Pizza egg rolls

These are Delicous and can be made with many variations in ingredients. These particular ones, were made aimed at a "works/combo" pizza flavor Profile. But you can do just meat ( chicken, sausage, ground beef, etc.), sauce and cheese. Or you can use pineapple, Canadian bacon, cheese and sauce. So many possibilities. I would advise cooking them really quickly because given that there's so much sauce , the Egg roll wrappers get very soggy and can come apart and tear.


3 bell peppers ( I have 4 in the pic, but only used 3) $2.00
2 containers of pizza sauce from
Your store of choice $4.00
1 package of pepperoni or appx. 1-2c. Worth.
I found this cheese called mozzarella whips. Thought they'd be fun to put in the center of the rolls. (You could use a cup of shredded mozz instead. )1/2 package $3.40
1/2 c. Sliced black olives $1.25
1/2 tsp garlic salt*
1 package if egg roll
Wrappers $2.00
A small pot of frying oil. ( appx. 3 cups)*
1 egg to use as glue to hold the egg roll together.*
A sheet if parchment or wax paper to assemble and ly the egg rolls on. *

Dice up the bell peppers. Cut the cheese whips into about 2 1/2 inch long. Mix sauce, pepperoni's, bell peppers, olives and garlic salt together in a large bowl. Crack the egg into a small bowl, whisk with 1 tsp water. Lay out your parchment paper and begin assembling your egg rolls. Use a BBQ sauce brush to paint the egg mixture along each edge of the egg roll wrapper Dona's you roll, it will allow it to stay rolled up. See my southwestern egg roll recipe for phot instructions on how to roll properly. Scoop in the pizza mixture, be aware of the pepperoni's in making sure they do not stick together. Them add a piece of cheese, then roll and set aside. Continue to assemble the remaining rolls. Heat your oil to temperature. I deep fried 2 at a time for about 2 mts. Then using a metal slotted spoon, I placed them on a cooking rack on top of paper towels. This will allow them to drain excess oil, cool off and still stay crispy. Now my rolls tore and split on almost everyone. But while frying, it wasn't horrible. It made lots of bubbly sounds, to some it would be very scary. However, you'll be ok as long as you are only doing 2 at a time. If your rolls are sounding like crazy, then lower your heat a bit. After you are finished, split one in half with a knife and enjoy your hardwork :).

So 3 steps:
Make pizza mixture
Roll egg rolls
Deep fry

My crowd pleasing spinach dip.. make ahead too.

This spinach dip is so easy, and I always make it a day ahead. I serve it hot, but you can serve it cold just as well. I use chips, but feel free to go with crackers, veggies, bread, whatever you you feel like.

1 family sized pack of frozen chopped spinach $3.50
1 8 oz pk cream cheese (room temperature)$1.50
1 small can of cream of celery soup $1.00
1/2 c. mayonnaise*
1 cup shredded mozzarella $1.25
1 tsp lemon juice (I just use some squirts from my plastic lemon)*
1/2-1tsp salt (dependig on your prefference)*
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning*
1/2 c. shredded parmesan $1.50


Place the frozen pack of spinach in a large bowl of water, still in the package, microwave 4mts. Flip, then microwave another 2mts. Poke a whole in the bag, and squeeze out as much water as you can. then open the package, and ball up the spinach in your hand, and continue to squeeze out the water. Place spinach in large bowl. Add cream cheese, soup, mozzarella, lemon juice, salt, and lemon pepper seasoning. Mix with an electric hand mixer if you can. Once finished, place mixture in a disposable aluminum pan or glass ware safe to bake in. Top with shredded parmesan and then foil if you plan on putting n the fridge before baking. Once ready to back, preheat oven to 375. Bake covered with foil for 30 mts, then remove foil and bake another 15 mts.

so 4 steps:
defrost spinach
squeeze out water from spinach
mix ingredients with an electric hand mixer
bake

Pumpkin spiced yams.. make a day before.

I made these for Thanskgiving. While trying to locate the mini marshmellows at the store, I came across these and thought they would be fun. They are pumpkin spiced marshmellows, also made by Jet-puffed. I knew the flavors would be great, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover how once cooked, it turned into a hard top, like that of a creme brulee. I added some other ingredients, candied some walnuts and pecans, then placed in the fridge overnight for Thanksgiving.

