Lumpia

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LumpiaI have many good memories associated with lumpia and football. A family friend always made them for the Super Bowl party we went to, year after year, and everyone always loved them. They were out of the kitchen as soon as they came out of the fryer!

Most of the ingredients are fairly easy to come by, even for a country mouse like myself. You may have a hard time finding spring roll wrappers. I know I did, for years. Until finally I realized that we have an Asian market here in Salisbury. Subconciously, I knew it was there. But, I’d always avoided it because the mini-strip mall that they call home looks kind of skeezy. A month or so ago, I finally ventured in, and am kicking myself for not going in sooner. Everything was clean, and well organized – and ingredients that I’d been searching years to find (black vinegar! good fish sauce!) were on the shelves in abundance. Was so happy to see that they had spring roll wrappers, so I purchased a couple packages to stick in the freezer. Then came home and set out to try making my own lumpia!

They come together fairly quickly, as you don’t pre-cook the filling. Just make sure to chop the carrots and cabbage very finely – as this helps to lighten the texture of the ground pork. Also, keep in mind that lumpia should be a good deal smaller than an egg roll – because they’re almost exclusively meat, as opposed to shredded vegetables. It’s easy to find yourself wanting to put more filling in before you roll them up – but, resist that urge. About one fingers width and length is the amount of filling you want in each roll.

If you’re still looking for Super Bowl munchie ideas, definitely consider this one. They can be fried in advance, then kept warm in the oven for an hour or so – without having the crispiness of the roll suffer.  Which leaves you plenty of time to mix up some Hurricanes before your guests arrive! Also, GO NINERS!

Lumpia

1 lb ground pork
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup carrots, finely minced
1 cup cabbage, finely minced
1/2 cup green onions, finely minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
30 spring roll (or lumpia) wrappers

In a large bowl combine ground pork, garlic, carrots, cabbage, green onions, and ginger. Using clean hands, mix to combine.

To wrap the lumpia, place 3 teaspoons of the filling diagonally near one corner of each wrapper, leaving a 1 1/2 inch space at both ends. Fold the side along the length of the filling over the filling, tuck in both ends, and roll neatly. Keep the roll tight as you assemble. Moisten the other side of the wrapper with water to seal the edge. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap to retain moisture.

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet or dutch oven to 350 degrees. Place 3 or 4 lumpia into the oil. Fry the rolls for about 5 minutes, turning often, until all sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels that are placed on top on a cooling rack. Serve immediately with sweet chili or soy sauce.

Source: inspired by our family friend, CJ

Spicy Whiskey BBQ Sliders

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Whiskey BBQ Sliders

I was reading an article last night, a survey of different dishes being ranked from most favorite – to least, by chefs all across the country. At the top of their list for “foods that are going out of style” was sliders. Which, who orders a slider in a fancy place anyway? I don’t know about you guys, but these tiny bundles of burgers will never go out of style in our house!

The first time I had these was at a book club meeting. The hostess made them for us, and I immediately requested the recipe! Sliders are so much fun, you can put anything on/in them – and besides that, they’re just so darn cute! I’ve made them a couple of times since then, usually for lunch on a weekend. But, they would be just perfect for one of the big games we have coming up!

Don’t be scared off by the pickled jalapenos. These sliders aren’t very spicy, the peppers really add more flavor than anything. It’s a low and slow kind of heat, and we love it. But if you’d like to leave them out, that’s fine. Maybe add a splash of vinegar to the sauce instead, just for a little bit of acidic bite to round out the flavors.

Spicy Whiskey BBQ Sliders

2 pounds ground beef (ground turkey would work be great too)
salt and pepper
4 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup good whiskey
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup jarred sliced jalapenos
12 whole slider buns, split and toasted (dinner rolls work too!)

Form the meat into 12 (or so) miniature patties and salt and pepper them on both sides. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the patties until just about done in the middle, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the patties from the skillet and set aside. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of grease, then return the skillet to the stove.

Throw the diced onions in the skillet and stir to cook, about 3 minutes. Pour in whiskey (be careful if you’re cooking over an open flame; turn it off momentarily to be extra careful) and stir. Allow the whiskey to reduce by half, about 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in jalapenos and the barbecue sauce.

