Almost Vegetarian Lasagna for Two

This is kind of a take off from my "Ladies Who Lunch" crepe post. But it's easier and perfect for two people. No left overs and no rolling. But beware, there are egg roll wrappers involved (hey, I've got a few left over from my egg roll mania). Here's what you'll need to put this together:

Almost Vegetarian Lasagna for Two
serves 2 as a dinner and 4 as an appetizer

12 asparagus spears
2 T canola oil
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 small onion chopped
1 large clove garlic finely diced
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray
3 low fat mozzarella sticks, each cut into 4 slices
3 egg roll wrappers
1 can low fat cream of chicken soup (I originally planned on using cream of mushroom, but I surprisingly didn't have any on hand)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
approximately 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T seasoned bread crumbs
1 scallion chopped for garnish

In a microve safe dish, place your asparagus and a few tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt. Cover and microwave for 2 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. In large skillet on medium heat add oil, onions and mushrooms. Cook a few minutes and then add the garlic, salt and pepper. Cook about 5-7 minutes until mushrooms are brown and cooked through. Set aside.

Before we begin the assembly of the lasagna, let's make the yummy sauce on the stove top. In small skillet combine soup, wine, water and tarragon. Heat it long enough (stirring occasionally) until the mixture becomes smooth. While the sauce is heating, spray an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place an egg roll wrapper on top of the spray and top with half the mushroom mixture.

Now add half the cooked asparagus and half of the sliced mozzarella cheese logs. I think you can see where I'm going with this. Cheesey goodness with yummy veggies.

Top with another egg roll wrapper and repeat the process- mushroom mixture, cheese and asparagus. Cover with the last wrapper and pour your wine/soup mixture on top. It may look like you have a lot of sauce- yeah you do, but it's a good thing to have because it soaks into the noodles and you can drizzle it over the crusty topping of your lasagna when serving. Top with the Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes and serve. Just slice it in half and garnish with sliced scallion.

Pigs in Egg Roll Blankets New York Style-The Final Chapter of the Egg Roll Saga

I had to give the New York Sauerkraut combo a try. It turned out great and came together as quick as a New York minute. First I made some Russian dressing with ketchup, mayo, sour cream, relish and a little lemon juice.

Then I drained some saurerkraut in a coffee filter. The drier the kraut the better.

I cut my oversized hot dog in half, sliced up my Swiss cheese, prepared my egg wash (1 egg with a splash of water) and got ready to roll. The entire egg roll housed 1/2 hot dog, a T of Russian dressing, 1 slice of Alpine Lace Swiss cheese sliced, and as much sauerkraut as I could fit in. Tip- Less sauerkraut is better than more. (I figured that out pretty quickly).

Wrap up egg roll style, spread with egg wash and dust with bread crumbs, you know the drill by now. Saute on medium heat in canola oil about 6 minutes, making sure all sides get browned. And Voilla! Your egg rolls are done. I served mine with an extra dollop of Russian dressing. Very yummy, and fool proof. Let me know if you try them!

Hot Diggity Dog

I thought I was finished with the egg roll posts, but sorry guys, I have just one more to share. Please, no groaning, because this one is a gem! A perfect appetizer that everyone will gobble up just like I did. I bought a package of Nathan's oversized frankfurters and knew I'd be using them in an egg roll wrapper because the size was perfect- one frankfurter that fits 2 egg rolls, how could I pass this up? Really, and this is a must try, and so simple. Invite some friends over and give this a whirl.

Pigs in an Egg Roll Blanket
this was a test recipe for two egg rolls, so adjust ingredients to the amount you're making

1 Nathan's "Bigger Than the Bun" Hot Dog
2 T cole slaw (divided)
2 T baked beans (divided)
1 T yellow mustard (divided)
2 slices cheese (I uses American but I think cheddar would have been a better choice)
2 egg roll wrappers
1 large egg
1/2 tsp sriracha sauce
dash of water
store bought bread crumbs for dusting
oil for frying

Slice your frankfurter in half and get your egg rolls ready to rock and roll up. Slather some mustard on the bottom of your egg roll and place a slice of cheese on top of it.

Add your frankfurter, and beans.

Add the cole slaw. I used a store bought brand that is not very wet. And the next time I do this I will try it with saurerkraut, because that's what we New Yorker's like best, but it seems most of the country prefers cole slaw. I'll let you know how that works.

Roll up egg roll style and seal with an egg wash made of sriracha, egg and water and roll in a tablespoon or two of store bought bread crumbs. Looks good, mmmm?

In a medium size sauce pan on stove top add a bit of canola oil and saute egg rolls on each side about 2 minutes or so, to brown the wrappers and make sure the insides heat up.  Let cool a bit before serving because they stay hot a long time. Then dig in and enjoy! I certainly did.

