Crispy Baked Egg Rolls

It’s been a long time since I posted! Shame on me! This tasty recipe for baked egg rolls is super delicious, easy and very healthy. My five year old helped me “roll” the egg rolls, and both my kids loved the end result. The green onions are the only ingrediant that requires chopping. Everything else is just opening packages. I found egg roll wrappers in the produce section by the tofu, and oyster sauce is in the Asian food aisle. Get your kids to help and have fun! (Yes my daughter is pictured below still in her jammies at dinner time. And yes she’s wearing Christmas jammies in April.)

Crispy Baked Egg Rolls

2 tbsp. olive oil
16 oz. bag cole slaw mix (cabbage or broccoli slaw)
4 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
1 tbsp. white wine (vermouth or sake)
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 eggs (optional)
1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
20 egg roll wrappers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium to medium high heat. Add coleslaw, green onions, bean sprouts, wine, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Stir- fry until cabbage is wilted, 3 – 5 minutes. Push contents of pan to the outside leaving a well in the center. Whisk eggs in a small bowl and add to pan. Let the eggs cook for about 1 minute then stir until soft scrambled. Mix everything together. Mix cornstarch with 1 tbsp. cold water and stir into cabbage mixture. Stir for about 1 minute until sauce is thickened.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place a 1/4 cup of the mixture in center of egg roll wrapper turned like a diamond.

Fold the bottom corner up over the filling. Fold in both sides, then roll upward. Put a dab of water on the top corner to seal the roll. Place on baking sheet seam side down.

Repeat with remaining mixture and wrappers, about 20. Egg rolls can be placed close together on baking sheet but cannot touch. Spray the tops with cooking spray and bake until golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Serve with sweet and sour sauce and Chinese hot mustard.

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Gingerbread Pancakes

Gingerbread pancakes, they really need no introduction, except YUM!  This is a great way to use up that little bit of molasses sitting around from the gingerbread cookies you made at Christmas.  My kids loved these with maple syrup and butter.  The molasses is the only sweetener, so if you don’t have enough add a little brown sugar to make 3 tablespoons.  Enjoy!

Gingerbread Pancakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 tablespoons molasses (not robust or blackstrap)
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.  In a small bowl whisk together molasses, egg, sour cream,  milk, and melted butter; add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.  Let the batter sit for about 10 minutes.

Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium to medium high heat until a drop of water scatters on surface.  Either spray with cooking spray or brush with butter.  Drop ¼ cup of batter per pancake on griddle and cook until bubbles appear on surface and edges look dry, 1 to 2 minutes.  Flip and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes.  Makes 10 – 12 4-inch pancakes.

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M.A. Eats Best of 2010

Thank you for a great year!  M.A. Eats had a fantastic first year.  Thank you for reading and commenting.  My most popular post was Vegan Chocolate Cake, followed by Macaroni and Cheese, then Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.  I’m reposting the Chocolate Cake recipe below with instructions for making wonderful cupcakes.  I hope you all had a wonderful 2010 and best wishes for the New Year!

Simple and Delicious Chocolate Cupcakes

• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1  teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup olive oil (or canola or vegetable oil work too)
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place cupcake papers in two standard muffin pans.  Spray the surface of the pan with cooking spray so that the cupcake tops do not stick to pan.  In a large bowl stir together dry ingredients, sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa.  Add water, olive oil, vinegar and vanilla.  Beat by hand with a fork until combined.  Batter should have a uniform appearance with no lumps.  Fill each cupcake paper 3/4 full.  Bake in middle rack of oven for 20 – 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.  Makes 24 cupcakes.

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Chicken, Shiitake, and Broccoli Stir Fry

This stir fry is flavorful, colorful and simple.  Hoisin sauce can be found near the soy sauce at the grocery store, and is a great addition to many Asian inspired dishes.  If you are serving kids omit the the chili garlic sauce and add it at the table.

 

Chicken, Shiitake, and Broccoli Stir Fry

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 12 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced (or 3 – 4 large dried mushrooms)
• 1 pound chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
• Florets from 1 crown of broccoli (about 3 cups)
• 5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon chinese five spice powder

 If using dried mushrooms, place the mushrooms in a microwave safe bowl and cover with water. Microwave on high for 3 minutes and let mushrooms soak until ready to use. Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat sesame oil in a wok or large saute pan.  Add ginger, mushrooms, broccoli and onion.  Stir fry 5 minutes.  Move the vegetables to the outside of the pan and add the chicken to the center. Cook stirring frequently for about 10 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through.  If you like a lot of sauce add some of the mushroom soaking liquid now.  Add hoisin, chili sauce and five spice.  Cook about 2 minutes more and remove from heat.  Serve with hot steamed white or brown rice.

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Macaroni and Cheese

Homemade macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods.  Its is rich and cheesy and delicious.  It does take some time to prepare, but the preparation is relatively simple and well worth the time.  Served with a green salad or other vegetable it makes a complete meal.

