Kel’s Crispy Shrimp Egg Rolls

Posted on February 10, 2017 by

 

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For some reason I’ve been craving Chinese food lately and have been experimenting with (and perfecting) various recipes, such as my delicious shrimp stir fry and easy pork pot stickers. The next Chinese dish on my list to make was egg rolls, but I just couldn’t decide on the filling. Then recently, I found deveined shrimp on sale and knew it would be the focus of these yummy egg rolls. The older I get, the more I hate to devein shrimp. Really, really hate. Plus, I always love a good bargain, so shrimp was a no-brainer. I then went to the Grand Asia Market in Cary to pick up the bulk of the other ingredients – the prices are excellent and it’s such a fun and delightful place to shop.

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I was quite pleased with my filling for these egg rolls. To make things easy, I used prepackaged Chinese mustard and duck sauce as dipping sauces (cheap, cheap, cheap at aforementioned Grand Asia Market). I know I still need more practice when it comes to rolling egg rolls, but my technique did improve slightly by the time I had finished this batch. The trick is not to overfill the wrappers and to roll them as tight as possible. There are several good videos on YouTube that show you how it’s done.

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These egg rolls freeze really well, so make a bunch to enjoy later. I’ve included freezing and reheating instructions at the end of the post.

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Ronda’s Twice-Baked Stuffed Potatoes:  Some For Now, Some For Later

Posted on February 1, 2017 by

 kels-twice-baked-potato

The first time I had these heavenly potatoes was at my dear friend (and excellent cook) Ronda’s home, back in the late 1980s. Ronda and I both worked Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at The Pub (may it rest in peace). One of us would bartend while the other cooked and waited tables, and then we would change roles the following weekend. After work, we would suck down a beer or six (it was the 80s, after all, so please don’t judge) and often head across the street to her and Dickie’s townhome, where we made dinner and then settled in for a long night of poker with a cast of other Pub regulars (may many of them RIP as well, heavy sigh).

Anyway, we often grilled steaks and Ronda would make these awesome stuffed potatoes that I immediately became hooked on and have been a part of my culinary life ever since. I’ve tweaked her recipe a bit over the years, mainly because I never wrote it down, but these are by far one of my favorite comfort foods, EVER! Potatoes, cheese, bacon — need I say more?

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I usually make several of these at a time to freeze and enjoy later. You would never guess they have been frozen previously, and will thank yourself for making these in advance, wishing you had made more! For those of you who love to save time in the long run, I’ve included freezing and reheating directions at the end of this post.

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Kel’s Easy and Cheesy Broccoli and Wild Rice Casserole

Posted on January 11, 2017 by

 

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I made this delicious broccoli, cheddar and wild rice casserole for a recent family holiday dinner. It was a big hit — even the kids who were there loved it, as did my husband, who generally is not a big casserole fan. Not only does this make a great side dish for beef, pork or poultry, it can also stand alone as a meatless entrée – just add a tossed salad and some crusty bread for easy and cheesy comfort food at it’s finest. This casserole will be a staple at family dinners for years to come!

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Kel’s Easy Pork Potstickers

Posted on December 30, 2016 by

kels-cafe-pot-stickers

I love potstickers – they are one of my favorite Chinese appetizers. When I came across this recipe for Fast Pot-Stickers on the New York Times Cooking website, I decided to give it a try. I’m not sure if “Fast” is the correct title for this recipe – it does take some time to seal and pleat each individual dumpling. But that’s easy enough to do and well worth the effort. I made a few minor changes to the recipe and created my own dipping sauce,which, by the way, is quite addictive!

Many Chinese families make pot stickers to celebrate their New Year and feel that these little morsels bring fortune and good luck, due to their resemblance to shoe-shaped gold or silver ingots. Just another reason to enjoy!

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Kel’s Rich and Creamy Braised Beef Stroganoff

Posted on December 24, 2016 by

lets-eat-kels-braised-beef-stroganoff

As I child, I always loved having dinner at my grandparents’ home, especially when they made beef stroganoff. The creamy sauce and tender beef that topped the egg noodles was so yummy and I especially loved the hint of sherry — it made me feel I was eating grown-up food. I wish I had their recipe for this, but since I don’t,  I’ve been forging ahead with ideas from my cookbooks and the Internet.

While I had early success with the delicious sauce, it took a few tries to replicate melt-in-your-mouth beef. When Brad suggested to braise the meat, I decided to give it a try, and he was right — perfectly tender beef that made this dish completely delicious. While the braising process takes longer to complete, it is so simple to do and definitely worth the time spent!

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Kel’s Café Citrusy Champagne Mojitos

Posted on December 17, 2016 by

 

toasting-the-holidays-with-kels-champagne-mojitos

It’s a mimosa. No, wait – it’s a mojito. Actually, it’s the best of both worlds! Champagne is my favorite alcoholic beverage and mojitos are one of my favorite cocktails, so when I saw this recipe for Champagne Mojitos on my online Food and Wine feed — Boom! I knew I had to make these. I tweaked the recipe a bit and added some fresh clementines, just to bring in the mimosa aspect. Plus, I just happen to have a lot of clementines on hand.

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These cocktails are perfect for your holiday breakfast or brunch. Double the recipe to keep your guests happy! And if you’re interested in some of my other recipes for mojitos, check out the end of this post for links to some of my favs.

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Kel’s Split Pea and Ham Soup, Slow Cooker Style

Posted on December 12, 2016 by

kels-split-pea-soup

Here’s a hearty, delicious and good-for-your-soul split pea soup that is so easy to make because your slow cooker does most of the work for you! Just combine all of the ingredients in a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker (I love my Ninja for this) and cook on low for about 4 hours. The peas will magically turn into a nice and thick soup — just stir and you’re good to go. Perfect on a cold winter’s day!

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