Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

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As I mentioned last week, I’m participating in JSL Food’s Twin Dragon Wrapper Recipe Contest. I shared my entry for the Holiday Appetizer Category last week, and this week I want to throw my entry for the Game Day Appetizer into the hat!

Football season wasn’t quite as victorious as last for us 49ers fans, not to mention the lack of football parties with COVID – this year was definitely a change, and one for the books. But, that didn’t stop the Davis fam from enjoying the games from home and munching on some delicious football snacks while doing so!

I made these Cheeseburger Egg Rolls for Super Bowl – and they were a hit with our crew! A few simple ingredients and you’ve got a super simple appetizer that’s sure to please your MVPs. I loved the addition of pickles – gave a  nice, tangy, crunchy bite. And, I’m definitely sold on the wrappers…

I’ve made alot of egg rolls over the years, using different brands – and none of them have fried up as beautifully as these did. Low oil absorption, nice crunchy little bubbles, gorgeous even browning. Not all egg roll wrappers are created equal, and the Twin Dragon wrappers really pleased THIS MVP.

I served with a simple sauce composed of mayonnaise and ketchup as the base – and it completed the flavor profile of a cheeseburger  nicely! Don’t wait until next season to make these, guys.

Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

1 lb ground sirloin beef (90% lean)
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8 slices yellow American cheese
4 kosher dill pickle spears, chopped
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp olive oil
12 Twin Dragon Egg Roll Wrappers
6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

For the sauce:
1 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika

Heat olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and onion, and saute until beef is browned and onions are translucent. Drain and place back into pan.

Break cheese slices into pieces and add them to the beef, along with the pickles, mustard and ketchup. Mix until cheese has melted. Set mixture aside and let cool.

Heat vegetable oil in large pan or dutch oven to 350 degrees. Place a cooling rack inside a baking sheet, and top with paper towels – set aside. While the oil is coming up to temperature, wrap the rolls by adding 3 Tbsp of filling to each wrapper, and wrap according to the package directions.

Place rolls in hot oil, frying 4 or 5 at a time, and fry until golden brown. Remove to a prepared tray to drain.

Make sauce by combining all ingredients. Serve alongside egg rolls.

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

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Spicy Ginger-Scallion Crab Wontons

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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!

Spicy Ginger-Scallion Crab Wontons

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp finely minced ginger
8 ounces lump crab meat, picked through for shells
24 Twin Dragon Asian Won Ton wrappers
small bowl of water
canola or vegetable oil, for frying
sweet chili sauce, for serving

Place about 6 cups of oil in a large pot and bring to 350 degrees. Place a cooling rack inside a baking sheet, and top with paper towels – set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, Sriracha, salt, scallions, and ginger. Add the crab meat and mix until just combined.

To assemble the wontons – lay a wonton wrapper on a flat surface, with a corner facing towards you. Using the bowl of water, use your finger to wet the edges of the wonton wrapper. Place about 2 tsp filling in the center of the wrapper, and then fold the bottom corner to the top corner to form a triangle. Press on the edges with your fingers to firmly secure. Wet one end of the triangle and press it to the other side of the triangle – connecting the ends together.

Fry wontons in hot oil for about for about 3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wontons. Serve warm with sweet chili sauce for dipping.

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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Chesapeake Cheddar & Chive Scones

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I recently appeared on our local news program Delmarvalife, and shared my recipe for scones. Then got to thinking I’ve never shared them with you guys! I’ve baked part-time in the summer for a local coffeehouse in town for a few summers now, which is where I got the base recipe for these fabulous, flaky wonders. They’re a buttermilk base – which I love the slight tang that it lends to the scones.

A lot of recipes call for heavy cream, and I’ve been down that road, but I really didn’t like the results as much. They were more, well – heavy. These are crumbly and light as air – yet moist and melt in your mouth.

When I bake for the coffeeshop it’s usually traditional fruit combinations – cranberry orange, apricot almond, lemon ginger. But a couple years ago I thought I’d try something savory – good scones are so similar to a good biscuit – I knew they’d be banging with a bowl of creamy oyster stew or clam chowder. So I went to work…

Cheddar cheese is always a good place to start. Along with any fresh herb you’ve got lying around. I’ve been blessed with a great chive plant the past couple of years. Stays hearty and doesn’t all go to seed if I turn my back on it (word to Mr. T at Thomas Gardens for always having the best offerings!). Which reminds me, it’s time to get seeds started!

And, like any Eastern Shore girl worth my salt, I threw some crab seasoning in there for good measure. It always adds a ton of flavor, and looks pretty sprinkled on top of things. They turned out great! Were a hit here at home and at the coffee shop, and know they will be with you guys too.

Perfect to do some baking on a blustery weekend! stay warm, friends.

Chesapeake Cheddar & Chive Scones

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated Sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tsp crab seasoning (I love JO #1 Spice)
1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into pieces
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 Tbsp chives, chopped
2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat at 400F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and crab spice in a large bowl.

Cut butter into small pieces and blend it together with the flour. Mixture should look like coarse crumbs. You could also do this in a food processor pulsing it a couple of times until butter is the size of peas.

Fold in the cheese (lol) and chives.

Make a well in the bottom of the bowl, and add about 3/4 of the buttermilk – gently combine until the dough JUST comes together. Be careful not to over-mix. Reserve remainder of buttermilk to brush top of scones before baking.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead lightly a couple of times. Flatten the dough into approx. 6-inch round circle and about 1 and 1/2 inches in thickness. Cut circle into 6 equal slices.

Place scones on prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with buttermilks and a little additional crab seasoning.

Bake 18 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature. Can be kept in airtight container for a couple of days. Or in freezer for a couple of months.

New England Clam Chowder

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New England Clam Chowder

Last summer I did a poll on Instagram on clam chowders – Manhattan vs. New England. The cream-based New England won by a long shot, at 80%. I’ve had a recipe for the tomato based Manhattan clam chowder here on the blog for a couple of years. But it was clear I needed to get my version of the cream based up here as well.

We’ve been doing our fair share of fishing lately. Alternating between going out on the sea side, and the bay side of the Eastern Shore. We’ve had some great days, including my first citation fish – a 14 pound sheepshead. Still walking on air over that one!

Often our fishing leaves sessions leave us with some leftover bait, in the form of fresh big chowder clams. Shout out to Chip, our clam man, who makes home deliveries!

The kids have also started to dig them up on Sundays when we’re out at Little Beach. Usually they’re smaller and we just toss them on the grill – but sometimes they’re big enough to become a pot of chowder.

At any rate, I finally got around to making it AND taking a photo of it. It’s rich and creamy, filled with chunks of bacon, potatoes, onions, celery, and chopped clams – that lend a lovely brininess. And as with most soups, it’s even better the next day!

If you can’t find fresh clams, no worries. You can easily used canned clams and clam juice – both of which are available at any grocery store.

New England Clam Chowder

24 large chowder clams*
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup cornstarch
kosher salt
black pepper
oyster crackers, for serving
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

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 (I use my food processor and give it about 5 pulses). 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 celery and onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth, potatoes, thyme, 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 35 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Add in cream and cook for 15 minutes more.

Add 2 Tbsp of cold water to the cornstarch and mix to combine. Pour into chowder and stir until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with a bit of fresh parsley and a handful of oyster crackers 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.