Filipino Lumpia Shanghai

These are such a special TREAT as an appetizer or side dish to any Filipino meal. I love them! Many Filipinos will make up a mass bunch of these on New Year's Eve and then freeze them.They will have to be wrapped tight so I use my vacuum food sealer. 

 Makes about 30 lumpia

1 lb. (or 500g) ground minced pork (if you do not eat pork, this is so tasty also using ground minced chicken)

1 cup chopped shrimp (I left it out this time to cut down on cholesterol)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

60g minced cabbage (I used my food processor for this)

2 spring onions chopped finely

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup of finely chopped water chestnuts

2 whole eggs (1 extra egg for sealing wraps)

3 tbsp. soy sauce (I use low sodium)

3 dashes of sesame oil

1 tsp pepper

approx 30 lumpia wrappers

vegetable oil, for frying 

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until well blended.

Grab one of the lumpia wrappers and place it down on a cutting board 

The Lumpia wrappers I found in my local supermarket. They are also sold at Asian supermarkets. Here is what they look like:

 I get another whole egg and put it in a little bowl and whisk it and then you will need a pastry brush. Scoop up a good 3 tablespoons of the mixture laying it diagonally on the wrapper. Grab the corner nearest to the filling and fold it over the filling. Keep rolling and make sure you are rolling them tightly.  When you reach the end, use  your pastry brush and dip in bowl of egg and then run along the end of the wrap to seal the edge and then wrap it to create your roll. If freezing them for later to cook, use Saran Wrap or any plastic wrap to wrap each roll as you do the rest of the rolls if you do not have a vacuum food sealer. This is to keep the moisture in the roll. Then put in a gallon size zip lock baggie.

After you are done with rolling all the wrappers, which does take time lol! Then I slice them in half...like this:

We are now ready to fry them =D I used this deep fryer which I really recommend. It works great! I heated it up to about 355 degrees and was able to fry about 6 lumpia wraps at a time. It took about 6 minutes of frying to make them golden brown.

 Drain on paper towels. Transfer to a serving platter. Serve with a Sweet and Sour Sauce or a sweet chili sauce is my favorite =D

Filipino Pork Barbeque Skewers

This recipe is simple but will taste like you worked HARD on it =D. The key to this recipe is marinating, you really need to marinate this for at least 24-36 hours. These tasty skewers are so perfect for putting in a large gallon size baggie to marinate and then take on a camping trip and fire up the grill =D Many Filipinos love serving these skewers with a beer, rice and a potato salad. These are best on the outdoor grill but are still so very tasty on an indoor one as well. Today, here in the Pacific Northwest its pouring outside so I made mine on the indoor grill.

Here is what you need:

* Pork Shoulder, thinly sliced 1/4 inch thick to put on skewers

* 4 cloves of garlic, minced

* 1/4 cup of brown sugar

* 1 cup of soy sauce

*1 cup of Sprite or 7 up

* 2 tbsp ground black pepper

* 1/4 cup of banana ketchup 

* 20 Wooden skewers (soaked in water overnight) soaking them in water prevents them from burning while grilling, otherwise they will catch fire

* Gallon size zip lock bag

Start by slicing your pork shoulder in nice thin slices.Then add garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, sprite, pepper and banana ketchup (or regular ketchup) and whisk until combined and the brown sugar is dissolved. Banana ketchup is found in Filipino markets or Asian food markets.  Here is what the bottle looks like:

Now put the marinade in the gallon size baggie and add your pork. Tightly seal bag and massage the bag to get the marinade coated nicely all over the pork. Place in refrigerator and marinate for 24-36 hours.  

Once you are ready to cook, thread the pork to the wooden skewers by piercing one end of the pork meat then twist and pierce again. Typically 3 strips of pork will fit on a skewer. Heat your grill and lay skewers right on grill to cook. Baste the skewers on the grill with the left over marinade from your baggie occasionally until the pork is thoroughly cooked with some nicely charred bits, around 15 minutes.

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Enchilada the BEST!

I am not kidding when I say this is the BEST recipe for Shredded Chicken Enchiladas!! Here is my secret recipe...it has taken a while to perfect it from several recipes =D

Ingredients:

4 Chicken Breasts

1/2 Red Bell Pepper chopped

1/2 Onion chopped

1 can Diced Tomatoes, drained

2 cans Cream of Chicken soup

1 can La Victoria Brand Picante Enchilada sauce (green)

1 can sliced Olives

1 small can diced green chilies

1 can ReFried Beans (I used lowfat)

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Chili powder

Salt 

Pepper

Put all ingredients (except the refried beans)in the slow cooker and let cook on low for 8hours...once done...shred chicken with a fork. Get the flour tortillas and take a pan on medium heat...add a little canola oil and place a tortilla on the pan...heat for about 15 seconds on each side. I made about 6 of them. Then get a 9x13 inch baking pan and spray with oil. Take your heated tortillas and spoon some refried beans down the middle. Shred about a cup of medium sharp cheddar cheese and a cup of Monterrey Jack cheese. Sprinkle both cheeses  on top of the refried beans and then add the shredded chicken mix on top. Fold them over and place in 9x13 pan. 

