Lumpia (meat filling)

Raw wrapped lumpia, above.


Wrapping Diagram above.

Lumpia

One of my favorite things to make. I usually make it with Chicken Adobo, or pancit (recipes are on here.) It's a Filipino side dish that I love! Similar to spring rolls, but uses a meat filling. You could substitute ground beef, ground chicken, or even add finely chopped shrimp to the mixture.


Ingredients:

I like to fry in Peanut oil, vegetable oil would work.

I like the Simex brand individual wrappers (you can use lumpia or spring roll wrappers. Sometimes you can find them at the grocery store. If not, an Asian market will carry them in their frozen food department)

1# of ground pork

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms (shitake if you can get them)

1 cup of thinly sliced green beans (If you can find french cut fresh green beans, that's perfect, if not cut thin slices on a diagonal)

3 cloves of chopped or pressed garlic

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (green onion or white onion work well)

1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons of corn starch

teaspoon of salt

teaspoon of pepper


DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all raw ingredients together and mix well with your hands.

2.Put about 1 heaping tablespoon of raw meat mixture in the center of your lumpia wrapper. Make a very thin log and roll up, puling insides of wrapper in. See Diagran for folding directions.

3. Fry lumpia in a deep fryer till golden brown or in a shallow frying pan 1/2 filled with oil and turn once.


***This makes about 40-45 lumpia, which is a lot. If you want you can freeze 1/2 (before you fry them) in a ziploc for up to 2 months. You fry them frozen, so I would only deep fry them this way because of the splatter from the oil.

****Also, my Dad has come up with a wonderful, yet completely non-traditional sauce that we eat these with. Take about 1/4 cup of A1 sauce, with a tablespoon of water to thin it out, and add Sriracha hot chile paste to taste...sooo good!

How to wrap: Follow Diagram in picture above. Remember Lumpia are wrapped long and thin. Your cooking the meat so it needs to be thin to cook thoroughly.

Argentinian Grilled Pork with Chimichurri

Argentinian Pork Roast with a chimichurri sauce OMG!

This is an amazing recipe a friend made for me one night. It comes from the Cooking Light magazine, I loved it and had to make it myself. I tweaked nothing, it's perfect! Don't forget the chimichurri sauce (included in this recipe not separate) You can let the pork marinate overnight, or all day, or a few hours...whichever is convenient for you. Great to make for company, and a quick grilling recipe! You can make the chimichurri ahead, and marinate the pork before you leave for work or firth thing in the morning, and have dinner in about 15 minutes when you get home. Great with a salad, roasted potatoes, fresh freen beans...YUM!

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, divided
• 2/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped

Preparation

• 1. Combine 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/3 cup cilantro, cumin, and red pepper in a shallow dish. Add pork. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour, turning once.
• 2. Preheat grill to medium-high.
• 3. Sprinkle pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place pork on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 8 minutes. Turn pork over, and grill 7 minutes or until a thermometer registers 145°. Remove pork from grill. Let stand for 5 minutes. Slice pork crosswise.
• 4. Combine 3/4 cup parsley, 1/3 cup cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt, oregano, and remaining ingredients in a food processor; pulse 10 times. Drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil through food chute with food processor on. Serve with pork.

Joanne Weir, Cooking Light SEPTEMBER 2011

Mushroom Beef Stew (freezer instructions included)

Mushroom Beef Stew RecipeMushroom

45 90 135 Mus

Mushroom Beef Stew (from Taste of Home magazine, with my revisions)

Ingredients

• 1 carton (32 ounces) beef broth
• 1 ounce dried mixed mushrooms (If you can't find these, triple your fresh mushrooms and skip first step)
  
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 boneless beef chuck roast (2 pounds), cubed
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound whole baby portobello mushrooms (use portobello, baby portobello, or whaterv is your favorite, Mushrooms are but, include portabello in the mix. If you use large portobello mushrooms, leave them in large chunks)
  
