Egg Rolls Away

I decided to make egg rolls this afternoon because I had some wrappers in my fridge. I didn't just want to make one kind in abundance, so I decided to make two varieties and freeze for later use.
The first was a take on a traditional egg roll, the second was desert. Recipes as follows.

Traditional Egg Rolls
Inspired by the Food Network
Ingredients:
(I used a food processor to chop all ingredients finely)
2 Tablespoons Canola oil, plus more for frying
1 Tablespoon of chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 chiles, stemmed and chopped
1/2 pound of ground pork
1 cup shredded cabbage (I used a coleslaw mixture)
4 tablespoons soya sauce
1 cup mushrooms
2 tablespoons sherry
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water to create a slurry
salt and pepper
1 cup scallions
1 package of egg roll wrappers
1 egg beaten with 1/4 cup water

Directions:
Heat oil in wok or skillet over high heat. When hot add the garlic, ginger and chiles and cook for 2 minutes but don't burn. Add pork and fry till heated through, 3-5 mins. Add cabbage, soy sauce, mushrooms ans sherry and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add cornstarch slurry and mix well, season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl, add scallions and let cool.

Place the point of the wrapper towards you, brush with egg mixture. Place 1/4 cup of filling about an inch or two from the corner in front of you. Fold corner up just to cover filling, take sides and fold in, continue rolling to enclose mixture completely. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a tea towel till all rolls are complete.
Heat oil in a deep fryer or dutch oven to 350˚F, add the egg rolls 4-6 at a time and fry for about 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Serve with hot mustard or sweet and sour sauce.

S'more Egg rolls
Ingredients
1 egg
1 cup of chocolate pieces
Half a bag of mini marshmallows, microwaved
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
1/4 cup graham crackers crushed

Directions:
Take an egg roll wrapper and place with point facing towards you. Mix egg with 1/4 cup of water and brush all edges of wrapper. Take a handful of chocolate pieces and place 2 inches above bottom point. Add a large spoonful of melted marshmallow. Fold bottom point just over filling and then fold both sides in, fixing and tucking neatly. Roll wrapper up till roll is completely sealed, place on parchment lined tray covered with a tea towel till all rolls are completed.

In a preheated oven at  375˚ for about 20 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and graham crackers.

Mmmm Pizza.

Go figure, I post about craving pasta and come home to make pizza? Similar flavour palate, different craving all together. the hardest part about this pizza is waiting for the dough to mix for 1 1/2 hours.

Simple Pizza
1 large batch of bread machine pizza dough
2-3 cups homemade sauce (I didn't measure, I just made) - mixture of sundried and vine tomatoes, onion, garlic, roasted red pepper and pesto
30 slices of pepperoni
Handful of basil leaves
3 cups of cheese mix: mozzarella , cheddar and parmigiano
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Flour  and cooking spray
Preheat oven to 425˚F.
Take two pizza pans, coat with thin layer of cooking spray and dust with flour. Split dough in half and work into a circle by stretching with one hand while pulling dough over knuckles of other hand. Coat middle of each pizza with a layer of olive oil, this prevents moisture build up and soggy crust. Spoon sauce onto pizza evenly. Chop basil leaves into a chiffonade (ooo fancy cooking word for thin strips) and toss on top of sauce. Place half of pepperoni on each pizza, cover with cheese and top with the remainder of pepperoni.
Cook on middle racks of oven for 20-30 minutes, switching top pizza for bottom pizza half-way through. Top with fresh grated parmigiano, cut and serve. Buon Appetito

Craving... pasta

My Godparents are Italian, so I was raised on homemade pastas and sauces. Watching my Godmother cook was always fascinating. She would show me what she did, serve an 8 course meal whenever we visited and would send us home with enough leftovers for days. I get serious pasta cravings because of it! I found this recipe one day and tried it in hopes of creating something worthy of my heritage. This is what I am thinking about right now. I might as well pass this on to you!

From Williams-Sonoma

Bucatini all' Amatriciana

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/3 lb. pancetta, diced
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 lb. ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded
    and diced, or 2 cups chopped canned plum
    tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Salt, to taste
• 1 lb. dried bucatini, perciatelli or spaghetti
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese

Directions:

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and pancetta, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta renders some of its fat, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, adding a little water if the sauce becomes too thick. Season with salt. Remove from the heat.

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir well and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), about 12 minutes or according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, reheat the sauce gently over low heat.

Drain the pasta and return to the warm pot. Add the sauce and 1/4 cup of the pecorino cheese. Toss well. Divide among warmed dishes. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, dividing it evenly. Serve immediately.

An earful of corn... frittering away

 When I was a child, every summer we would drive to Athens, Ontario and attend the "Corn Festival". An old steam engine was used to boil the water and corn, and it was delicious. My favourite part of the festival, tho, was the Corn Fritters. Friend doughnuts with corn kernels in the middle and rolled in cinnamon or sugar were truly the highlight of my summer. When I recently purchased more fresh Ontario corn than I could use in one week, my first thoughts were of those corn fritters of my youth. I sought out a recipe from The Food Network and worked at making it my own. I didn't coat my fritters in cinnamon/sugar tho, I served them with dinner in a corn inspired meal.

Bowl full of Corn Goodness

Corn Fritters:
Serves 2 Dozen
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 ears of corn
Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:
Pour 2 inches of oil into a dutch oven, heat oil to 325 degrees F.

Peel, desilk and remove corn kernels from 2 ears of corn (chop bottom of corn cob evnly so it stands on end and run knife down each side to remove kernels).

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl beat eggs slightly and mix with milk. Add milk mixture to cornmeal mixture, stirring well. Stir in butter and corn.
Drop corn mixture by tablespoon (using another spoon to remove all mixture from spoon in one continuous motion), or using a small ice cream scoop, into hot oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, turning once, or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm.