or noodles( Reames frozen) are a few easy changes.

Start by picking your chicken  I like to take a heavy knife and hack my bones up put bones and skin into stock pot.  Chop onion and carrots, put all trimmings in stock pot and cover with 4-6 cups water. Add 1 tbsp. black pepper corn, 2 chicken bouillon cubes and boil the longer the better.  Drain and reserve stock.
Combine all ingredient in soup pot and hard roll boil for 30 min.  Reduce heat and cover add water to desired consistency.  Soups and stews are yours to adapt to your taste, make them fit your taste and serve them with your sides, dinner rolls, cornbread , croissants it is all about what you like.  Do not be afraid; you know the flavors you prefer.  Experiment and enjoy.
Marcus