Buffalo Turkey Egg Rolls

Buffalo Turkey Egg Rolls ... crispy on the outside .... (photo by A. Mayberry)

... and super delicious on the inside! :0) (photo by A. Mayberry)

After quite the hiatus, I am back in the blogosphere, doing what I do best -- talking about food. (YAY!)

Tonight's dish was actually an ORIGINAL. Okay, so perhaps someone else has thought of it, but I created this dish from scratch, with no recipe to follow. Though I will admit I had a little inspiration from "Hungry Girl" ... I tried a recipe last week for chicken pot pie ... but you put the filling in an egg roll. But I needed to figure out a way that would help me use the rest of the egg roll sheets without having a ton of filling left over. This was my solution ..... Considering my recent obsession with hot wings (and also the title of the blog itself) this shouldn't be a surprise ....

Buffalo Turkey Egg Rolls.

I used 6 egg roll sheets (exactly how many were left over after the pot pie egg rolls .... but the filling still made a little left over .... so you can use 8 or 10 egg roll sheets). I started with 1lb. of lean turkey and browned it with: 1T of cajun seasoning, 1t of red pepper flakes, 1/2c of Franks Hot Wing Sauce and Salt and Pepper to taste. I added a little corn starch to thicken the juice a little, but you may not find this necessary. (I was down to the last of the Wing sauce and used the water trick to rinse out the last of the sauce .... might of had a bit much of the H2O ...)

While the meat was browning, I preheated the oven to 375 degrees.

Then I took 2 pieces of celery stalk, and 2 carrots and diced them fairly small, for egg roll friendliness.

Once the meat was completely cooked, I took 2T of meat and laid it on a dry egg roll sheet. I sprinkled some of the carrots and celery on top, then topped THAT off with about 1 1/2t of blue cheese crumbles (per egg roll). I folded in the sides, dampened the edge of one end, folded and then rolled the egg roll ... using the first flap to tuck in the filling, then rolling it to the dampened edge. The water used to dampen the edge of the egg roll sheet will help to seal the egg roll closed.

I repeated until I had filled all of my egg roll sheets.

I placed each of the egg rolls on a foil covered, lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Bake the egg rolls for about 10 minutes .... remove from the oven and turn them over .... cook for about another 10 minutes or until the egg rolls are crispy and golden brown.

I've learned from Hungry Girl that the egg rolls can be made in the oven, thus nixing the need to deep fry them. They still get nice and crispy ... and, since there is no excess oil, they stay crispier than the deep fried stuff when it comes to left overs. (BONUS!!!)

And for the taste test .... yum! Next time, I think I would do 2 things .... add a pinch more blue cheese and perhaps concoct some sort of light dipping sauce. What's awesome is that these could be served with rice, mashed potatoes or even a la carte as an appetizer. You can even cut up some spare veggies and a little blue cheese dressing.

The combination I've got for these egg rolls has just a little kick. But if you like more heat, you can add Tabasco sauce, perhaps a hotter wing sauce or cayenne pepper sauce, more pepper flakes or Cajun seasoning. Either way you make it, it will be delicious! Not too shabby for a 30-minute dinner experiment from my laboratory ... er ... I mean ... kitchen. :0)

After several attempts at having made egg rolls, I'd say I've got the technique pretty well mastered. (Now if only I were half as crafty at making sushi ...)

Until next time, Buon Appetito!

Steak ... with a little "Wake Me Up" ...

Steak with Coffee and Ancho Chile Rub, paired with Sweet Potatoes with Orange Essence ... photographed in front of the cookbook they came from! Thank you, Ellie Kreiger for a GREAT meal! (A. Mayberry)

 No, this is NOT a photo of burnt steak. I couldn't murder a perfectly good steak!

Another delicious creation found in Ellie Kreiger's "The Food You Crave", this Steak with Coffee and Ancho Chile rub is a must try.... seriously. Perhaps an early idea for Father's Day!

Espresso coffee grounds, dry mustard, brown sugar, salt, pepper, ground corriander, and ancho chile powder make a delicious rub for a 1 1/4 pound steak. Rub the spice mixture on both sides of the steak and let it stand for 10-15 minutes before cooking so that the flavors begin to permeate the meat.