3 cans of cut sweet potatoes (I used Princella brand 8 oz cans)$5.00
1/2 cup milk*
2 tbsp of butter*
2 dashes of cinnamon*
1/2 tbsp maple syrup*
1/2 tsp vanilla extract*


candied nuts:
1/2 cup walnuts $2.00
1/2 cup pecans $2.00
1 tbsp brown sugar*
dash of cinnamon*


1/3 package of Jet-puffed pumpkin spice marshmellows $0.75


Open cans of sweet potatos, drain. Combine potatoes, milk, butter, cinnamon, maple syrup and vanilla in alarge bowl. I use an electric mixer to mix mine. you can just use your hands as well. mix until well blended. I placed mine in an disposable aluminum foil pan that I purchase them from the dollar tree. Next, combine the nuts, cinnamon and sugar in a small pan and cook on medium to low until the sugar become wet like a glaze. Turn often to coat each nut and quickly remove from heat so they don't burn. Top the yams with the nuts, then the marshmellows. This is where you can either cover in foil and cook another day or, just place in the oven at 375 for 30mts.

so 4 steps:
mix ingredients in a bowl
make candied nuts
top yams with nuts and marshmellows
bake

Beef roast with a garlic, herb, onion and seasoned paste.

This time of year, these roasts drop in price enough for me to buy them. Cooking a roast can be filled with much anxiety. Do I under cook it so its not dry? Do I over cook it to be safe and spend all night convincing people it's not leather? Decisions decisions.. I feel I have perfected it rather well. Here's how...

1 roast ( this was a NY strip roast)

1 roast ( this was a NY strip roast 4-5lb $19
1/2 golden onion $0.10
3 garlic cloves $0.03
Handful of cilantro $0.10
1/2 Tsp garlic salt*
1 tsp honey*
Dash if red pepper flakes*
1 tbsp olive oil*

Allow roast to sit out 30 mts to allow the roast to cook more evenly. If you cook it while still cold, the center will cook slower then the rest.
Preheat oven to 325
Place all the ingredients for the paste in a food processor. Mix until its all blended. Place your roast in a roasting pan, then rub the roast really well using all your paste. Place in the oven for 45 mts. Once finished, remove from oven, cover in foil and allow it to sit for 15 mts. Slice and serve with horseradish if you like.

so 3 steps make paste rub roast cook and let sit

Big pot of Chicken and dumpling soup for $6.50

Rainy day, ( one of the few we get here in San Diego) wanted something hardy and hot. Had some chicken thighs in the fridge. I put this together. Of course it made the house just smell fantastic. I think my next business endeavor should be something with bottling comfort food scents for sprays/oils. Like spiced enchilada, or garden herb beef roast, how about lemon pepper chicken, and Hawaiian BBQ pork???





8 chicken thighs $3.80 ( these pieces are often the cheapest pieces of chicken)
3 stalks of celery
1 c. chopped carrot $1.00( I used baby carrots, already peeled and I always have them on hand)
1 large golden onion $0.20
2 chicken bullion cubes $0.25
1/2 tsp pepper*
1 tsp garlic salt*
1 tsp garlic powder*
1 can cream of mushroom soup $1.25

slurry to thicken the soup:
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 c water

dumplings:
2 c. flour*
3/4 c. cold water*
1 tsp salt*

Place chicken in a large pot. Add 8 c. water. Chop celery, onion and carrot. Add veggies to pot, garlic salt, garlic powder, pepper, and bullion cubes. Cook on medium heat for an hour. Remove chicken from the pot. Let it cool enough to where you can handle it. While the chicken is cooling, begin making the dumplings. Mix the flour with the salt in a mixer. Once it has mixed well, add the cold water gradually. Empty the dough onto a floured surface. knead in a ball. Then with a floured rolling pin, roll over dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Let sit while you go back to the chicken. Remove the skin from the chicken. Remove the meat from the bones, shred. Discard bones and skins. Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Add The can of cream of mushroom. Stirr well. Mix the cornstarch and water in a cup, add into the pot and stir. Take a pizza cutter and cut the dumpling dough into 1 inch wide strips, then cut those into 1 inch squares. rip in half each square and add to the pot. Once you add the dumplings, do not stir. Instead turn the pot in a circular motion holding the outer handles. once the dumplings rise to the top of the soup ( roughly 4 mts.), it is ready to serve. Enjoy!

so 5 steps:
add chicken, seasonings and veggies to the pot, cook on medium.
remove chicken, make dumplings, allow to sit.
remove skin and shred chicken
return chicken to pot, soup and cornstarch
add dumplings.