Macaroni and Cheese

• 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded colby-jack or mozzarella cheese
• Paprika (optional)

Cook macaroni according to package directions (be sure to add salt to water).  Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan or dutch oven over low heat: add flour, stirring until smooth.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.  This can take about 10 minutes.  Stir in salt and cheeses, stirring until cheese melts.

Stir cooked macaroni into sauce and pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.  Bake uncovered at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes or until bubbly.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe can be halved and baked in a 2-quart or 11 x 7-inch baking dish.

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Oven Roasted Broccoli

Oven roasted broccoli?  That sounds weird.  Don’t you roast things like beef, pork and wild boar?  Why would I roast broccoli?  Because its delicious!  Roasting the broccoli brings out a nutty sweetness that is different and delicious.  Don’t be scared when it gets a little brown on the edges, this is a good thing.  If you buy the whole crown of broccoli with the stalk like I do, (its cheaper), don’t throw the stalk away!  That was too dramatic, but the stalk is yummy.  Be sure to cut about an inch or so off the end and peel the remaining stalk with a veggie peeler and slice.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

• 2 – 3 crowns fresh broccoli, separated into florets, and stalk peeled and sliced if using
• 1 – 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375°F.  Line a baking sheet (with sides) with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Spread broccoli out on pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for about 45 minutes or until edges of broccoli are browned.

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Summer Berry Buckle

I’ve never made a dish described as a “buckle” before.  I have made cobblers, (I like the kind with pastry crust not biscuit topping), and crisps, but never a buckle.  I’m reading a great book, A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly and the narrator Mattie describes the Blueberry Buckle her mother used to make in happier times.  The description of the dessert and the cheerfulness of the characters made me want to know all about foods know as buckles.  The book takes place in rural upstate New York in the early 1900’s, but I got out my Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook and sure enough there was a recipe for Blueberry Buckle and even a description of all kinds of rustic fruit desserts.  There are of course cobblers and crisps and even more old timey things called bettys and crumbles.  The cookbook also listed something called a slump which is sometimes known as a grunt because of the sound it makes when its cooking.  I won’t be trying either of the last two, ever.   

 Southern Living describes a buckle as, “tender cake generally baked with fresh berries inside or on the bottom of the cake.”  This buckle has the fruit right on the top and it is outstanding!  The cake is delicate and moist, not very sweet, the fruit juicy and fresh, and the crumb topping is browned and crunchy.  I used up some almost overripe strawberries and blueberries, and I’m fairly certain any berry would be delicious. I think we waited a whole 7 or 8 minutes after it came out of the oven to eat it.  The warm fruit and cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream was divine.  Also it’s a great way to use up fruit if you overbought on your last trip to the grocery store.

Summer Berry Buckle

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups fresh berries (whatever you like), washed and patted dry.  Slice strawberries if using.
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cold butter

Ready for the oven

In a medium bowl beat ½ cup softened butter at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy.  Add ½ cup sugar, mix well.

In a small bowl combine 1 ¼ cups flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.*  Stir in vanilla.

post oven

Pour batter into a greased 8-inch square baking dish.  Top with berries.

In the same bowl used for the flour, combine remaining ½ cup sugar, remaining ¼ cup flour and cinnamon.  Cut in the ¼ cup cold butter with a pastry blender, or use your fingers, until mixture is crumbly; sprinkle evenly over blueberries.

Bake at 375° for 40 – 45 minutes.  Makes about 8 servings.

*To alternate, first add about ½ cup of the flour, then half of the milk, then another half a cup of flour then rest of the milk then the remaining ¼ cup of flour.  Don’t forget to mix well after each addition.  My mom (the professional baker, and retired chemistry teacher) explained the chemistry of this process to me once and why it makes a difference.  There were big words and things I can’t remember but it does make a difference in the final product, and it only takes an extra minute.

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Spaghetti and Meatballs

So my summer tomato craving has extended to canned tomatoes.  I use jarred pasta sauce often, but every once in a while I like to make my own sauce.  This is a 40 minute meal from start to finish.  You could cut down on the prep time by simply browning the ground beef and adding it to the sauce instead of making the meatballs.  My kids love meatballs so we almost always make them.  I used fresh basil and oregano from my yard for this recipe.

You may find it strange that I use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs in my meatballs.  I wanted to use something whole grain that served the same purpose and oatmeal is great alternative.  Just be sure to use plain quick cooking oats.  Start heating your pasta cooking water after you get the meatballs in the pan so that it boils while the sauce simmers.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

For Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground beef (ground round or leaner)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons quick cooking oatmeal
• ¼ milk
• 1 clove garlic minced
• ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper

Sauce:

• 1 small onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 28 ounce can peeled crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup total fresh basil and oregano leaves roughly chopped
• salt and pepper

Mix together the meatball ingredients with a fork until well combined.  Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a 12 inch non-stick pan (I like Calphalon’s hard anodized 12 inch sauté pan).  Form 1”meatballs adding them to the pan as you form them.  Make sure to leave some room in between each one.  Brown well, about 4 minutes, flip them carefully and brown the other side.  Remove meatballs to a paper towel lined plate to drain.  Pour all but about 1 tablespoon fat from the pan and add onion and garlic.  Sauté until fragrant, about 90 seconds and add the chopped fresh herbs.  Sauté briefly then carefully pour in the canned tomatoes.  Season with about 1/8 teaspoon of salt and a few turns of the pepper mill.  Bring to a simmer.  Add the meatballs back to the pan and very gently stir to submerge most of them in the sauce.  If you like your sauce thinner cover the pan and turn heat to low.  If you like a thicker sauce like me, leave the pan uncovered and the heat on medium low.  Simmer for about 10 minutes while your pasta cooks. Serve with whatever kind of pasta you like and parmesan cheese.  We like the non-fancy kind in the green can.  Serves 5.