Egg Roll Chronicles Part 2

I can't promise, but I'm thinking this should be the last of the egg roll saga for a while. Not that I don't love them; they have been, and still are the closest thing (besides humans) to my heart. But I'm becomming obsessive and just can't stop once again thinking about them. And I need to control this behavior. So let's put my weirdness aside for the moment and concentrate on today's concoction: Asparagus, Cheese, and Salami Egg Rolls with a Taragon Mustard Cream Sauce. Doesn't that sound good? And yes it is. The picture above doesn't have the tarragon in the sauce because by the time I made the final version my camera needed a re-charge. Anyway, here's the recipe. I simply adored it!

Asparagus, Cheese, and Salami Egg Rolls with a Taragon Mustard Cream Sauce
serves two

4 egg roll wrappers
12 pre cooked asparagus spears
3 slices of low fat Swiss cheese sliced into strips- I'm still hooked on Alpine Lace, I think their's is the best
4 rounds of thinly sliced Genoa salami
Dijon mustard- for the wrappers and also the egg wash
1 egg
Water
Store bought Italian bread crumbs
Grated Romano cheese
Canola oil for frying

For the sauce:
this was an eyeball type of thing, no exact measurements, just keep tasting
Dijon mustard
Sour cream- I use the Light
Rice vinegar
Mayo- again I use the Light
Fresh tarragon chopped

I think I've covered all the bases with the ingredients so let's get cooking. I love fresh asparagus and have found that if I cook them covered, in the microwave for 1-1/2 minutes with a bit of sea salt and a tablespoon or two of water they turn out great when I'm going to be cooking them again.

So cook your asparagus and let them cool. On each of 4 egg roll wrappers give a squeeze of Dijon mustard on the lower half (if you don't have the squeeze bottle, use a spoon).

Now layer on a slice of salami, 3 spears of the cooked asparagus and some Swiss cheese.

Roll up egg roll style and make an egg wash combining the egg, mustard and water. Apply the egg wash and roll in the bread crumb/Romano cheese mixture. That would be even parts of the bread and cheese.

Now doesn't that look good already?  Set your rolled egg rolls aside and make the sauce. Combine mustard, sour cream, mayo and vinegar and stir to combine. I added a little water too, to thin it out a bit, but I'm not sure if that's necessary. Add a teaspoon of fresh tarragon (dried would be fine too) and set aside.

In a large saute pan add a thin layer of canola oil and get ready to cook these little darlings on medium heat for about 2 minutes per side (including the shallow sides) just so it's brown all over. Plate and serve. Heaven! Yes, it was heaven. Love the sauce, love the meat, cheese and veggie combo. And you know me, the mustard cream sauce sent me over the top.

Won Ton Wrapped Cheese Logs

About a week ago one of my internet cooking friends posted a link to an ooey, gooey, cheesy recipe from The Chew and I decided I'd give it a try, with a few little personal touches of course. The recipe was simply string cheese rolled in egg roll or won ton wrappers. Sounded very simple and turned out pretty darn good. I was just testing this recipe/method and only made three, figuring that's all I would need to decide if they were worth making again. The result- Yes! they are worth making again, but very filling. I could only eat one which surprised me. Here's what you'll need for assembly:

Won Ton Wrapped Fried Cheese Logs
makes 3 servings

3 won ton/egg roll wrappers about 5 inches square
3 sticks light mozzarala string cheese cut to 4" length
3 slices Genoa salami
Cooking spray
Panko bread crumbs for dusting
Canola oil for frying

Position egg roll wrapper on cutting board so it's diamond shaped with one of the points facing you. Place a slice of salami and pared down cheese log on top.

Roll wrapper around cheese and salami from the bottom, then fold in the sides (kind of like you're making a burrito), wet top edges with a bit of water and seal.

Set aside and continue making your cheese logs. I know that the wrappers dry out pretty quickly so I covered mine with a damp paper towel. Spritz each wrapped log with a bit of cooking spray and roll in Panko crumbs. The Panko didn't stick as well as I would have liked but I didn't want to go through the trouble of making an egg wash- especially since I wasn't even sure this recipe was going to be a keeper.  In large non stick saucepan heat canola oil on medium. I used enough oil for about 1/8" depth in the pan (I think that's what the guy from The Chew said to do).

Fry a few minutes on all 4 sides and serve hot or warm with a dip of your choice. I didn't do that but will next time. Of course a marinara would be a natural, but  I'm also thinking something with mustard, vinegar, mayo and a bit of sour cream would be the perfect little saucy accompaniment. Really, the sauces and the filling possibilities are endless. Manga!

For Ladies who Lunch

I'm once again playing with egg roll wrappers and made a rather healthy dinner that would also be a great entree for lunch. It's fresh asparagus, chicken, mushrooms and Swiss cheese rolled up with a creamy tarragon wine sauce. Doesn't that sound good? It reminds me of the days when I used to frequent the restaurant The Magic Pan, but instead of crepes, the dish is made with egg rolls, which are easy to find in your supermarket, save a lot of time, and it's one less pan to clean at the end of the meal.

