Mini Egg rolls

Mini Pork Egg Rolls

Asian-binge still going strong and with a fusion side. This was a super-bowl dish and it disappeared rather quickly.

Ingredients
-Shredded Pork
-Wonton Wrappers
-Sauce

Creation

Sauce? Yes Sauce. I used leftover Ketchup-Grape sauce from the Fusion Potstickers. Alright. Shredded Pork. How to make shredded pork...

Almost like the beginning of a stew

It can be made a couple ways. Smoke it for 8.. 12.. 20hrs.. probably not the first choice. My favorite is boiling. Generates less pronounced flavor than smoking but not everyone has access to a smoker.

After 2..ish hours.

Plus it is so much easier. Boiling for hours will break down the meat to the point where it will fall apart when you attempt to take it out of the pot, potentially splashing hot water all over your arms.... experience.

Really easy.

I use the 2 fork method. Pulling against and with the grain. It doesn't really matter when it just falls apart.

All done!

And yeah, that is way more than I will need for this particular dish. Shredded pork is quite versatile, so best not to put it all in one dish.

Reheating the sauce

Toss the pork in that to let it soak up some flavor cause the pork is just that. Pork. 

Most of this was eaten before filling...

Now to attempt to show how to roll these tiny things. Cause I'm using wonton wrappers instead of egg roll wrappers.

Step one. Filling.

Step two. Fold sides in.

Step three Roll it.

Step Four. Allow it to dry.

Now just fry when ready. Don't even need a dipping sauce cause it is built in. I know right... very handy.

These will go very fast. Very.

And when I mean fast. I had about 40. I saw about 10 go then the plate was empty... but what can you expect from...

Mushroom Chicken

Mushroom Chicken

So I was sick on a weekend and still managed to get into the kitchen to do something. So nothing special today. Simple chicken with a mushroom sauce over rice.

Ingredients
-Chicken Tenderloins
-Rice
-Mushrooms
-Onions
-Cream
-Wine

Creation

This was quick and easy. Two pans. One pan throw in some onions and sliced mushrooms. Get that going and then salt and pepper some chicken.

Of course onions first then mushrooms

Now time to get some chicken on the stove. Oddly enough this one of my favorite ways to cook chicken. Brined chicken with a little salt and pepper.

No idea what happened to the middle one

And that is pretty much it. Finish the sauce by deglazing with white wine and finish with some cream. Like I said before did this while under the weather.

And I used to hate mushrooms...

Even while sick I can still pull out...

Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken

I was/am on an Asian food crave and saw that someone wanted a better sesame chicken recipe. I don't have one. So I scoured the internet for the simplest one I could find... and then manipulate. This is the result I managed to come up with.

Ingredients
-Chicken Tenderloin
-Onion
-Bell Pepper
-Teriyaki Sauce
-Honey
-Brown Sugar

Creation

I think this is pretty simple. Actually a one pan dish... assuming you have rice made already. So. first things first to make coating the chicken easier its best to have browned it with some sort of batter.

Floured chicken tenderloin

Now just brown them. I had the oil really hot to brown the flour fast without over cooking the chicken. The chicken will be removed and then re-added with the sauce. 

About right. Pretty bland right now though.

Remove that from pan and set aside. Next time I'll probably not use as much flour and leave them in the pan. Always trying to make things simpler.

Yes this will end up being to much sauce again... pattern?

All of that goes in the pool. There should only be about 2 tablespoons of oil. The plan was to break down the onions.. but I was just to hungry. So I went ahead and added everything else.

Measurements..... umm?

Yeah its pretty close to 1:1 Teriyaki to Honey. Then brown sugar to sweeten. As you go you should always be tasting your food after every step of the way anyways right?... Right?

Dark bubbly goodness.

Lovely stuff. This is about 10min of reducing and correcting. Time to add the chicken back.

Mmmm..

Make sure to let sauce reduce more. It'll stick better. 

My take on sesame chicken... 

What no sesame seeds?! I didn't have any nor would I have added them.. because I'm not trying to replicate american chinese food... but only making...

Brisket's Red Sauce

Brisket's Red Sauce

If you haven't figured it out by now I like thick robust sauces. That are usually a mix of sweet and savory. Not to mention they are quite versatile and can be tailored to dishes... gotta love that.

