tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91516414177573582292024-03-14T01:55:42.273-07:00Diaries of a Dump CookLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00569761718071678290noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151641417757358229.post-78332330721966920622015-04-06T14:55:00.001-07:002015-04-06T14:56:12.516-07:00Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough<br />
Ever since I was a little kid I have been eating Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are simply the best CCC recipe I've ever found. I've tried branching out. I have. But nothing compares. It must be the nostalgia I feel when I make them. Growing up it seemed like my Mom made these cookies every Sunday after we came home from church. I am pretty sure they are one of the very first things I learned how to cook.<br />
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The recipe can be found on any bag of Nestle Chocolate Chips. I don't own it, so I'm not going to post it. Instead, what I'm going to focus on is how to take this common recipe and make sure your cookies aren't just good. But fantastic. It has to do with a few of the main ingredients and how you treat them. But I think you will notice a huge difference if you change your technique just a little bit.<br />
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The 4 main ingredients that affect how good your cookies turn out are:<br />
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Butter<br />
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Sugar<br />
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Vanilla<br />
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Eggs<br />
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Are you ready to have your Chocolate Chip Cookie world rocked?<br />
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Let's talk Butter. I'll be honest it's one of my favorite ingredients, I'm constantly amazed I don't weigh 500 lbs from the amount of butter I go through in my house. Literally in my freezer I have a whole shelf of butter. So that I always have it. It must be the Southerner in me coming out.<br />
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I always use Sweet Cream Salted Butter unless the recipe specifically calls for unsalted. You can use any brand pretty much. I currently alternate between Land 'O Lakes and Kirkland. Both have given me great results. I don't like to use specialty butters like Kerrygold for baking. That type of thing is better suited to go on top of bread. Not in it.<br />
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So the important thing to do with your butter when making cookies, or baking in general unless you're making pie. Is to have it be room temperature. Trying to use frozen or refrigerated butter when making cookies is a terrible idea. On the opposite spectrum of that I also disapprove of using completely melted butter. They don't yield the proper texture. You want your butter to be pliant. Leave it on the counter until you can make a finger indent in it. Then it's ready for use!<br />
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Contrary to the butter, where I don't mind using generic brands. I am a bit of a vanilla snob. So much so that I use homemade vanilla. I'll be showing you the technique for that later this month so stay tuned! The specific batch I'm using right now was home made by my Mom. Using vanilla beans and Courvoisier. It is by far superior to just regular old generic vanilla. I swear to you. You can taste the difference. Use a good vanilla!!<br />
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Finally the Sugar and Eggs. Sugar doesn't matter until you mix it with the Butter. For Eggs, I recommend using ones at room temperature. They will be kinder to your batter and not shock it if they are room temperature as opposed to cold. And that will make a difference. I promise.<br />
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When you start making your dough. The very first step is combining the Sugar, Vanilla and Butter.<br />
The biggest mistake people make when mixing these ingredients is that they don't do it long enough. This will leave you with cookies that don't rise properly, that are flat and sticky. It is so important to cream your Sugar and Butter long enough for them to properly incorporate. It changes the chemical makeup of your cookie and gives you a much fluffier and creamy dough.<br />
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This is about the point everyone gets to. The ingredients look combined. But I promise. They aren't done yet! Stop at this point and scrape down the sides of your bowl. Pinch the dough between your fingers. It will feel gritty. It will still have a brown hue to the dough as well. When butter, vanilla and sugar are properly creamed they will be a lighter color. The dough is brown because the brown sugar and vanilla is not incorporated! Do a pinch test. The dough will separate very easily and feel greasy.<br />
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Keep mixing the dough until it is lighter in color and when pinched it feels thicker.<br />
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When the dough is fully mixed it should look like this:<br />
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Once the dough has reached this consistency you can add the Eggs and then the Flour mixture and the chocolate chips. By doing all the heavy mixing up front you won't end up with stiff or heavy batter after adding the Flour.<br />
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Often the flour mixture gets over beaten because you are trying to get that perfect texture. From now on, if you do your mixing up front you should be able to just beat the Flour in until its incorporated. This is what will keep your batter light.<br />
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All that's left to do is grab a spoon and enjoy.<br />
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Or you can bake them.<br />
But my batter seems to rarely get that far...<br />