Reduce the heat to low and place the patties in the barbecue sauce, turning to coat. Allow the patties to simmer in the sauce until everything is hot and bubbly.

Place the patties on individual buns and be sure to spoon extra sauce (with the jalapenos!) over the top of each one before topping with the other half of the bun.

Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Beer-Candied Bacon

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Beer-Candied Bacon

I had my first taste of beer-candied bacon on a burger at my other favorite local brewpub, Evolution’s Public House. While I don’t really remember anything remarkable about the burger itself, that beer-candied bacon really resonated with me. And, I tucked it away in the “make sure to try at home” file.

So, when I went into bacon-hoarding overdrive during the Holidays – and had about three pound in the fridge after Christmas, I decided to give the beer-candied bacon thing a go to have for New Year’s Eve munching. Takes less than 1 minute to throw the glaze together, then some cooking time in the oven. Which, by the way, if you haven’t been cooking bacon in your oven you’re missing out. No grease splatter, no bacon sticking to the pan, no more uneven cooking. Just perfectly crisp bacon, every time. If you line a baking pan with aluminum foil, it’s super-easy cleanup too!

With the playoff games ahead of us, as well as Super Bowl, these sweet and salty little bites of heaven would “drop the bomb” on anyone who tried them.  I served them in my favorite pint glass (yes, that’s a honey badger) which I thought was cute. It was almost like a bouquet of bacon; there’s an idea for Valentine’s Day, ladies! I used a stout for the glaze, but I think that most beers (maybe aside from an IPA) would work for this application. It’s a quick and easy appetizer that’s so fun and different – a great start to the new year in my book!

Beer-Candied Bacon

1 lb thick-cut, high quality bacon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp beer (I used Dogfish Head’s Chicory Stout)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine brown sugar and beer in a small bowl, whisking well to form a thin syrup. Set aside.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire cooling rack on top. Place the pieces of bacon on top of the rack, overlapping if necessary. Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and brush one side of the bacon with the beer syrup. Flip, and coat the other side with the syrup as well. Return to oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and repeat process another time or two more, until bacon is crispy and browned, and you’ve used all the glaze.

Cool on wire rack for at least 1 hour before serving.

Source: adapted from Oskar Blues Brewery

baconstoutchocolatecheesecake-150x150

 

I made this beer-candied bacon to go in conjunction with a Bacon Stout Chocolate Cheesecake. If you’re into the idea of beer and bacon, make sure to check it out here!

 

 

Recipe Roundup: Gift Ideas

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Christmas is rapidly approaching, and the list of who I want to give “a little something” to continues to grow. That’s why over the years I’ve turned to making homemade gift baskets. To me, there is nothing more special than a gift from someone’s kitchen. So, here’s a few of my favorites that I wanted to share with you guys!

Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Bread

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread – I find myself baking this loaf to enjoy for breakfast weekly. Kicks the pants off of anything you’d buy in the store. And, who wouldn’t be tickled with a home-baked loaf of fresh bread for a gift?

Chiotle-Honey Roasted Peanuts

Chipotle-Honey Roasted Peanuts – love the sweet and spicy combination on these guys. Packaged up in a cute little tin, they make a great gift. Beware though, they’re addicting!

Chocolate Cherry Coconut Granola

Chocolate Cherry Coconut Granola – everyone loves a fresh, healthy start after the Holidays. Some homemade granola is a great way to help them get kick-started!

DIY Strawberry Vodka

DIY Strawberry Vodka – a bottle of vodka. Some strawberries. 1 week. That’s all you need to make this vibrant strawberry vodka at home. Wonderful in cocktails, on it’s own – this is a great way to warm up a cold winter’s night!

Pimento Cheese

Homemade Pimento Cheese – it always astonishes me when people say they’ve only had pimento cheese from a jar. Do them a favor, and make this! It’s perfect for any Christmas party or buffet.

Homemade Caramel Sauce

Homemade Caramel Sauce – and last but certainly not least, caramel sauce. There isn’t much that I don’t put this stuff on – it really is just glorious. This was my first year getting familiar with making caramel in my kitchen, so I’m looking forward to including this in my gift baskets this year!

I hope you guys are having as much fun getting ready for Christmas as I am. Looking forward to menu planning for the Holidays this week, then get started on all my baking. Look for a cookie roundup here sometime in the next week or so. Happy Holidays!