Ice cream sandwiches with homemade cookies

It was my turn to bring the dessert. I didn't have too much time or anything obvious to make. So... I searched my kitchen and found a bag of chocolate morsels. I found another bag of mini chocolate morsels I accidentally bought during the Holidays. My brain took over from there. You can get 12 ice cream sandwiches out of this recipe.

Cookies:
2 c. chocolate morsels $2.00
2 3/4 c. flour*
1 tsp baking soda*
1 tsp vanilla*
2 eggs $0.30
3/4 c. sugar*
3/4 c. brown sugar*
1 c. butter*(softened)(if you forget to soften it, just place each stick of butter in a large ziploc and roll over it with a rolling pin to flatten it out)

vanilla ice cream $3.00
1 c. mini chocolate morsels $1.00

Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter with sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add flour 1 cup at a time, add baking soda. Once it's all mixed well, add chocolate morsels 1 cup at a time. Place golf ball sized spoonfuls of batter on a cookie sheet about 2 1/2 inches apart. This will make 24 cookies. Bake for 11 mts. let sit in the pan for 10 mts, then remove to a cooling rack until all cookies are finished. Remove ice cream from freezer and let sit while you bake the last batch of cookies. Empty the mini morsels into a plate. Once the cookies are well cooled, you can begin building the sandwiches. Take a cookie, flip it over and add a scoop of ice cream on top of the cookie. Take another cookie and very carefully sandwich the ice cream in the middle. Roll the outsides of the ice cream center in the mini morsels on the plate, sprinkle any spots that didn't get covered in the minis. Place in the freezer immediately. I built one at a time. Set in freezer for at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!

So 3 steps:
make and bake cookies
build sandwiches and roll in mini's
freeze for an hour.

15 minute biscuit donuts

I had some rolls of layered Pillsbury grands jr. biscuit dough. These were smaller sized than their typical biscuits. They were perfect for donuts. I used an apple corer, removed the center, fried those up to make donut rolls and of course the donuts. They were crunchy on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside. so easy, so quick. Cupcakes from a box take longer to make than these. The kids helped even. I got 15 out of 3 packs of biscuit dough. Something about eating them at home really does make you feel less guilty. Going back for seconds and dare I say ..3rds, yeah... not so innocent any more!

3 packs of of layered Pillsbury grands jr. biscuits dough rolls. $3.75 (they were around $1.25 ea.)
3 cups oil to fry with*

glaze for donuts:
1 c. powder sugar for glaze*
2 tbsp milk*
1/4 tsp vanilla extract*

Chocolate topped donut:
1/2 c. semi chocolate morsels $0.75
2 tbsp shortening*
1 tbsp sprinkles $0.25

powder sugar topping:
1/4 c. powder sugar*

Heat your oil up to 375. Open biscuit dough rolls. Remove biscuits and place on wax paper. Take out the center of the biscuit with the apple corer.
Set aside the centers of dough, as you will fry these too. They make great donut rolls. Once oil is at the right heat, add 4 donuts at a time. fry 1-2 mts each side. flipping half way through and once golden brown. Remove from oil, and place on cooling rack. Continue to cook up the rest including the holes.
Once all the donuts are done frying, turn off the oil and make the glaze and toppings. For the glaze. in a small bowl, microwave the milk for 35 seconds. whisk in the vanilla and powder sugar. Dip the donuts in to coat the tops. wait 5 mts and dip again. Now make the chocolate topping. Microwave the shortening for about 35 seconds, add the chocolate morsels, mix and microwave 25 seconds, mix and microwave another 25 seconds. Mix well, then dip the tops of the donuts into the chocolate. Add sprinkles on top if you wish. For the powder sugar topping, just empty the powder sugar onto a plate and roll the donut around in the sugar until well coated. Enjoy!

so 3 steps:
remove centers and fry
make glaze and chocolate topping
dip donuts and add sprinkles.