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<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00569761718071678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151641417757358229.post-21533386595098889012015-04-02T13:51:00.001-07:002015-04-02T13:51:44.700-07:00Let's Get Technical<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the things I've learned about cooking over the years is that some items require a certain technique to achieve perfection, and that practice makes perfect. Part of dump cooking is just being able to throw things together and then seeing if you like it. But I also like to take some of the tried and trues and perfect them. This month I want to focus on a few basic techniques that will transform the ordinary into extraordinary. These are simple things that change the outcome of some basic foods I love.<br />
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Also this month is the Launch of an amazing Online Magazine called Foundation Magazine. Go check it out for a little uplifting in your daily life. I'll be contributing to the magazine occasionally. It is a very inspired project by one of my close friends, the lovely Miss <a href="http://www.gentrileeblog.com/">Gentri Lee</a>. You can check it out <a href="http://www.thefoundationmag.com/">here</a>!Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00569761718071678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151641417757358229.post-33467244920653932702015-03-05T13:16:00.002-08:002015-03-05T13:16:56.236-08:00Potato Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you live anywhere in the Mid Atlantic you are more than likely snowed in right now, and have been every weekend for the last month! Since I'm a bit behind on my posts anyway, I thought I'd put up my Mom's delicious Potato Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls on this lovely snow day. Maybe they can be a fun treat for you and yours while stuck inside! If anything getting the oven going will help heat your house up!<br />
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Use the Potato Sourdough starter I showed you <a href="http://diariesofadumpcook.blogspot.com/2015/02/mommas-potato-sourdough-starter.html">here</a>.<br />
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To make the dough follow the beginning steps I showed in the Sourdough Cheese Rolls. I'll post a refresher below.<br />
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In a bowl combine the following<br />
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1/3 c sugar<br />
1 Tbs salt<br />
1 c starter<br />
1/3 c corn oil<br />
1 1/2 c warm water<br />
6 c bread flour<br />
1 tsp (heaping) yeast<br />
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Beat it all together with a dough hook attachment on your mixer until it is only sticking to itself. You want a soft and pliant dough that is sticky, but not messy. You made need to add a little more water depending on how your dough looks. Turn the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and let it rise covered with a damp towel in a warm and non drafty area. (The inside of the oven works great!)<br />
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Once you have your dough, gently roll it out into a rectangular shape. Take room temperature butter and spread over the entire surface and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.<br />
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Roll the dough up to form a log and then cut into 1 1/2 inch thick slices. </div>
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Place the rolls flat into a lightly greased baking pan. Let them rise again for another 1-2 hours. They should puff up and fill the pan more. </div>
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Bake at 350 until golden on top. About 25-30 minutes. Enjoy plain or with your favorite icing on top!</div>
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<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00569761718071678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151641417757358229.post-32853827210523426382015-03-03T20:17:00.001-08:002015-03-04T08:54:27.075-08:00Potato Sourdough Cheese Rolls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite things to make with my Momma's Potato Sourdough starter is these amazing Cheese Rolls. They are soft and warm and have melted cheese in the middle. </div>
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Be still my heart. </div>
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Carb Heaven. </div>
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Today I'm featuring these cheese rolls from heaven. If you missed how to make the starter for this dough go <a href="http://diariesofadumpcook.blogspot.com/2015/02/mommas-potato-sourdough-starter.html">here</a>.<br />
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When you are ready to make your bread pull your starter out and in a large bowl combine the following:<br />
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1/3 c sugar<br />
1 Tbs salt<br />
1 c starter<br />
1/3 c corn oil<br />
1 1/2 c warm water<br />
6 c bread flour<br />
1 tsp (heaping) yeast<br />
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This will make your dough. You want to beat it with the dough hook attachment until the bowl is clean as shown below. You may have to add a little more water. You are looking for the dough to be soft and pliable, but sticking to itself. You don't want it stuck all over the hook or the mixing bowl.<br />
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Cover the dough and let it rise. It should double in size. I use a large bowl with a little olive oil in the bottom. I covered it with a slightly damp light cloth and stuck it in my oven.<br />
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Once your dough has risen ( maybe about 1-2 hours. It should double in size) You can roll it out. You are going to eventually end up with a log, so try and make a large rectangle like shape. Dump any type of shredded cheese you like all over the rolled out dough.</div>
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Roll it up like this and then cut it into about 1 inch thick slices. </div>
