Southwestern Egg Rolls

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Southwestern Egg Rolls

With Super Bowl upon us tomorrow, I thought it was only prudent to share a great appetizer recipe with you before the big game! I’ve wanted to make these guys for a couple years now, but just never managed to get around to it. Traditional homemade egg rolls are one of our very favorite things ever, and we love Mexican food – so it was totally no surprise when we all loved them!

Corn, red pepper, black beans, red onion, spinach, garlic, and cilantro are given a quick saute to soften. Then they’re mixed with a blend of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, rolled into an egg roll wrapper, and quickly fried. I suspect that they would also be great baked, if you’re looking for a healthier route. But it’s Super Bowl, and I’m not.

I served with an avocado ranch dipping sauce, which couldn’t have been any easier. I just mashed up an avocado well and mixed it with ranch dressing. I think salsa would also be another great option for dipping, which is again- much healthier! I hope everyone enjoys the big game tomorrow – we’ll be rooting for the Patriots (anyone BUT the Seahawks!). Stay safe and warm, everyone!

Southwestern Egg Rolls

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large red onion, peeled and finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or diced
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
egg roll wrappers
vegetable oil

For dipping sauce:
1 avocado, meat removed and mashed well
3/4 cup Buttermilk Ranch dressing

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add red onion and bell pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes – until tender. Add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook for another minute. Add in the black beans, corn, frozen spinach, and chicken. Stir to combine everthing together well. Remove from heat and add cilantro. Season to taste with salt. Allow to cool for 30 minutes, then add to a large bowl and toss with the cheese.

Using about 1/4 cup filling at a time, roll the filling in the wrappers according to the directions on the package. You should get about 18 rolls.

Line a large pot with layers of paper towels (this is for draining and cooling the egg rolls once cooked) and set aside.

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat enough oil to fry the egg rolls (about 2 inches from bottom of pan) to 350 degrees. Fry the egg rolls in small batches until golden brown. Remove from oil and place in the prepared pot vertically, so they rest against the side of the pan. Repeat with remaining egg rolls.

While egg rolls are frying, prepare the dipping sauce by mixing the mashed avocado and ranch dressing.

Serve egg rolls alongside dipping sauce, sprinkle with some additional fresh cilantro for garnish.

Chili con Carne

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Chili con Carne

Chili is one of those dishes that everyone has their own special recipe for, which they swear by as being the best. Mine is no different! Meaty, spicy, and filling – it’s one of the things my boys most look forward to in the colder months. There’s nothing better than a pot of chili bubbling away on the stove on a lazy football Sunday!

I like to start with a mix of lean ground beef and a roll of hot pork sausage, plenty of beans, chunks of chopped tomatoes, and some tomato paste to thicken it up a bit. Then, some beer. It adds so much great flavor to the chili, and I’m always looking for an excuse to cook with the stuff. But, you could certainly use beef broth for your cooking liquid as well.

A couple hours simmering on the stove and you’ve got a delicious and hearty meal that’s always a family favorite. Leftovers are good for days, and great to re-invent into so many applications (Frito pie or chili dogs, anyone?). And, it’s great for a group too. A low maintenance meal for the cook, and guests can have tons of fun topping their bowls of chili with different ingredients – scallions, cilantro, sour cream, cheeses, jalapenos, guacamole, tomatoes or pico de gallo, poblano-corn salsa…the possibilities are endless!

Also, the possibilities are endless when it comes to the ingredients in the chili itself. I love to switch it up using a chuck roast instead of the ground beef and sausage. Or, using black and pinto beans in place of the kidneys. It’s so easy to make your own! So, if you’re still looking for that one perfect chili recipe, give this one a try! It’s our favorite, and it might just become yours too.

Chili con Carne

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground sirloin
1 lb bulk roll hot sausage (like Jimmy Deen)
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
6 Tbsp chili powder
3 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (15 oz) can light kidney beans
1 (15 oz) can dark kidney beans
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (12 oz) can or bottle beer (your favorite is fine)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

In a dutch oven heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef and sausage until browned well. Remove from pan into a bowl. Drain most of the rendered fat from the pan.

Throw onions into the pan and cook until onions are softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the tomato paste and spices, and cook for about 3 minutes – until the tomato paste darkens in color. Add in the beef and sausage, tomatoes, beans, and beer. If it looks like it needs a little more liquid, add a splash of water.

Cover, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Cook over low heat for about 2 hours. You could also cook up to this point, then place all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving. Serve with your favorite toppings.