Meanwhile, I steamed 2 medium sweet potatoes until they were soft enough to mash (about 20 minutes). Place them in a bowl suitable for mashing (I used a corningware) and mash with 1/4 cup of milk, a little brown sugar, nutmeg and 1 t of orange zest and 2 T of orange juice.

The recipe calls to pan fry the steak for just a few minutes on each side until it is medium rare. However, you can also grill the steak, or cook it longer for a slightly less pink done-ness. Just be sure to monitor the moisture still in the meat so that you don't overcook it to become shoe leather. :0p

The steak had a wonderful flavor ... a little smokiness from the cooked ground espresso -- makes a decadent pair with the juices and taste of the steak. All of the other spices combine to add a little punch. But don't be afraid of the coffee. Proportionately, there is not enough on your individual piece of meat to keep you wired.

And the sweet potatoes .... sweet and yet light and refreshing because of the citrus addition. When I make it next time, I will probably add EITHER the zest OR the juice, not both. Though it was still delicious, the citrus begins to quickly overpower the sweet potatoes.

These two recipes made a great pair together ... a little yin and yang ... light and refreshing with a more heavily flavored steak. A good glass of red wine would be an "okay" match .... but to find one that compliments both of these flavors would be a bit of a challenge. Perhaps a Boston Lager (like Sam Adams) would make a better pair for those looking to make this a "Fine Dining Experience".

With my husband as my co-chef, we had the whole meal kicked out in less than half-an-hour.  It was incredibly easy to prepare (as most of our meals are to begin with). A small-scale (and much cheaper) version of a steak house delight. Voila! Dinner for 2 ... your table awaits you!

Until the next blog, Buon Appetito!

Sage-Rubbed Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw

Sage-Rubbed Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw -- a recipe found in Ellie Kreiger's "Food You Crave". (A. Mayberry)

This dish is sounds kind of strange .... but it is seriously delicious. I'll be honest ... my version looked nothing like the picture in Ellie Kreiger's "Food You Crave" cookbook, but it was delightful, nonetheless.

Quick tip: If you have a food processor, this will save you a TON of chopping time! So bust it out, set it up with the shredding blade, and "chop" away!

4- 8oz., 1 1/4in. thick pork chops ... (I'm sure the guys are already drooling). Take 1 lg. clove of garlic, 1T fresh sage, salt, and pepper. Rub on this mix on the pork. Let it stand for about 10 minutes at room temp. In a heated skillet, warm 2t of olive oil and brown the chops. About 2-3 minutes on each side.

While the pork is "standing", take a small head of green cabbage, 3 carrots, 1 granny smith apple, 1t of sage, and 1 large onion. Throw it all in the food processor. (Or, chop finely or shred ...) Once your pork is finished, throw this whole mixture -- plus 3/4 cup of chicken broth and 2T of apple cider vinegar -- into the skillet and heat through. Add the chops back into the pan and reheat slightly if you wish.

Makes 4 (VERY) generous servings. If you wish to cook with a friend or significant other, have them run the food processor while you're cooking the chops. It will be done about the same time, so that the reheating of your pork chops is minimal, if even necessary. (I covered mine with foil to keep them warm). With this method, total prep-cook time would be about 15-20 minutes.

The flavor is like coleslaw, but it wants to be sauerkraut. It's wonderful. The pork is nicely flavored, but not in an overpowering manner -- and their super juicy if cooked just right. This would be a wonderful autumn dish ... served with a crisp Riesling or Chardonnay.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Shrimp and Chorizo

Chef FAIL! I must begin this blog with a preamble that I forgot to take a photo of the dish in its proper, plated setting. Rather, this is a picture of the leftovers, on a paper plate. HA! But it's just as delicious!

I've also begun to notice a bit of a trend on my blog subjects ... foods that are spicy, savory and likely containing some sort of seafood. (ha ha ha!) I suppose that means that I enjoy the warmth of the spice, the "comfort food" aspect of the savory and ..... well .... sorry. I can't explain the seafood part. Exotic, maybe? Perhaps an interior desire to go "vegetarian" or drag out "Catholic Fridays" throughout the whole year. (aka ... the abstention from meat on Fridays during the season of Lent).