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The cheese should be in the center of the roll. To make them round and puffy on the top instead of flat like a cinnamon roll take the rolls and bend and roll as follows. </div>
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Place the rolls in a lightly greased muffin tin. Let them rise again until they have cuffed up and fill the muffin tin and go over a little.<br />
Sprinkle some additional cheese on top, then bake them until the cheese on top is golden. About 20-30 minutes at 350 F.</div>
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Enjoy warm with your favorite dinner. Or just by themselves slathered in butter. Don't forget to share. I know it's hard.<br />
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So today, I'm going to share with you my Momma's potato sourdough starter. It can be used for any type of sourdough bread. The two I'll be featuring this month are Cinnamon Rolls and Cheesy Dinner Rolls. But today we'll just cover the basics of the starter.<br>
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The starter I am going to show you how to make is super easy and very versatile.<br>
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Sourdough Starter<br>
Ingredients:<br>
(These are estimations, you may need a little more, or a little less)<br>
1 tsp dry yeast<br>
1 1/3 c sugar<br>
6 Tbs instant potato flakes*<br>
2 c warm water (NOT from the tap. Use filtered water, otherwise you might kill the yeast.)<br>
1/2 tsp salt<br>
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*This go around I used dehydrated potato pearls from food storage and because they are pre salted I skipped adding the salt.<br>
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Combine all the ingredients in a glass bowl and mix well. Do not use a metal bowl or spatula. It will leave a taste in the starter that is most unpleasant.<br>
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Let the starter stand for 1 to 3 days in a warm draft-free place (I used my oven turned off), covered with cling film with a small edge turned back so it can breathe. Remember yeast is a living thing and needs air to breath and grow.<br>
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The surface should get bubbly, stir it every once in awhile so that the yeast continues to "eat" all the ingredients and grow.<br>
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There are a few options from here for how you can proceed.<br>
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Option 1:<br>
If you don't need rolls or the dough the same day you made the starter than you can refrigerate and let the mixture rest, stir and feed it every 5-7 days. As the starter matures over time, a clear to light yellow liquid may form on top, just stir it in.<br>
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To Feed Starter do the following:<br>
Add -<br>
2/3 c sugar<br>
3 Tbs potato flakes<br>
1 c warm water<br>
1/4 tsp salt (depending on potato flakes used)<br>
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Mix well and let it stand at room temperature for 8-10 hours. It should be very bubbly. Then remove one cup to make bread with and return the rest to the refrigerator.<br>
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Option 2:<br>
If you want to use the starter to bake the same day it is possible. You will have to let the yeast grow and become bubbly, stirring occasionally just as before. When you are ready to make your bread pull your starter out and in a large bowl combine the following:<br>
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1/3 c sugar<br>
1 Tbs salt<br>
1 c starter<br>
1/3 c corn oil<br>
1 1/2 c warm water<br>
6 c bread flour<br>
1 tsp (heaping) yeast<br>
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This will make your dough which you can then either bake as a load, or turn into dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls like I did.<div><br>Stay tuned for how to turn this starter into the most amazing cinnamon rolls and cheesy dinner rolls! </div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00569761718071678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151641417757358229.post-82519030637198471492015-02-09T12:33:00.001-08:002015-02-09T19:28:12.022-08:00Creamy Parmesan Spread<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Cu7NDB118Bg/VNl6YJroVZI/AAAAAAAAARE/VxAB5UJxbok/s640/blogger-image--108513102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Cu7NDB118Bg/VNl6YJroVZI/AAAAAAAAARE/VxAB5UJxbok/s640/blogger-image--108513102.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>Hello friends and fellow cooks! Today we are focusing on my all time favorite spread. It is creamy, tangy, and can be used in so many delicious ways! My creamy parmesan spread is great plain, on a sandwich, or as a salad dressing. This is a true dump recipe. I've given measurements below, but they aren't necessary. This is more about taste and texture. So make sure you sample it lots to get it just right!<br>
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Creamy Parmesan Spread<br>
Prep time: 10 min<br>
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Ingredients:<br>
1/2 Cup mayo<br>
1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese (parmesan reggiano is the best!)<br>
2 tbs greek yogurt*<br>
2 tbs milk<br>
2 cloves garlic, minced finely<br>
1 tsp minced fresh parsley<br>
1/2 tsp lemon juice<br>