New Camera = lots of pictures 🙂

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Vegan Chocolate Cake

As you have probably noticed I am not a vegan, but I needed to make a cake for a dear friend whose son has a severe egg allergy. I found this recipe that just happens to be vegan and tweaked it slightly.  The cake is really moist and chocolatey and we never missed the butter and milk.  My whole family loved it. I took one to my in-laws house and my husband’s grandmothers almost got in a fight over it.  It’s great as a snack cake with no frosting or to layer and decorate for a special occasion.  It is a bit more crumbly than a typical cake, so if you plan on making multiple layers and applying frosting be very careful.  

I prefer it with no icing straight out of the 9×13 pan.  A dusting of powdered sugar makes for a pretty presentation.  I have made this cake 3 times now and I can get it mixed up and in the pan before the oven is heated.  It’s super easy, simple and delicious.  It might also be healthy (as healthy as chocolate cake can be).

Vegan Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup olive oil (or canola or vegetable oil work too)
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a 9”x13” pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl stir together dry ingredients, sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa.  Add water, olive oil, vinegar and vanilla.  Beat by hand with a fork until combined.  Batter should have a uniform appearance with no lumps.  Pour into the prepared  9’’x13” pan.  Bake in middle rack of oven for 45 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.  You can also bake this in two 8”x”8 pans for 35 – 40 minutes.

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Ginger Garlic Flank Steak with Mashed Cauliflower and Brown Rice with Spinach

First of all, I agree that cauliflower is not a substitute for potatoes, but it is really tasty and deceptively yummy when mashed with just a tiny bit of olive oil and butter.  My kids ate it up.  My son picked most of the spinach out of his rice, but loved the tender flavorful flank steak.  I think this meal is beautiful and delicious.

I can’t guarantee that you can make this meal from start to finish in any particular time period, but if your kitchen is somewhat organized, and you have small children helping wash veggies and play with the salad spinner, you can do it in about 45 minutes.  This is the second time I made this exact meal, (I wanted to make sure the first time wasn’t just dumb luck),  and I did it in 45 minutes with a break to fold a load of laundry.  Anywho, it’s a complete meal, veggie, whole grain carb, mmmmmm yes red meat, and its super easy.

Garlic Ginger Flank Steak

• 1 ½  lb flank steak (approximately)
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 Tb soy sauce
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 2 Tb honey
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger root (or really really finely chopped)
• Juice of one lemon

Place steak in a large zip lock bag.  Combine marinade ingredients, pepper through lemon juice, and pour over steak in bag.  Mush it around a little and marinade in refrigerator 30 – 60 minutes.

Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade, and place on a foil lined baking sheet.  Broil on top rack of oven for 6 minutes per side for medium.  While steak is cooking pour reserved marinade into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Boil over medium heat until reduced and slightly thickened (about 7 minutes).  When steak is done, transfer to a cutting board and pour juice from pan into the sauce pan with the marinade.  Simmer for another minute or two and remove from heat.  Let the steak rest for about 10 minutes before slicing!  Cut against the grain into thin strips and serve drizzled with sauce.

Mashed Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower (washed and florets separated from stalk)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tb unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place florets and water in a large pan with tight-fitting lid.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Bring water to a boil over medium high heat.  Once the water is boiling, cover and reduce heat.  Simmer for about 40 – 45 minutes.  Check after 30 minutes to make sure the water hasn’t evaporated.  Add more water, ¼ cup at a time, if necessary until cauliflower is very tender.  There should be about ¼ cup of cooking liquid left in the pan when cauliflower is done.  Remove from heat; add butter to pan and mash with a potato masher until it resembles mashed potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Brown Rice with Spinach

• 4 cups hot cooked brown rice
• 1 bunch or 1 bag spinach washed and dried in salad spinner
• 2 Tb soy sauce
• 1 Tb sesame oil (use less if you’re not a sesame oil lover like me)
• Drizzle of honey

Cook rice according to package directions.  Sorry I’m not much help here, my husband is Korean, we have a rice cooker, I highly recommend getting one.  Combine the hot cooked rice with the uncooked spinach in a large bowl.  Stir until all the spinach is incorporated with the rice.  Let it sit for a minute or two (slice up your steak here) and then add the soy sauce, sesame oil and honey.  Stir again and the spinach should be wilted.  TADA!

For tips on when to start what so its all ready at the same time, send me a comment.  Thanks!

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