Fried Ravioli

Ingredients:
1 c. fine bread crumbs (purchased)
1/4 c. Parmesan, grated
1 T. paprika
3 eggs
3 T. milk
1 pkg. frozen ravioli (9oz.)
3/4 c. flour
4 c. vegetable oil
1 jar purchased marinara sauce for dipping
parsley, minced

Directions:
Combine crumbs, Parmesan, and paprika in a resealable plastic bag. Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl.
Dredge ravioli first in flour, dip in egg wash, then coat in the bread crumbs. Chill on a rack for 15 minutes.
Heat vegetable oil to 360 degrees in a high sided pot.
Fry ravioli in batches until golden, 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sauce; garnish with cheese and parsley.

Makes 20 ravioli. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
This is super simple to make. Quick and easy and it tastes good.

Tamale Corn Cakes With Carnitas

For the corn cakes:
3 cups water
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/3 c. masa harina
3 c. fresh corn kernels, pulsed in a food processor
1 c. Parmesan, grated
1/2 t. cayenne
salt to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten with 1 T. milk
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. vegetable oil

For the carnitas:
1/4 c. ketchup
2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. prepared yellow mustard
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. cayenne
3 c. leftover cooked meat (pork, rotisserie chicken)

For the corn cakes:
Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
Simmer water in saucepan. Whisk cornmeal gradually into water then whisk in masa harina. Stir in the corn and cook until mixture is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add Parmesan, cayenne, and salt.
Spread mixture into prepared baking dish and chill for 1 hour. When firm, cut into cakes using a biscuit cutter.
Dip cakes into the egg mixture, then dust with flour. Fry in oil in a saute pan, browning on both sides. Transfer cakes to a paper lined plate and serve.

For the carnitas:
Simmer all ingredients (except meat) in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add meat; cook until hot.

Makes 10-12 corn cakes and 3 c. carnitas. Total time 1 hour + chilling.

Verdict:
When I made these I forgot to put the corn in the food processor. I also don't think I cooked them long enough so when I was cutting them they didn't hold their shape so I just molded them with my hands. It seemed to work out pretty well. When I was cooking these I expected them to be dense. When we ate them they were hollow in the middle. Blake and I both liked these. We were not really a fan of the carnitas. It was a little too sweet for our liking.

Reuben Egg Roll Wraps

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. sauerkraut, drained
1 1/2 t. caraway seeds
juice of 1/2 a lemon
6 oz. corned beef, thinly sliced, cut into strips
4 oz. swiss cheese, thinly sliced, cut into strips
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 T. water
8 egg roll wrappers
2 T. prepared yellow mustard
1 c. vegetable oil
purchased thousand island dressing

Directions:
Saute sauerkraut and caraway in a skillet. When most of the moisture has evaporated and sauerkraut begins to brown, stir in lemon juice; set aside. Prepare corned beef, cheese and egg wash.
Arrange an egg roll wrapper on a work surface with a corner toward you. Brush edges with egg wash. Place a strip of cheese on the wrapper about 1" above the bottom corner, then top with strips of beef and about 3 T. sauerkraut; drizzle with mustard.
Fold the bottom corner up over the fillings to enclose, fold in the sides, then roll to the top corner of the wrapper. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add half the egg rolls and fry on all sides until brown and crisp, 5-7 minutes; drain on paper towels while frying remaining rolls. Serve egg rolls with thousand island dressing for dipping.

Makes 8 egg rolls. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
I saw these and thought "this is a perfect way to use up my leftover corned beef." I was a little worried about Blake liking them. He doesn't like sauerkraut, he doesn't really like swiss, and he doesn't like reubens. I figured it was going to be a hard sell. Guess what? He liked them. Crazy but true. I liked them too.

Southwestern Egg Rolls With Chipotle Cream Dip

For the egg rolls:
1 1/2 c. turkey, ground
1 t. each ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder
2 T. olive oil
4 c. fresh spinach
1/4 c. frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/4 c. canned black beans, drained, rinsed
1/4 c. roasted red peppers, sliced
1/4 c. green onions, chopped
2 T. jalapeno, seeded, minced
1/2 c. monterey jack, shredded
egg roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten with 1 T. water

For the chipotle cream dip:
1/2 c. sour cream
2 T. lime juice
1 T. honey
1/2 t. adobo sauce from canned chipotle in adobo

For the egg rolls:
Saute turkey and spices in oil in a large nonstick skillet until cooked through. Stir in spinach, corn, beans, red pepper, scallions, and jalapeno.
Cook until spinach wilts. off heat add cheese and salt.
Assemble by laying wrapper on work surface with a corner toward you. Brush edges with egg wash . Place 1/4 c. filling on wrapper and fold bottom corner over filling, tucking tightly. Fold in sides and roll to the end. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Heat 2 c. vegetable oil for frying. Fry egg rolls until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

For dipping sauce:
Combine all ingredients. Serve with egg rolls.

Makes 8-12 egg rolls. Total time 35 minutes.

Verdict:
I changed a couple of things in this recipe. First I used a whole package of ground turkey so naturally I added more of all the other ingredients. I also added more spices. Sarah made the dipping sauce and she used more adobo sauce then what it called for. We also used this as a dip too. Have you ever had the southwestern egg rolls from Chili's? Those are exactly what these taste like.

Tempura With Gingered Soy Sauce

For the tempura:

vegetable oil for frying

tempura coating (found dry in a box)

With tempura you can pick whatever you like so here are some ideas

cod, cut into pieces

shrimp

red onion, thinly sliced

peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

broccoli, cut into small florets

green beans

asparagus, cut into pieces

mushrooms, stemmed and quartered

For the sauce:

1/4 c. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced

2 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 green onion, thinly sliced (green and white parts)

For the tempura:

Prepare batter according to package directions.

Heat oil.

Working in small batches coat vegetables and fish lightly in batter. Fry in oil until lightly browned on outside about 1-2 minutes for vegetables and 3-5 minutes for fish. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and place on napkins or drying rack. Serve immediately with sauce.

For the sauce:

Combine all ingredients and let stand at least 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Makes as much as you want. Total time varies.

Verdict:

I like tempura but don't make it very often because it involves frying and lets face it no one likes the way that makes the house smell. But I love when we do have it. It is yummy when it is hot and tolerable when it is warm. I definitely wouldn't eat it when it is cold. The sauce is a must.

Lumpia

For the filling:

1 lb. hamburger

2 carrots, chopped in food processor

3 celery stalks, chopped in food processor

1 onion, chopped in food processor

For the outside:

egg roll wrappers

1 egg, lightly beaten

For the filling:

Cook hamburger in large pan until cooked through.

Drain hamburger of juices. Place hamburger in food processor and chop until the pieces are small. Chop up all vegetables in food processor until minced.

Mix together vegetables and burger and cook in pan until vegetables are soft. Let cool.

Place egg roll wrappers on counter and fill each one with one large spoonful of filling. Following directions on egg roll wrappers wrap them up and seal with beaten egg.

Fry in vegetable oil until brown on outside.

Makes 12-18. Total time 40 min.

Verdict:

We love lumpia at our house. We eat it somewhat frequently.