<br>This recipe is all about taste. It's got a sharp flavor to it from the Parmesan and the garlic. To get the garlic minced really finely I use a micro plane grater. It works great. I also do the cheese the same way. <div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Mix everything together in a bowl. Once mixed taste it to see how the favors are melding. If you feel like it's too thin add a little more yogurt or cheese. I usually end up adding more cheese cause I like it to be chunky and I add more garlic because it's my favorite! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Rj71KHjYA6Q/VNl6ZVwmBPI/AAAAAAAAARU/3IauPDJ77xg/s640/blogger-image-1157229707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Rj71KHjYA6Q/VNl6ZVwmBPI/AAAAAAAAARU/3IauPDJ77xg/s640/blogger-image-1157229707.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This is about the consistency of mine. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-o4hqCUa3n3A/VNl6YzjdMgI/AAAAAAAAARM/RNIsndL57-o/s640/blogger-image-272215630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-o4hqCUa3n3A/VNl6YzjdMgI/AAAAAAAAARM/RNIsndL57-o/s640/blogger-image-272215630.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">My favorite way to enjoy this spread is on a plain baguette. It's so good and highly addicting. You've been warned! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Happy eating!</span></div>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00569761718071678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151641417757358229.post-90089832925942580052015-02-02T11:12:00.000-08:002015-02-02T11:12:29.045-08:00English Muffin Bread with Cinnamon Honey Butter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite breakfast breads is English Muffin Bread. It's so good toasted and slathered in fresh made Cinnamon Honey Butter. Today I am going to show you how to make both! And then you will never be able to settle for store bought English muffins again!<br />
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This English Muffin bread doesn't require a lot of fancy baking skills. You literally dump everything into a bowl, mix it up, let it rise, and then bake it. My type of bread! On more than one occasion I have given this bread to friends and neighbors and they always rave about how good it is.<br />
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Start by figuring out how many loaves of bread you want to make. I always end up making a large batch of this bread because I am usually giving some away, but i'll give you the measurements for 2 loaves below.<br />
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English Muffin Bread<br />
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Makes: 2 loaves<br />
Prep time: 1 hr 15 min<br />
Cook time: 40 minutes, or until golden<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
2 3/4 C warm water*<br />
1 1/2 package rapid rise yeast<br />
1 Tbsp salt<br />
5 1/2 cups Flour<br />
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* Don't use hot water as it will kill the yeast! Remember yeast is alive, we need it to grow so that our bread rises.<br />
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Start by taking all of your ingredients and dumping them into your mixing bowl. You can do this by hand, but it is much easier if you have a KitchenAid or some type of mixer and use your dough hook attachment. If you don't have a stand mixer of some type, use a large bowl and a lightly oil'd spoon or lightly oiled hands to help keep the dough from sticking after you start mixing it together.<br />
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Mix everything until the ingredients are incorporated, it won't take too much mixing, just make sure all the flour is wet and the yeast is not clumped up together.<br />
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Dump out the dough into 2 greased loaf pans. Or you could do several mini loaf pans, or even a muffin tin. Whatever you prefer. I've baked this bread in everything from a cake pan, a muffin tin, and a traditional loaf pan and it always turns out.<br />
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Let the bread rise for 1 hour. keep it somewhere out of a breeze or slightly warmer to help the yeast along. Let your oven preheat to 350 F.<br />
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Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes. They should be firm on top and have pulled away from the sides. At this point I pull them out and baste them with a little melted butter so that they are even more golden on top. Cook them for about 10 more minutes once you put the butter on top.<br />
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Once done let the bread cool for 10-15 minutes and then turn them out of the pans onto a cooling rack so the sides and bottom don't get soggy.<br />
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This bread is amazing if you eat it right away, but it also makes great toast throughout the week. I usually enjoy mine with my husbands homemade cinnamon honey butter.<br />
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To make the cinnamon honey butter take 1 stick of butter at room temperature and whisk it in your mixer until it is whipped. It is so important that you use room temperature butter. If you use melted butter the honey doesn't incorporate as good. And if the butter is frozen or refrigerated it will be too hard and break your whisk.<br />
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Once the butter is whipped (forming peaks) add honey and ground cinnamon to taste. You could also add a splash of vanilla depending on your preference. Whip all together until incorporated and make sure to taste it plenty along the way to see if you need more of anything. Store in an air tight container in your fridge.<br />
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I hope you guys enjoy.<br />
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Happy Baking!<br />
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<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00569761718071678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151641417757358229.post-66413199049458406122015-02-01T10:30:00.000-08:002015-02-01T10:30:00.196-08:00Breads and Spreads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This month on the blog I am going to be sharing my favorite breads and spreads. As this is the month of love what better way to show you care than to give someone special a loaf of warm goodness?<br />
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A lot of times baking bread can seem like a daunting task for an unexperienced baker. But with a few cardinal rules you will realize that baking your own bread is easy and not nearly as scary as some might think! I learned a lot about baking from my Mom growing up. She baked everything from sourdough cinnamon rolls, to baguettes, to pizza dough, to fancy wedding cakes for friends.<br />
