Southwest Egg Rolls & Cool Avocado dip

Southwest Egg Rolls & Cool Avocado dip
adapted from Taste of Home Dec/Jan 2009 edition with my personal adaptations.

Prep: 35 minutes
Cook 5 minutes
Yield 20 Egg rolls

2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I already had grilled mesquite chicken left over, so I used that, yummy)
1 1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend ( I had to use some cheddar I had, but I also used some local Trappista cheese found here, because cheddar is imported and expensive!!)
2/3 cup corn
2/3 cup black beans rinsed and drained
5 green onions (I only used one and it was plenty... I thought, depends on how much onion you like)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp grated lime peel
I also added half a squeezed lime, next time I will add a whole lime
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 package of egg roll wrappers
Oil for frying
Dip
1 cup Ranch dressing
1 medium ripe avocado peeled and mashed
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp grated lime peel
I added the other half of my lime... yum

I a large bowl, I mixed together all the ingredients

Then I scooped about 1/4 of the mixture into the egg wrappers and folded/rolled them up. I used egg white to close the wrapper and make sure it is shut. I then fried them in a pan with oil.

This is what they looked like inside. So yummy.

Enjoy!!!

Pork Loin Marinade

3/4 c. soy sauce
2/3 c. veg. oil
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. worchestershire sauce
1/4 c. mustard
2 cloves
Gotten from Melissa White who got it from Jennifer Welsh I think...

(Becky we are always loosing this, so thought it would be safe if put on the blog!!!)

Brownie Truffles

Brownie Truffles

Bake the brownies I listed above and over cook them a bit, so they are more crunchy.
Allow to cool
Roll into balls and leave in fridge until it is cold and hard

Melt dark chocolate and some butter.
Dip the balls into the chocolate to cover them
Then set aside to cool in fridge until hardened.
Enjoy!
( I stick a toothpick in them to help pick up and use a wire rack to cook them on.)

Cream Cheese Truffles

Cream Cheese Truffles

Crush pilota’s in a food processor and then mix with cream cheese until it forms a ball.
Make tiny bite size balls and place on cookie sheet
Put into the fridge to cool and harden.

Melt dark chocolate and some butter.
Dip the balls into the chocolate to cover them
Then set aside to cool in fridge until hardened.
Enjoy!
( I stick a toothpick in them to help pick up and use a wire rack to cook them on.)

Fudgy Chocolate Cake with Ganache Icing

Fudgy Chocolate Layer Cake

1 ¾ cups flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 packets vanilla sugar
1 ½ cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 175C and grease then flour two round cake pans.
Mix flour cocoa, baking soda, salt.
In another bowl beat butter and sugars (both) until fluffy then add eggs one at time, mixing well in-between. Finally add vanilla packets.
At low speed, alternately beat flour mix and buttermilk into butter mixture just until blended.
Divide and pour into pans.
Bake and use a toothpick or fork to test to see if cake is done after 25-30 minutes in oven.
Cool cakes completely.

Icing… Chocolate Ganache
250 grams dark chocolate (or milk)
1 cup heavy cream

Place broken pieces of chocolate into medium bowl.
Heat cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to boil.
When cream has come to a boil, pour over the chocolate and whisk until smooth.
(stir in rum, or other flavorings if you want.. about a tablespoon, I like it plain)

Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over cake.
Start at the center of the cake and work outward.
For fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

Assemble cake with frosting and then put in fridge to allow the ganache to set. And keep in fridge until you eat it. Enjoy!!!

Strawberry Cake

Strawberry Cake

Cake mix:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup butter or margarine
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 packet vanillin cukor
4 egg whites
1 1/3 buttermilk

Grease and lightly flour 2 round baking pans.
Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside
In large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium high/high for 30 seconds.
Add sugar and vanilla, beat until well combined
Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each.
Add dry mixture and buttermilk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined.
Pour batter into the pans
Bake at 175 for 30-35 minutes or till a fork comes out clean when inserted.
Cool cakes.

Strawberry glaze (goes in the middle of the two layers of cake)
Mash enough strawberries to measure 1 cup. Mix 1 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons corn starch in 2 qt saucepan. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup water and mashed strawberries. Cover over medium heat, stirring, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute, cool completely.

Whipped topping:
Make whipped cream, any way you like. I used a box of whipping cream, add a bit of sugar and vanilla to taste, and whip. I add the “Hab fixalo” packets to make it thicker.

To assemble the cake…

Take the cooled cakes and put one on a plate.
Add the strawberry glaze mixture to the top, if you want a thick layer in-between, you scoop out some of the bottom layer of the cake, making a whole to put the mixture in.
Put the other cake on top.
Spread whip cream mixture over the whole cake or just on top
Arrange fresh strawberries on top of the cake.

Apple Dumplings

2 to 2 1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup milk
4 to 6 Granny Smith or other cooking apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
sugar, approximately 1/2 cup, for sprinkling apples
cinnamon
nutmeg
butter, cut in small pieces
Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups hot water
1/4 cup margarine melted
heavy cream or ice cream, optional
Preparation:
Combine flour, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually add milk, stirring to make a soft dough. Roll dough into a 1/8" thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface; cut into 5-inch squares.
Place 3 or 4 pieces of apple on each square. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon sugar and a sprinkling cinnamon and nutmeg to taste; dot with butter. Moisten edges of each dumpling with water; bring corners to center, pinching edges to seal. Place dumplings 1 inch apart in a lightly greased shallow baking dish. Combine 2 cups sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 cups hot water and 1/4 cup butter or margarine; stir to dissolve sugar. Pour syrup over dumplings. Bake at 375° for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot with cream or ice cream.
Makes about 1 dozen apple dumplings.