Lunar New Year just passed us by last week, along with Valentine’s Day – and now Mardi Gras tomorrow. It’s been a busy time! You guys know I like to make things special for my family for all the holidays, especially in the food department.

JSL Foods reached out to me about participating in their Twin Dragon Wrapper Blogger Recipe Challenge, using their egg roll and won ton wrappers. I’m of course I’m waiting until the last horn blows to submit my entries in both categories: Holiday Appetizers, and Game Day Appetizers…

But, I used the Lunar New Year on Friday as my opportunity to make these spicy crab won tons. Ginger-Scallion Crab is a popular dish at many Chinese restaurants, so I wanted to use that flavor profile to give a nod to Chinese culture and the holiday.

Everyone really liked them! They were super-quick to throw together – and with the addition of Sriracha, they really packed a punch in the flavor department!

Spicy, but not too spicy that the boys couldn’t enjoy them too. A winner in my house, let’s hope it’s a winner in the contest too!

You can find Twin Dragon Asian Won Ton wrappers at your local Walmart. And, be sure to follow along on their social media channels for great recipes!

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Scallion and Beef Stir-Fry

Fake-out take out is one of my favorite things to make at home. Whether it’s lo mein, General Tso’s, egg rolls, a stir-fry, or just simple veggie fried rice…it’s always a hit around here! We don’t have any greasy Chinese places here on our tiny seaside island. And the one great place we do have, Saigon Village, is closed during the winter months. Counting down the days until she re-opens in the spring!

So, needless to say – I’m DIYing it on the Chinese field in the kitchen quite a bit these days. This was a new recipe that I tried last week. It was super quick, easy, and everyone really enjoyed it. I loved the tender-crisp slivers of onion and pieces of scallion mixed throughout. And the sauce! I’ll usually make my stir-fry sauces with a base of chicken stock. But the use of oyster sauce as a base produced a sauce that was rich and brown, absolutely delicious!

I served over a bed of rice with some steamed broccoli on the side. Another great bonus is it takes less than 20 minutes to cook, from start to finish. You couldn’t have take-out on the table that quickly, even if you wanted to!

Source: adapted from Rasa Malaysia

Mongolian Beef

Another take-out fake out favorite for you guys today! Mongolian beef is one of my favorite things on a Chinese menu, but I usually don’t order it because the beef is so tough and fatty. By making it at home you can choose the cut of beef that you want, ensuring a lean and tender bite.

In this case I used a sirloin that I cut down into thin strips. A quick stir fry with some garlic, ginger, and a quick sauce made up from things in the pantry. 10 minutes from start to finish! I served on a bed of white rice with some steamed broccoli on the side.

I really don’t think you could order out as quickly as you can have this on the table. And, it’s much better for your family, obviously. We love our fake-out take out nights around here!

Source: adapted from Food Network Magazine, March 2010

 

Pork Egg Rolls

Homemade egg rolls were one of the first things I learned to make at home, thanks to my mother-in-law. She’d been making egg rolls for her hungry boys for years, and her teaching me the craft was time that we really enjoyed spending together when we were first getting to know each other…long before Jon and I were actually married!

I remember the process being kind of frustrating in the beginning – before I got the feel of rolling them correctly, and my knife skills weren’t really up to par (would take me 2 months to shred a head of cabbage!). But now after making them for a good 10 years, I can make a batch for an easy weeknight dinner with no problem. I usually go for the chicken version – which is the “OG” for us, but sometimes I like to switch it up with other meats…in this case, ground pork. Shrimp is also great!

They can be made and rolled a couple of hours in advance, but I wouldn’t recommend any longer than that – as the wrappers tend to dry out and rip. Also, a great shortcut with the veggies is to use a couple of bags of shredded coleslaw mix instead of shredding your own cabbage and carrots. Saves a little bit of legwork at least!

I like to serve them with some veggie fried rice, and plenty of Chinese hot mustard and sweet chili sauce for dipping. Once you’ve made and enjoyed them at home, every egg roll you’ll get from a Chinese restaurant will always pale in comparison. Just a forewarning! You’ll be making them for years to come.