Asparagus Crepes
makes 5

5 egg roll wrappers
15 fresh asparagus spears
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp unsalted butter
4 oz mushrooms sliced
1 small onion diced
4 oz Swiss cheese shredded, I like Alpine Lace (lower fat)
1 chicken breast sliced, I use the rotisserie from my market
1 can cream of chicken soup, I use the 98% fat free
1/3 cup white wine, love chardonnay
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
Black pepper to taste

Saute mushrooms and onions on medium low heat in oil and butter.

While the mushrooms are cooking, clean the asparagus. For this dish, I peeled the lower parts of the spears to get rid of the woodiness. You want them to be tender and this is the solution. Place asparagus in boiling salted water and cook 3-4 minutes. Run under cool water to stop the cooking. Slice the chicken breast and get ready to make the simple sauce.

In medium size sauce pan combine soup, wine, water, tarragon, lemon juice and pepper.  Heat until almost boiling. Turn heat off and get ready to assemble your egg roll crepes. Also, now's the time to pre heat your oven at 350 degrees.

Take one egg roll wrapper and place 3 asparagus in the middle. Top with mushroom onion mixture.

Top with sliced chicken and cheese. Looking good so far, don't you think?

Fold both sides of the wrapper over the asparagus mixture and place in baking pan (seam side down). I coated the pan with cookin spray, not sure that's even necessary.

Repeat the rolling process 4 more times, cover with sauce and bake 25 minutes. I covered mine with aluminum foil but I think you don't even have to do that.

Serve this with a green salad and a nice glass of wine. It's a bit dainty, but a perfect meal when you're planning on chocolate cake for dessert.

Stuffed Again

I've been baking egg rolls again and decided on this go-round to stuff them with Italian sausage, sauteed mushrooms, ricotta cheese and fresh basil. Flavor packed, baked cannelloni is actually what they are. There are a few steps involved, but the dish is rather simple and fun to make. Here's the recipe:

Mushroom, Sausage, Ricotta, and Basil Cannelloni
Makes 16 mini cannelloni, 2 or 3 cannelloni per person for dinner entree

Mushroom Filling
1 T olive oil
8 oz button mushrooms
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

Ricotta Filling
8 oz low fat ricotta cheese
1 egg lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper

Sausage Filling
3 sweet Italian sausages removed from casings
2 tsp olive oil

8 egg roll wrappers cut in half
1 24 oz jar tomato/spaghetti sauce- I like Paul Newman's tomato basil
1 bunch of fresh basil
additional mozzarella for topping
additional parmesan for topping

Let's get cooking- To prepare the mushrooms: Add oil to large pan on stove top and set heat to medium/medium low. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until brown (this could take anywhere from 8 minutes to 20, depending on your stove). But do not let the garlic burn! I'd rather take the time to let let my mushrooms brown on a lower heat than have burnt, acrid tasting garlic.

When mushrooms are done remove to a separate bowl and set aside. It's time to cook the sausage. I used 3 sweet Italian sausages removed from their casings and sauteed them on medium in a small amount of oil.

When all the pinkness is gone from the meat (10 minutes or so) add 1/4 cup of tomato sauce. Stir to combine and then set this mixture aside.

Ready for the cheese? In small bowl combine all ingredients.

When cheese mixture is ready, that means you're ready to start rolling your egg roll cannellonis. Get your basil out, cut your egg rolls in half and prep a baking dish with a 1/3 cup of tomato sauce. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

On cutting board or work surface place one egg roll strip and in the center and add 2 or 3 mushrooms. This is layer one. You don't want to over fill the egg rolls or they won't close and/or bake properly. You'll see what I'm talking about as we keep adding ingredients.

Top with the ricotta mixture. About 2 teaspoons will do.

Now add the sausage, about 2 teaspoons of that too.

Looking pretty good so far, don't you think? Now top with a basil leaf. My basil leaves were so huge, I decided to cut them in half. Top with a pinch of mozzarella or parmesan and we're ready to roll this baby up.

Fold the back side of the egg roll over the top. Now roll the front side to meet the back. You should have about a 1/4 inch overlap. Place rolled cannelloni in baking dish. seam side down.

Now that you've got the idea, keep rolling. You've got 15 more to do. The assembly and rolling go quickly and to me this is the fun part. By the time you're halfway through, you'll have it down to a science.

Top the cannelloni with remaining sauce (you may have some left over-save it) and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. They are ready to go into your pre heated oven.

Bake uncovered for 35 minutes. 

Let cool a bit, garnish with fresh basil and dig into these little bundles of flavor.

 

 

I heated up some of my left over tomato sauce and served it along side the cannelloni. Even though the cannelloni didn't need it, the crusty bread that accompanied the meal enjoyed a dunk or two in the tomato sauce and kept coming back for more. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It's a super dinner and also a nice appetizer (just serve smaller portions). Since it's becoming cocktail party season, I'm wondering if I can make these into bite sized appetizers. I have so many egg roll wrappers left, it just might happen soon. Thanks for reading!