Egg Rolls

Everybody in my house loves Asian food. The kiddo likes sweet and sour chicken (which is basically chicken nuggets with a fruity sauce to dip them in) and the hubs and I like pretty much everything stir-fried and served with a side of soy sauce. One of my favorite Asian dishes is egg rolls. I remember when I was a little kid my dad would take me out to eat at the grocery store deli because I loved the egg rolls they served!

Weird, I know. I used to order an egg roll as an appetizer every time we went out to the Asian restaurant, but I rarely order them now because I love these homemade ones so much! Even better, this recipe makes a ton, so I can have them as a main course instead of just an appetizer. They taste best fresh, so I use that as an excuse to eat as many of them as I want as soon as they come out of the fryer. 

Egg Rolls
Prep time: 30 min  Cook time: 15 min
Makes 20

1 (6 oz) can tiny shrimp or chicken
1 cup chopped canned bean sprouts
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained, chopped
1 (14 oz) bag coleslaw mix
1 cup diced onion
2 Tbs sesame seed oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 egg, beaten
20 egg roll wrappers

Stir-fry protein, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, coleslaw mix, and onion in oil till crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and soy sauce to taste.

Scoop 1/4 cup of filling into an egg roll wrapper. Pull one corner of wrapper tightly over filling, then fold in the side corners. Brush beaten egg on the top corner and finish rolling. (Watch the short video below - it's easy!)

Deep fry at 325°F till golden brown and crispy. Drain and serve hot. I like to serve these with fried rice.  (I'll post that recipe soon!)

If you have any leftovers, make sure you reheat them in the oven on a metal pan so they regain their crispiness. Soggy egg rolls are yucky! You can also individually wrap uncooked egg rolls in wax paper then freeze to cook later.

Chicken Parmesan

One of my dear friends has been sick for some time, leaving her husband and child to fend for themselves. Assuming they might enjoy a home-cooked meal over Mickey D's once in a while, I have offered to cook for them on multiple occasions. Knowing their love of Italian food, the first meal I made for them was this family favorite recipe for chicken parm. It was a big hit. It went over so well, the next time I offered to make them a meal they wanted it again. And the next time. And the next time!

Needless to say, this meal is super yummy comfort food.  Like all my favorite meals, it's also really easy and comes together in mere minutes. I serve it with breadsticks and a salad for a great weeknight meal.

Chicken Parmesan

Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 25 min
Serves 4

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied into thin halves
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups tomato sauce
4 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (Yes, that's right!)

Combine the herbs, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs in a shallow dish to blend. Coat chicken with breading mixture and shake off any excess.

Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Spoon the tomato sauce over and around the chicken. Sprinkle parmesan over each chicken breast. Cover each breast with mozzarella slices.

Bake, covered with foil, for 10 minutes, and then uncovered for 5 minutes, until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through.

312 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!