Then top the wrapped enchiladas with remaining

shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and 

YUMMY!!!!

Greek Salad Recipe

Greek Salad homemade dressing **secret...shhhh**

1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 c. white vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (this will not make the dressing spicy, just flavorful)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 c. canola oil
 3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. dry oregano
1/4 tsp. dry thyme
a dash of dijon to kick it up =D


For the Salad:


3 Medium ripe vine tomatoes
1 cucumber (I left it out tonight in pic for my little guys)
1/2 red onion
1/2 pound feta cheese(left this out tonight too because my little guys won't eat it)

1 Green pepper
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup of pitted Kalamata olives
Use cold Rotisserie chicken to salad (perfect when you have leftovers to add) 
I used Penne pasta...after cooking pasta rinse with cold water 

	Directions
	Cut the tomatoes in to bite-sized pieces. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, seed it, and slice. Slice the onion thinly. Cut the pepper in half, discard the core and seeds, and cut into strips Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, pepper, and feta cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Add the olives, capers, and oregano. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat the ingredients. Let the salad sit for at least 20 minutes to let the flavors meld. Do not refrigerate, or the tomatoes will lose flavor.

French Dip Dinner Tonight

3 1/2 pounds of Beef Chuck Roast (this is what I used tonight...you can also use rump roast)

16 oz beef broth (I use the Better than Bouillon organic beef broth its the best =D)

1 10.5 oz can condensed French Onion Soup

6 oz of cooking Red wine

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

4-6 French Rolls

sliced provolone cheese

Trim any fat off the beef roast and season all over with salt and pepper. Pour beef broth, condensed French onion soup, red wine and garlic powder into slow cooker and place the beef chuck roast in the liquid.

Cook on low setting for 7 hours. Take beef out and rest it for about 15 minutes when done cooking.

Cut your French bread in half and put sliced Provolone cheese on each slice. Broil in oven for 3 minutes. Add the beef onto rolls and ladle the juice in slow cooker into a small bowl for dipping. Using the juice as its own dip is oh so YUMMY!!

note: I will post the Greek pasta salad in my next post

Mozerella, Tomato and Basil Salad Recipe

This is one of my favorite summer salads =D its so easy to make and tastes sooo good. In Italy, this is known as insalata caprese (Capri-style salad).

 4 vine firm tomatoes (I used Roma)

Fresh cuttable Mozzarella cheese (I purchase mine at Costco) cut into about 12 slices

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• **optional you can add balsamic vinegar to taste

Just mix it all together and Enjoy!!

Note:Fresh mozzarella cheese is packed in water. It has a softer texture and sweeter, more delicate flavor than the regular part-skim mozzarella that is more commonly used in cooking.

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Filipino Pancit Canton Noodles

Pancit Canton Ingredients:

1 package 1 lb pancit canton (egg noodles) I buy these:

(wash the noodles under cold water before using)

2 cups chicken broth 

2-3 cup chicken breast cut in strips (I buy the Costco Rotisserie for this)

1 cup pork (optional)

Chinese Sausage (optional)

1 cup shrimps; shelled (optional)

2 cups cabbage; cut in strips

2 cups cut broccoli

1 cup snow peas

2 medium carrot; cut into strips

1 onion; chopped

5 cloves garlic; crushed

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Salt and pepper 

Fish sauce to taste

Oyster sauce 1/3 cup

Cooking oil

1/4 crushed chili pepper

2 lemon; sliced

I add a couple boiled eggs and slice them and add on top when done

other things you can consider adding is baby corn or mushrooms

Pancit Canton Cooking Instructions:

Best thing to do is have everything chopped, minced, cut and ready to go.

In a wok, saute garlic and then add onion

 Add meat ingredients and continue sautening until meat becomes tender( if you have an already made rotisserie chicken I just add the cooked meat in the end when its all done) Add soy sauce and simmer for a while. Add vegetable ingredients, broth, crushed chili pepper, oyster sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the vegetable ingredients are crispy tender, add the pancit canton noodles. Mix well and cook until done. Serve hot with sliced lemon.