Nonetheless, this meal, I suppose, is no different. It comes from "Latin Flavors/Sabór Latino", a cookbook I ordered from Pampered Chef. I decided that our first home-cooked meal should be from a new cookbook, and be among my husband's favorite food genre ... Mexican food. This meal (as usual) was easy to make but it is helpful to use a "Sous Chef" or perhaps even a food processor to do some of the chopping for you to save a little time.

I began by washing 6 poblano peppers (the ones they make Chile Rellenos out of in the restaurants) and sliced down the center of one side to split each pepper. I then steamed them in the microwave with a little water for about 8-9 minutes, until they were a crunchy-tender.

Meanwhile, I began to cook 3 oz of Beef Chorizo and about 1 1/2 c of frozen corn. (The recipe calls for the corn to be freshly shucked off of 2 ears of corn .... ha ha ha ... frozen is just fine) over medium high heat. While that was cooking, I started dicing 1 small red onion, 1/2 cup of cilantro and 1 red bell pepper. The recipe also calls for 12oz. of uncooked shrimp. NOTE: I used cooked, tail on shrimp .... BUT to save even more time (and a little $$ too) use 12 oz. of bay shrimp. It will save both the cooking of the shrimp and the chopping of it.

Once the chorizo and corn had been properly cooked and heated through, I added the onion, red pepper, cilantro and shrimp. Heat through. Have 2 cups of cheese ready. The recipe called for "Chihuahua" cheese ... never heard of it, didn't find it. I use Queso Fresco, similar to Feta Cheese in consistency. But even a nice, low-fat Monterey Jack would be great!

Open the peppers and place in the stuffing mixture (corn, chorizo, bell pepper, onion, shrimp and cilantro) and stuff a little of the cheese in each pepper as well. Microwave it for at least one more minute, or until the cheese has completely melted.

These stuffed peppers definitely fit my blogging trend. Spicy (but not too HOT), Savory and Seafood. The flavors are kind of Tex-Mex, but in a good way. You get just enough zing from the chorizo to taste it, but there's not so much that it's greasy. The corn gets slightly toasted when it's cooked and the peppers and onions top it off and compliment the freshness of the cilantro. The cheese speaks for itself ... it hold the whole thing together.

Each pepper is about 320 calories, but they are filling for their size ... that's a good thing. However, if you're so inclined, serve this up with a small side salad, a small helping of black beans or even a little rice to accompany the delicious dish.

A FRESH New Start

Photo of the new kitchen, pre-move-in, taken from the Dining/Living room. (A. Mayberry)

Photo of the new kitchen space (pre-move-in), from the edge of the kitchen, facing our stove, oven and cabinet space. (A. Mayberry)

For those of you who haven't already heard, my husband and I just moved from a one-bedroom apartment into our very first home. Along with all the responsibility of being an adult (in general) we now have taken on the tasks that homeowners have in caring for and maintaining a home that will become not only a sanctuary for us, but also a place that is warm and welcoming to our friends, family and guests.

New House = New Kitchen. All of the pots, pans, plates, glasses and cooking utensils have all been unpacked as have my cookbooks. A little grocery shopping done over the weekend means our refrigerator and our pantry are fully stocked with the necessary ingredients needed to make meals from scratch. (No more Mac N Cheese, Top Ramen or take-out to tide us over!)

What will make this week even more exciting is the menu for this week. After all of the packing, unpacking and the work and family obligations that have crunched the schedule (and my usual daily cooking routine), I am HAPPY to get back in to the kitchen ... and COOKING. I'm pulling out the stops! I'm going gourmet this week to make up for all of the restaurant food and boxed or frozen stuff that we've resorted to in order to accommodate the things that were packed away and the need to focus on our transition to our new home.

I crave chopping onions and garlic ... sauteéing red peppers ... tossing in a dash of the necessary seasonings ... the steaming and grilling ... the aromas ... and that sense of accomplishment I get when my husband and I take our first bites of the culinary creations. I hope to have lots to blog about ... and lots of pictures to post!

So I raise a glass (or, at present, my travel mug of coffee) to a FRESH new start .... to a new home, a new kitchen, new meals .... and to new adventures. Cheers! and Buon Appetito!

Hungry Girl Seafood Gumbo

It's Mardi Gras, y'all! To celebrate, I am posting about some tasty Seafood Gumbo that I made a few weeks ago. With about 1 1/2 cups per serving, it's hearty, filling, and really tasty!