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When I got to college I decided I wanted one of my minors to be Culinary Arts and one of my favorite classes I took was Baking. If you are ever looking for a great book, full of every type of bread recipe you could ever want to know I suggest <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Baking-Wayne-Gisslen/dp/0471783498/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422717556&sr=8-1&keywords=professional+baking+5th+edition">Wayne Gisslen's Professional Baking book</a>. I have the 5th edition, and it is like the bible of baking.<br />
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Bread is a really versatile tool in so many ways in the kitchen. You can turn stale bread into bread pudding, eat it plain, with butter, or make it the star of your meal.<br />
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Most all breads have the same basic chemical makeup: flour, salt, sugar, yeast, water.<br />
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One of the great things about bread is that you can add so many different ingredients to completely transform your dough into something new. From nuts, to fruit, to coca powder and peanut butter. Bread is one of the most versatile foods you can learn to make. There are literally endless possibilities.<br />
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Spreads are similar, I like to just dump in what sounds good based on the type of bread I'm eating, or even what time of day I'm eating it! From frosting, to flavored butter, to garlic and cheese, there is a spread for every bread.<br />
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I hope you enjoy this months recipes, they are some of my favorite!<br />
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Happy Eating!Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00569761718071678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151641417757358229.post-91419407977516213922015-01-26T17:57:00.000-08:002015-01-26T17:57:19.981-08:00Baked Mozzarella Sticks<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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One of my favorite appetizers since childhood has been Mozzarella sticks. That cheesy ooey gooeyness mixed with the crispy outside is so delightful! My favorite is when they are piping hot and the cheese juice just runs everywhere! </div>
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Lots of brands make frozen versions of these amazing appetizers. But none of them are as good as fresh made at a restaurant.</div>
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I want to share with you my version of homemade Mozzarella sticks! They are so easy and great for kids to help make too. There are no measurements to this recipe. Just do as much of the ingredients as you want or need. </div>
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Baked Mozzarella Sticks</div>
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Prep time - 15 minutes</div>
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Cook time - until golden and melty </div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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Flour</div>
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Milk</div>
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Egg(s)</div>
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Breadcrumbs</div>
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Seasonings (Italian or Herbs du Province)</div>
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Mozzerella string cheese sticks</div>
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In three separate bowls put your flour, bread crumbs and seasoning, and milk and eggs. Slice your string cheese sticks in half then dunk as follows:</div>
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Make sure that on steps #2 & #3 that you coat the cheese completely in the flour and egg/milk mixture, this helps protect the cheese from oozing out during baking. If you are having trouble getting the flour or eggs to stick you can double dunk steps #2 and #3. Essentially doing two layers of each, flour then egg mixture, then more flour, then more egg mixture. It makes the coating a little thicker but if you are worried about your cheese melting out this will help create more of a barrier. </div>
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Line them up on a baking sheet (I use foil to make clean up easier) and bake for approximately 20 minutes at 350 F. Or until golden and gooey. If you want a faster baking time you can bake at 400 F. However I suggest freezing them for a half hour prior so that the cheese doesn't run out anywhere. The lower temperature seems to keep them from melting too fast while the egg cooks. </div>
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Serve with your favorite marinara or dipping sauce. These are so easy I was able to do most of it one handed while my 5 month old was teething! Make more than you think you need though because they are so delicious they will be gone before you know it!</div>
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Stay tuned for what's coming up next month! I am pretty excited about February's theme. I'll be announcing it on Feb 1 on the blog. </div>
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Happy Eating! </div>
Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00569761718071678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151641417757358229.post-14109605315036067262015-01-19T18:41:00.002-08:002015-01-19T18:46:17.053-08:00Seven Layer Bean Dip<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Futura;">Greetings from South
Florida! I’m here at home spending some time with my family and doing some work
for next months posts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Today’s recipe is so
quick and easy and requires hardly any measurements! This is a true dump cook