 

 

Sweet Potato Biscuits

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Sweet Potato Biscuits

Did you guys know that such a wonderful thing even existed? They do indeed, and they’re as wonderful as you’d imagine. They are pretty much a food group here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, and it is where I was first introduced to them. After years of enjoying them, I thought it was high time I passed the recipe along to you guys!

It’s your basic biscuit dough with the usual suspects – flour, buttermilk, flour. But then you invite some pureed, roasted sweet potatoes to the party. It adds great flavor and color, and also some additional moisture. Which is always welcome in a biscuit!

They aren’t quite as fluffy as your standard buttermilk biscuit, just because the addition of the sweet potato adds some density too… but, what they lack for in fluffiness they more than make up for in deliciousness.

I like to serve them with a bowl of soup, or just plain with some jam or pumpkin butter. But, our favorite way to enjoy them is sandwiching a few pieces of ham. Very thinly sliced country ham is a treat, but more often than not it’s just plain deli ham. It makes for one delicious and easy meal – for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

1 cup sweet potato puree, chilled*
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
6 Tbsp butter, cubed
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the sweet potato puree and the buttermilk. Whisk to combine, set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Pulse several times to combine well. Add the butter, and continue to pulse in 2-second increments, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces (about 5 pulses). This can also be done using a pastry blender or 2 forks if you don’t have a food processor.

Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, pour the sweet potato mixture over it, and use a fork to mix for about 1 minute, or until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knead with floured hands, and pat into a rectangle about 6×10 inches and 1-inch thick.

Fold the dough like a business letter (the rightmost third over the center third, then the left third on top). Turn the dough a quarter of a turn, pat it into another 6×10 inch rectangle, and fold it upon itself in thirds again. Repeat one more time, then pat the dough into a 6×10 inch rectangle a final time.

Using a floured 2 inch biscuit cutter, cut the biscuits from the dough and place them about 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Pat the scraps into a 1-inch thick rectangle and cut more biscuits.

Brush the tops with half the melted butter, and bake 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are just beginning to brown. Brush the tops again with the remaining butter and serve warm.

* To make the sweet potato puree: Pierce one 12-ounce sweet potato in a few spots with a fork and microwave at high power for about 10 minutes or roast at 350° for about 1 hour, until tender. Let the sweet potato cool slightly, then peel and puree in a food processor.

Source: adapted from The Lee Bros Southern Cookbook and Food & Wine, Nov 2013

Manhattan Clam Chowder

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Manhattan Clam Chowder

Living on this joyous little island on the wonderful Eastern Shore you’re sure to eat your fair share of clam chowder. For me, there’s nothing more fun than strapping on a  pair of old canvas sneakers, finding a muddy sandbar at low tide, and digging your toes around in the mud until you run into you fill up your bucket with fresh quahogs. Or as well call them, “chowders”.

The big guys aren’t good for much besides soups and clam strips. So, I’ll usually make a batch of chowder when we come across some. About 2 dozen will be more than enough to make a large pot of chowder.

There are a couple ways you can go when it comes to clam chowder. The most well-known is your New England variety, which is cream based. That’s the husband’s favorite, and I plan on sharing that recipe with you soon. But today I’m sharing my recipe for Manhattan, which is tomato based, and my personal favorite…

Bacon, potatoes, celery, onions, tomatoes, and clams. Basic, but oh so delicious.  Now, I realize some of you may not be able to come across fresh clams as easily as I am. In that case, a couple cans of clams and a some bottled clam juice works just fine.

But, if you have a great seafood counter or shop in your neighborhood I’d highly encourage you to try to find some fresh. They’re cheap as far as it goes on the seafood spectrum, and the flavor is unparalleled.

A perfect dinner for these chilly fall evenings, that holds onto one last taste of summer. Make sure to make some homemade oyster crackers to go along with it, they’re the perfect topping and only take a few minutes to throw together. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Manhattan Clam Chowder

24 large chowder clams*
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 lbs red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
kosher salt
black pepper

Scrub the clams clean using a clean scrub brush. Place clams into a large pot and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cover. Steam the clams until they have all popped open, about 15 minutes. Remove the clams from the pot and set aside to cool.

Strain the clam steaming liquid through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer to remove any grit and reserve the liquid. Remove the clams from the shells and chop well. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or stockpot (I use the same one that I use to steam the clams), add the bacon and cook over medium-high until the bacon is crispy – about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside to drain. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and cook until starting to brown, about 3 minutes longer.

Add the broth, diced tomatoes, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, bacon, chopped clams, and reserved clam juice. Stir to combine, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 45 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

*If fresh clams are not available, substitute 2 (10 oz) cans of chopped clams and 2 (14 oz) bottles of clam juice or broth.

Source: adapted from Simply Recipes