Stewed tomatoes, Spicy V8 juice, imitation crab, shrimp, onion, bell pepper, shrimp, tabasco sauce and some Cajun seasoning ... all blended together to make this stew-like soup. It took less than 30 minutes to make and is less than 300 calories per serving! (I think it was around 200, actually).

For those of you who may not care much for Okra, you can certainly substitute some zucchini. But the Okra has a nice, thickening agent to it. Serve up this dish with some fresh, crusted baguettes. It's sure to keep you warm from the inside out on a cold day like today.

Until next time, Buon Appetito!

Sharing the Wealth

As I shared in my last blog, I am "dieting" again. (If you can really CALL it a "diet" -- more like a return to the life-style changes that were necessary in my previous success in weight loss). I've had a couple of requests to share a few of my secrets, tips, tricks and learned knowledge. I will share with you up front though -- these are tips I have learned from The Biggest Loser, Dr. Oz's "YOU on a Diet", a few things that I have learned from my healthy cookbooks and picked up along the way. Every body is different too. So these things that worked for me may not necessarily give you the same results. But they are certainly great starting points in making your OWN lifestyle changes.

1. Use Olive Oil Cooking Spray: This one is particularly helpful. Rather than drowning my food in butter or loads of oil (even if it IS olive oil) I spray my pans and cook with cooking spray. It keeps my food from getting overly greasy and it also cuts out a ton of fat and unnecessary calories. Better yet, when applicable, bake or grill instead of fry.

2. Fruits and Vegetables are your Friends: This is not a shocker. Any good doctor will certainly advise you to increase fruits and veggies. A good reason to do it? A fiber-filled treat (like apples, spinach, bananas, etc.) can help to boost your energy and keep you feeling full longer. Don't like veggies? Try grilling or roasting them with a little lemon pepper, citrus zest or garlic and a bit of olive oil spray. If cooked to a still crisp but not raw consistency, you may discover that they are better than expected. Point being that the cooking method may be what needed to change. (Let's face it .... steamed veggies are usually kind of bland)

3. Plan Your Menus: No diet will be successful if you do nothing but eat salad. Why? You get bored and burned out. Instead, pick a VARIETY of different meals that you can make. Yes, you may have a fresh spinach salad on Monday, but perhaps on Tuesday, you have a fresh Turkey Wrap. Wednesday you have soup ... etc. If you have lots of things to choose from, you are less likely to notice that you're "dieting" and will stick to your new lifestyle changes. This one is HUGE for the success that I have had in my own journey ... here's 2 reasons why:

• Saving Money: Say what? By planning my menus for the week, I can comprise a grocery list that requires ONLY the items that I need. I stick to that list. By doing to, I do not impulse buy those junk food snacks. By not adding unneeded items to my cart, i save money.
• Being Organized: The organization is worth the time spent planning a menu. I can rearrange it based on my schedule if I need to. I already know in advance what dinner will be, which makes it less stressful when it comes to making dinner. Also, if I am working late, it allows my husband to know exactly what to start with -- whether it's making the whole meal or just prepping the ingredients.
• Added Bonus: Our household is just the 2 of us. Since most recipes make 4 servings, there is always some left over. Solution? Take it for lunch. This way, your lunch is pre-made, you didn't have to create another meal, and you know that it will be good for you.

4. Keep it simple: There's a reason I stick to healthy cookbooks that have meals that take 30 minutes or less. It makes it really easy for me to make a home cooked meal in a short amount of time so that I can enjoy the rest of my evening. This also becomes suitable for any level of "home chef". If my husband (who prior to being married had no cooking experience at all) can make it without any snags, you can too! And if cooking is easy, it becomes FUN.

5. Embrace the Fat Free Products, but with caution: Fat Free cheese, Fat Free yogurt, Fat Free Milk, Extra Lean meats (like chicken or turkey at 97%+ fat free) are all marvelous choices. And to be honest, I never really noticed a difference in the switch. HOWEVER, some of the products can also be higher in sodium. So if you're a person who needs to watch the salt intake for health reasons, a balance of fat free and low fat might be something to keep in mind.

6. Dips and Dressings: Fat Free Plain Yogurt or Fat Free Sour Cream are awesome. Why? It's like a blank canvas. You can ad a teaspoon worth of Ranch Mix to yogurt or sour cream, and you have instant fat free dressing. Add nutmeg and cinnamon to some plain or vanilla yogurt and you have an awesome dip for apples or strawberries. Plain yogurt mixed with cucumbers and fresh mint become a tzatziki sauce for gyros, salmon or pita dipping. And the list goes on.

