Five Spice Chicken Fennel Egg Rolls with Orange Ginger Sauce

Five Spice Chicken Fennel Egg Rolls with Orange Ginger Sauce

Several years ago, I came up with this recipe, basically with ingredients that I had on hand at the time. I am not a fan of cabbage based egg rolls as I find them pretty bland but this recipe is full of bright flavors; bland they are not! I've served them many, many times since; most recently as an hor's d'ouevre when friends came for the evening a couple of weeks back and they were once again a big hit. The recipe for the Orange Ginger Sauce, which is a great complement to these eggrolls, follows this post.

1 package egg roll wrappers

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet

Add:

1 large boneless chicken breast, chopped into very small pieces
2 cloves minced garlic
When the chicken is cooked through add
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
½ bulb fennel, shredded
1 large carrot, grated
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ tsp Chinese five spice powder
½ tsp kosher salt
Sauté for an additional minute, then remove from heat and cool for about 20 minutes before tossing with
4 cups fresh bean sprouts

To fill your eggrolls, lay the wrapper flat and lightly brush the edges with water. Spoon some of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Bring one edge of the wrapper over the filling so that it is about a centimetre from the opposite edge. Fold the remaining centimetre of the wrapper back over the other edge and pinch all the edges together well. Lay on a parchment lined cookie sheet until you have all the eggrolls stuffed and ready for the fryer.

Heat canola oil in a deep fryer to 325 degrees F and fry the eggrolls until golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on a wire rack.

Serve with Orange Ginger Sauce.

Orange Ginger Sauce

Simmer together for about 20 minutes
2 cups orange juice
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
½ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 clove minced garlic
Zest of one orange

After simmering together for 20 minutes, strain the liquid through a sieve and return the liquid to the pot and the pot to the burner. Thicken the sauce by whisking into the gently boiling liquid, a slurry of 1 tbsp corn starch mixed with 1-2 ounces orange juice. Use enough of the slurry to thicken to a sauce; use more or less as necessary to bring the sauce to the proper consistency.

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

Here's a great cool weather dessert, made even better with the addition of a great caramel sauce, the recipe for which follows this post. It is the best recipe for caramel sauce that I have tried and we use it in all sorts of desserts and for the kids especially, on outstanding caramel sundaes.

Peel and cut into thick slices

3 large apples

In a medium skillet melt

¼ cup butter

Add
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup light brown sugar

Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly. Add the apples and sauté until the apples are just fork tender but not mushy. Remove the apples from the sauce. At this point, depending on the juice content of your apples, you may have to continue to boil the sauce to reduce it to a slightly thickened consistency, then toss in the apples again.

5 cups bread cubes (Use any good quality bread. I’ve used Brioche here but French, Italian or Belgian bread is good too.)

Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish well. Toss in ½ the bread cubes in an even layer. Sprinkle the bread cubes with half the sautéed apples.

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Repeat the layer with the remaining bread cubes and apples.

Whisk together:

1 cup whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes, pressing down slightly to make sure all the cubes are soaked. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes until the custard is set and no longer liquid in the center. Let the bread pudding stand for about 20 minutes before serving. Serve with Caramel Sauce.

Blueberry Duff

A duff is a type of steamed pudding, which is most often, as shown here, boiled in a cotton bag in the same pot with the vegetables and salt beef in traditional Newfoundland Jigg's Dinner. It goes by several different names; my friend Ellen, from St. Vincent's, for example calls it "Lad 'n da Bag". Traditions vary accross the province with some people who only know this dish as a dessert course, being served with a brown sugar or rum sauce; others know it as a side dish served with the other components of a Jigg's dinner.


Sift together:

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder

Add

1 cup blueberries

Add

1/3 cup melted butter
¾ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all together with a wooden spoon just until a soft dough is formed. Put dough into a pudding steamer or a wet heavy cotton pudding bag, tying the bag with a piece of butcher string but leaving about an inch of slack at the top to allow the pudding to expand. Boil for approximately one and a half hours.

Note: you can substitute the sugar for ½ cup molasses and adjust the milk accordingly to form the proper consistency of the dough. Spices like 1 tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp allspice can also be added as variations

Traditionally served with a roast dinner or Jiggs Dinner but also served as a dessert with a rum butter sauce.