recipe! One of the greatest things about this recipe is that you can customize
every layer to your own personal tastes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Remember, in dump cooking
there is no right or wrong. Just delicious and divine! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Seven Layer Dip<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Prep time: 15 minutes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Cook time: 20 minutes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">My suggested list of
ingredients is as follows: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Lettuce<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Refried beans (I use dehydrated) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Guacamole <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Sour cream<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Salsa (I use Herdez
canned salsa)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Black olives<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Green onions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Shredded cheddar cheese<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Pepperochini or sliced
jalapeño <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">You can use any variation
of these ingredients. For today’s recipe I just used what was on hand in my
Mom’s pantry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">I personally use dehydrated
refried beans (they are so good!) to make the base layer of my dip. In order to
rehydrate them I start by taking the salsa and drain it into a measuring cup. I
used a 7oz can of Herdez salsa and got ¼ cup liquid from my can. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">When using dehydrated
refired beans the ratio of liquid to beans is 1 to 1. So if you want to use 1
cup of beans, you need 1 cup of liquids. I wanted to use ¾ cup beans, so I
added ½ cup of water to the liquid from my salsa so I had ¾ cups of liquid. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Once you know your liquid/bean ratio, you can dump the salsa and liquid into a small pot. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Futura;">I like to add in taco
seasonings to the liquid to give it even more flavor. You could go as simple as
a taco-seasoning packet (only use enough to add a little flavor, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 the packet) but I like to just use a
custom blend of whatever sounds good at the moment. Minced garlic, onion
powder, oregano, ground cumin, would all be excellent choices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Once you’ve added your
flavor oomph, bring it all to a boil and add in your beans. Turn the heat off
and stir it just to make sure all the beans are coated in the liquid so they
can soften. Let it stand for about 10-15 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">You can also just use
canned refried beans, but the dehydrated are so much better! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Once the bean layer has
cooled a little bit you can turn it into the bottom of your serving dish. I
like to use a glass bowl so you can see all the delicious layers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Next I added the guacamole,
sour cream and then cheese. I topped mine with shredded lettuce, pickled
jalapeno, and green onions. After the bean layer goes down you can really do
anything you want in any order. But I recommend doing all your heavier items
first like the sour cream and guacamole, and then adding all the other stuff on
top. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Serve with your favorite
corn chips. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Hope you guys enjoy todays installment of appetizers. Happy Eating! </span></div>
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Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00569761718071678290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151641417757358229.post-77138148451982712582015-01-12T16:39:00.000-08:002015-02-02T07:29:12.030-08:00Buffalo Chicken Dip<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 16px;">Today's recipe is Buffalo Chicken Dip. This is my favorite game day appetizer. I make it every year for the Super Bowl, it's so good and I rarely have leftovers. My Mom and I started making this years ago and we just haven't stopped. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 16px;">Perfectly served with celery sticks or your favorite crackers. My personal favorite are Carrs Crackers. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 16px;">Buffalo Chicken Dip</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 16px;">2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken (get a rotisserie chicken if you want to cheat!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">1 cup Helman's mayo (plain greek yogurt if you want to be figure friendly)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">1 cup shredded cheddar cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">1 tsp lemon juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (or enough to cover the top)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Preheat oven to 375 F. Shred your chicken and then toss with the hot sauce (a fast and easy way to shreds your chicken is in a food processor). I like to do a mix of both hand shredded chicken and food processor chicken. It adds more texture to the dish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">While I prep the rest of my ingredients I like to go ahead and add the hot sauce to the chicken so it can soak in and almost marinate the chicken. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Stir in remaining ingredients except blue cheese. Pour into a 1 1/2 quart shallow casserole dish, then sprinkle with blue cheese. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Bake uncovered 20 minutes or until bubbling, serve hot with celery, chips, or crackers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">I don't have a picture of this dip yet. Which is crazy because I've made it so many times. We even served it at my wedding reception! </span><span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12pt;"><strike>But I'll add one in soon. The Mr. and I are on a 6 day "shred" as we ramp up our home fitness program. But I'll be making it for the Super Bowl and will add a picture in then. </strike> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Futura; font-size: 12pt;">Pictures are up. We made this for the Super Bowl party we went to yesterday. So yummy! </span></div>
Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00569761718071678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151641417757358229.post-63845085930383548072015-01-05T10:39:00.000-08:002015-01-06T11:53:57.040-08:00Egg Roll Carnitas<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Futura;">The New Year always seems to be a time when I find myself making a lot of appetizer dishes. Lots of sporting events and social gatherings seem to always be happening from January through April prompting me to pull out my favorite small plates for friends and family.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Futura;">So it seemed only fitting that this months recipe focus would be on appetizers. Having a few tried and true of these recipes always comes in handy. Over the next month I'll be posting my 4 favorite appetizers for you guys. I hope you enjoy todays installment of Egg Rolls. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Egg Roll Carnitas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Cook time 1hr 30 min</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Wonton wrappers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Sesame Garlic sauce – or
any other flavor sauce you would like<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">10 baby carrots, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">1 red bell pepper, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">1 small head of broccoli,
chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">About 3-4 cups smoked pork (see recipe below)<o:p></o:p></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">You can really use any filler ingredients you want. That is the beauty of this recipe. I used what I had on hand in my kitchen, including leftovers! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Put a small amount of olive
oil in a large frying pan and heat the pan to a medium heat. Add the chopped
broccoli, carrots and bell peppers. Add enough sauce to coat the vegetables
without them drowning in it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Let them cook for about 5-7 minutes then add the
pork and stir. Cook until vegetables are at a desired tenderness. I like mine a
little more crisp so I cooked everything together just long enough to heat the
meat and incorporate everything and make it warm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Remove from the heat and
put into your food processor. Pulse just a few times to get everything shredded
down. You don’t want it to be a paste, but you don’t want a huge piece of bell
pepper in your egg roll either. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Lay out your wrappers and
put your filling towards one corner. Fold and roll as follows: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Use a little water to seal
off the ends and make the wrappers stick to themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">I wrapped all of mine while my
oil heated. This batch made enough filling for about 40 wonton wrappers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">You want the oil to be about 300-350 F. If you are like me, you don't like frying things because the popping oil scares you. Well keeping the oil on the cooler side will help with that. Just make sure the oil isn't too cool or it will just saturate your egg roll and make it really greasy. Also make sure your filling is locked up tight inside the egg roll. If only the wrapper is touching the oil than it's less likely to pop at you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">I only used enough oil in the bottom of my pan to do one side at a time. Each side cooked for about 60-90 seconds. You are looking for them to turn a golden brown before you start flipping them over. Once they are crispy on all sides remove and set them onto a plate covered with paper towels to drain. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Enjoy immediately or you can freeze them to enjoy at a later date. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">These make great appetizers for parties and are super easy to make. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">You can use whatever type of meat you would like in your egg rolls, chicken, beef, anything will work, you can even do just veggie rolls. But if you want to make the smoked pork I used this is what I did. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Smoked Pork<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Cook time: 4 hrs</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Futura;">Pork Shoulder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Water <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Apple cider<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Sea salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Cumin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Sear the outside of the
meat on the stove top and then put in a disposable foil baking tin. Add the water, sea salt,
cumin, and apple cider. Place in the smoker and let it go on medium heat until the meat is
falling apart when stirred or turned. We usually smoke it for about 4 hours on
our Treager. </span><br>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Futura;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Futura;">This is the Pork we always make for Smoked Carnitas tacos (a different recipe for a different day). We had fed some missionaries serving in our area for our church and had some leftover meat, which is what I used for these egg rolls. <o:p></o:p></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Futura;">Enjoy! </span></div>
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