7. Order it on the side: When you go out for dinner and order salad (whether it be a side salad, entree salad, etc.) order your dressing on the side. This allows YOU the control over how much dressing goes on your salad. THEN, here's an awesome tip that a colleague taught me .... instead of pouring the dressing on your salad, dip your fork in the dressing, then stab up a few veggies. You will use only about 1 T or LESS of dressing. And you will find that you still have plenty of flavor of the dressing to satiate the palate.

8. Dealing with a craving: This is one of the most challenging things that can challenge any healthy lifestyle. When stress runs high, I crave burgers, tacos, pizza, chocolate -- you name it, I would eat it. But rather than running to In N Out, Del Taco, BJs Pizza and raiding the chocolate aisle at Albertsons, I deal with my cravings in a different way. I usually will make a healthy version of any of the food items that I am craving. I've made "animal style protien burgers" using lettuce, Boca Burgers, fat free american cheese, tomatoes and red onion. While it still wasn't quite In N Out, it satisfied my craving for a burger. In other cases, it may not be the food itself, but a particular "flavor" (sweet, or salty, or example) that I crave. If I want something salty, perhaps a veggie with some cottage cheese will do the trick. For Sweet? Sometimes a nice apple, flavored yogurt ... and those Jello Temptations are 60–150 calories a piece. Those things are AWESOME. And when it comes to that craving, it usually does the trick. When all else fails, perhaps allow yourself a treat ... BUT ... watch the portions and the calories. Take advantage of the calorie postings mentioned in one of my previous blogs. Instead of ordering a 3 item combo at your favorite mexican restaurant, order a single item and request roasted/grilled veggies instead of rice and beans. You'll still be satisfied in the end, and you will save yourself 700+ calories.

9. Go for the fresh stuff: Fruits and vegetables in cans are full of salt and preservatives. Sure, they're usually cheaper in the can. But the nutrients are in the fresh stuff. Frozen is a good option too -- particularly for a few time savers. Just buy the quantity you'll need. Use the stuff that doesn't last long (like fresh cilantro or cucumbers) first. But your veggies should still last all week if kept in the fridge.

10. Check out some good cookbooks: All of the food items shared here in my blog have been DELICIOUS recipes found in the healthy cookbook collection that I have in my kitchen. (Yes, I mean COLLECTION). I have Hungry Girl cookbooks, The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook, Betty Crocker's 300 Meals 300 Calories, Ellie Kreiger's "The Food You Crave", Weight Watchers cookbooks galore ... all delicious, healthy, EASY meals. Hey, I even say in my bio that I am not a chef. But I am happy to share what I create from these books. Why? Because I get excited that I was able to make something that tasted good and can feel good about knowing that it didn't put me back 1400 calories for a single meal. Yes, I make pizza, burgers, tacos, enchiladas, taquitos, buffalo wings, jalapeno poppers, soups, stews, salads, sandwiches and wraps ..... Stuff I actually WANT to eat. If all there was to eat was salad, I would die of starvation because I would get sick and tired of eating it and would lose any enjoyment that I receive from it. So go to the Library, bookstore, amazon, allrecipes.com .... find books that work for you. (Me? I have to have lots of pictures -- if it looks appetizing or has some cool, catchy name, I will eat it.)

So for those who like to complain that "dieting" doesn't work, that healthy food tastes bad, then I'm going to guess that you haven't really tried all of your options. Ditch the fad diets and kooky diet pills and potions. A healthy, appropriately portioned diet, lots of water and moderate exercise will do just fine. No, don't spend 3 hours a day at the gym. Even a half-hour power walk does wonders. And for crying out loud be patient! To expect to lose 30 pounds in a week (or even 8 pounds) like they do on The Biggest Loser is NOT HEALTHY and totally unrealistic. But 2 pounds is definitely possible. And don't put a time limit on it. Just keep at it, and the results will happen. By saying "I'll lose 15 pounds by swimsuit season" only puts unneeded pressure on you -- and you'll likely only gain weight instead. But by embracing a total lifestyle change, you will see much more and lasting results.