Turkey Parmesan Baked Rotini

Turkey Parmesan Baked Rotini

It's the Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and this recipe looks past the serving of the traditional turkey dinner, to the inevitable leftovers. I always have turkey stock on hand in my kitchen made from boiling the turkey bones and scraps. If I don't have time to do this on the day we have turkey, I freeze the scraps and bones and make it later; often making large batches from the remainders of several turkeys. I freeze the stock in pint sized containers and use it for soups, stews and in this recipe as a base for the sauce. This is a great comfort food recipe and will be a much appreciated supper on a chilly autumn evening.

For over a dozen more great leftover turkey ideas, click here.

In the microwave, scald

• 2 ½ cups whole milk
• 1 ½ cups turkey stock

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook together for 2 minutes

• 1/3 cup butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp sea salt

Whisking constantly, slowly pour in scalded milk and turkey stock. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes stirring constantly. Stir in:

• 2 tbsp dry summer savoury
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

In salted boiling water, cook, just to al dente

• 3 cups uncooked rotini pasta

Drain and set aside.

• 3 cups leftover cooked turkey, cut in chunks
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 3 cups grated low fat mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup chopped button mushrooms (optional)
• 1 large roasted red pepper, chopped (optional)
• 8 slices precooked bacon, cut in small pieces

Grease the bottom and sides of a large casserole dish. Place half of the cooked rotini pasta in the bottom of the dish. Layer the casserole with half the turkey, half the parmesan cheese, half the bacon, and half the sauce. Repeat these layers and top with the grated mozzarella cheese.

Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the casserole is bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Turkey Parmesan Baked Rotini

Brie with Partridgeberries, Pistachios, and Honey in Puff Pastry

Today's recipe is one of my very favorite things to serve to guests as an hors d'oeuvre. Of all the times I have served it, I have never, ever had leftovers of this one. I do several variations on this recipe as well, using hazelnuts or almonds. I sometimes do it with blueberries, bakeapples, raspberries or cranberries and sometimes use maple syrup instead of the honey. I've also found that this recipe can be warmed again in a moderate oven after it has been previously baked, which makes it a great dish to bring along to a party or as a pot luck appetizer . Do not pre-bake it and try to reheat it in the microwave; you will get a soggy crust instead of a crispy one. I generally serve it on water crackers or small slices of French baguette.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 small wheel brie cheese
¼ cup roasted pistachio nuts
1/3 cup partridgeberries
3 tbsp honey
1 egg + 2 tbsp water, whisked together to make an egg wash

Roll out the pastry sheet and cut it into a circle about twice as wide as the wheel of brie. The pastry must be very cold in order to work with it so, if necessary, return it to the fridge or freezer for a few minutes if it gets too warm.

Place the brie in the center of the pastry circle and cut eight evenly spaced, 1 inch slits in the crust all around the outside edge of the pastry pointing toward the center of the circle.

Top the brie with the pistachios, partridgeberries and honey. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash and begin bringing the flaps of pastry over the top of the brie, to the center of the cheese. These flaps will start to overlap so that the brie becomes completely enveloped in the pastry.

At this point, you can decorate the top of the pastry with leaf shaped cut-outs of puff pastry if you desire. Brush the entire pastry with the egg wash and chill for at least an hour before baking on a parchment lined baking sheet in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about half an hour or until the pastry is evenly golden brown.
Serve with crackers or small slices of French baguette.

Toad in the Hole

In honor of Sir Elton's visit to our fair city, we served Toad in the Hole for supper last night. A traditional British favorite, popular with kids and adults alike, I'm told it is a staple comfort food across the pond.
Toad in the Hole is basically sausages baked inside of Yorkshire pudding which, on the face of it sounds rather dull but in fact is a pretty tasty dish, especially when served slobbered in good gravy. It also makes a pretty quick and easy weekday supper. We used some extra lean, spicy turkey sausages here, but you can use practically any favorite sausage. We served it with British style roasted potatoes which are always a big favorite at our house, especially with the kids.

4-6 large sausages
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
½ tsp salt

Whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the flour and salt and whisk until smooth. Set this mixture aside for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown your sausages in a frying pan while heating a 9x9 baking dish in a 375 degree F oven.

Remove the hot pan from the oven and brush the bottom and sides with cooking oil. Place the sausages in the bottom of the pan and pour the batter over the sausages. Bake for about 40-45 minutes. Serve with Garlic Thyme Beef Gravy