• 5 medium carrots, chunkily chopped
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 
  ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• Hot cooked egg noodles, optional
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring broth and mushrooms to a boil. Remove from the heat; let stand 15-20 minutes or until mushrooms are softened. Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms; finely chop. (skip this step if you don't have dehydrated mushrooms and add them all in when it calls for the portobello) Strain remaining broth through a fine mesh strainer. Set aside mushrooms and broth.
• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper; set aside 1 tablespoon for sauce. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, to the remaining flour mixture and shake to coat.
• In a Dutch oven, brown beef in oil in batches. Add the portobello mushrooms, carrots and onion; saute until onion is tender. Add the garlic, rosemary and rehydrated mushrooms; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in reserved flour mixture until blended; gradually add mushroom broth.(If you need it to thicken a little more, use about a cup of hot liquid with a few tablespoons of cornstarch to make a slurry, then add back to the pot once cornstarch is dissolved, return to a boil and it will thicken)
  
• Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is tender. Cool stew; transfer to freezer containers. Freeze for up to 6 months.
• To use frozen stew: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into the pan. Return to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with egg noodles if desired; top with blue cheese. Yield: 9 servings.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

This is a recipe I found and slightly altered to make it moist and delicious! This was what I used as the main layer of my sister's wedding cake. Goes great with maple cream cheese frosting!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups shortening
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 large can pumpkin puree
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, eggs, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.

***I have made cupcakes, sheet cakes, and 9 inch round cakes with this recipe, don't limit yourself to a bundt pan***

1. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes for bundt pan, 35-45 minutes for cake pans, or 22 minutes for cupcakes.*** or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Aunt Cheryls Cinnamon Candy

I make this and put it in to jars and give as gifts at Christmas. It is an old fashioned hard candy with a lot of kick. I don't like to make this with kids anywhere near the kitchen. I usually wait till my daughter is asleep. The cinnamon is very strong and the fumes can burn your eyes, and making candy means boiling sugar...I love cooking with my daughter BUT THERE IS NOT a place for a kid in the kitchen with this recipe. It is easy, but you must be careful when cooking this.



Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups of white Karo syrup

1 Cup of water

3 and 3/4 cups of sugar

1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon oil. (I get this from behind the pharmacy counter at walmart. They may look at you like you are crazy when you ask for it, but someone there knows what it is. I get it EVERY year with no trouble. It is behind the counter cause it can burn you, badly. Do not spill this on you, don't add more than the recipe calls for either!)

Red food coloring

Powdered sugar for dusting



Directions:

1. Prepare a 9x13 cookie sheet by lining it with foil and spraying lightly with cooking spray, set aside.

2. Add sugar, water, and Karo syrup to a large (stainless steel preferred) saucepan. Cook over medium high heat stirring constantly till candy thermometer reaches 310 degrees.

3. Remove from heat. DO NOT PUT YOUR FACE OVER THE POT, stand back and add the cinnamon oil to the pan...it will steam up in your face if you are over it, then add a few drops of red food coloring. Stir to mix and immediately poor in to prepared pan. Let set overnight to cool.

4. When cooled sift powdered sugar over the top of pan and lightly hit it with a hammer to break in to bite size pieces. Store in airtight container with a little extra powdered sugar to keep from sticking.

THE incredible SUGAR cookie Recipe

This is THE sugar cookie recipe, my Mom and I get many many many requests every Christmas for these fun, thin, crisp, sugar cookies! We have a set of cookie pans that we press a very thin layer of the sugar cookie dough in to, and then decorate and bake. These taste great with coconut, pecans, mini m&m's, and colored sugar sprinkles on them.


Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 Teaspoon of salt

1 cup of shortening (the baking sticks work wonderfully for this no mess!)

1 1/2 cups of sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract





Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together in to a small bowl.

3. Cream together shortening and sugar till well blended. Add eggs beating in one at a time, then vanilla.

4. Slowly mix in dry ingredients to wet ingredients (using a mixer on low speed)

5. Store in refrigerator till ready to use. Be sure to make thin cookies, great for cut outs, or press in pans.

Mom's Chocolate Pecan Pie

This is probably my favorite pecan pie recipe! It is so good and if you have never had it, TRY IT!



Ingredients:

1 unbaked pie crust

3 eggs slightly beaten

1 cup dark Karo syrup

4 oz of a german chocolate bar, melted and cooled ( found in the baking section not the candy aisle)

1/3 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of melted butter

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 1/2 cups of pecans (I like pecan halves for this)



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Poke a few holes with a fork in to the bottom of the pie crust to prevent crust from swelling.

2. Mix all ingredients except for the pecans in a large bowl untill well combines. Then lightliy mix in your pecans.

3. Pour in to pie shell and bake for 50-60 minutes. *you may want to keep foil or a baking sheet under pie pan to catch any spillage!