Ingredients
-Pork
-Sauvignon Blanc
-Crushed Tomatoes
-Vinegar
-Brown Sugar
-Onion
-Veges

Creation

Simple to make easy to tailor. For thing to do is brown the meat. Sometimes I use pork sausage today just plain old ground pork.

Bland and grey looking... terrible. 

I didn't quite brown it, but when it was almost done I cranked up the heat and added all the veggies. 1 medium onion. 1 Carrot. 1 Celery stalk. 1 Leek. Little bit of Spinach and some Parsley. Yes it it be more vegetable than meat. But it will break down a little bit. When they sizzle add the wine... 1/2 cup or so.. maybe more...

Plus a 28oz can of crushed tomatoes

Now the simmering games begin. 30-45min. Then add the balsamic and sugar. I like it sweet so good 1/2cup packed.. I think. Probably more. Only a couple tablespoons of vinegar. I prefer Balsamic. Stir and then another 30-45min. In the meantime...

That's cut pretty thick... well its a thick sauce

And is about it. a hearty flavorful sauce with pasta that can stand up to it.

This didn't last very long.

Probably one of my favorite meals of all time.. and about that sauce. Can't wait to turn it into a lasagna.... I know right?!

Excuse me while I eat...

Fusion Potsickers

Fusion Potstickers 

Fusion you say? Yes... I think. Well I said it so I'm going with it. From what I remember dumpling are normally filled with ground pork, sometimes shrimp, napa cabbage, water chestnuts, mushrooms, ginger, green onions. I used mostly shrimp, a little bit of pork, apples, celery, spinach, and ginger. The use of apples, celery and spinach I believe give it a french twist. I don't know. I may be wrong. Has happened before.

Also... A lot of pics incoming...

Ingredients
Filling
-Ground Pork
-Shrimp
-Celery
-Spinach
-Apples
-Ginger

Dough
-Flour
-Water

Sauce
-Onion
-Garlic
-Grape Jelly
-Ketchup
-Worcestershire Sauce

Creation
What?! Separated ingredients... Don't know why I didn't think of it before. So first off the filling. 

About this much shrimp

To that we add the pork, about a 1/4lb, which gives us more shrimp than pork. Which is what I wanted. Then there is one stalk of celery, plus a bit a ginger. Let's see what else did I add..

Oh yeah about this much diced apple

Not too much so when you bite it you don't get apple upfront but more sweetness from apple.

Then the final kicker.. spinach.

Yep, no cabbage, and everything is diced so that it will fit inside a dumpling. I don't have a picture of the finished filling as it mysteriously vanished. So now for the dough. Just flour, water and salt. 

Obviously needs more water

I don't have measurements here cause I just do it by feel. Keep added a little bit of water until it pulls together .

This actually needs more flour and more kneading, but I ran out of flour... I know right?

So it should look like the above picture. A tiny bit.

Rolled into a log

This is so you can cut of sliver to make each dumpling.

Like this

No I can't roll out perfect circles, had to use a measuring cup, but yeah now to attempt to show you how to make these dumplings..... deep breath... Swig of Kool-aid... Here we go.

There that is what filling like

And yeah its close to being over-filled. No matter what you do you will probably over fill a couple. it just happens. I still do it and this isn't my first dumpling rodeo.

Pinch the sides up.

Now crimp. This is a bit hard to explain. Fold the back side over into the other side. 

And do the same to the other side. This is what the back looks like

My finished dumpling. Not going to win any beauty awards... they are clearly over stuffed.

Now we turn them into potstickers

To do this brown the bottom by getting some oil in the pan good and hot. Not so hot that it's burn cause you need time to put all the dumpling in and once they are browned on the bottom. Here comes the 'fun' part. While it is on the burner. Hot oil sizzling away and everything you are going to pour about a cup of water in the pot and then quickly cover. Then when the water boils away...

This is what you get

Now about that sauce. This is the part where you realize you should have read the whole thing first. Dice some onions and get then sweating in a pot. 

Nothing to see here.

Now once they have some color add some chopped garlic.

Simple. Easy.

Now add some grape jelly and ketchup.

Wait what?

Yes. Its about 1:1 on the ketchup and jelly. And once it boils down and the jelly melts....

Yes. Now taste. Correct sweetness or ketchup and done.

Potstickers are served bottoms up.

Now that looks good.

Fusion potstickers... now...