Garlic Gold: Double Crusted Cheese sticks made with Marinated Mozzarella #Recipe

I’m so in love with the Garlic Gold brand, that I made another easy recipe to enjoy. These go with everything from pizza, wings, to even a light Italian dinner.  I even pair them with a dinner salad and these sub for my croutons.

Let’s Begin…..

• Large Mason Jar
• 1/4 cup of Garlic Gold’s Red Wine Vinaigrette
• 8 to 10 sticks cut from Mozzarella Cheese (from a semi-soft block, not the soft fresh type)
• 1/4 cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup of plain Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1/4 cup of plain Bread Crumbs
• Dash of Garlic Gold Nuggets
• 1 egg
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)
• Optional- 1/4 teaspoon of chili flakes if you want to make Fire Crackers. Add the flakes to the marinade.
• Peanut Oil (or one of your choice) for frying

Take your Mason Jar and add 1/4 cup of the Garlic Gold Vinaigrette. Take your cheese sticks and close the jar, give it a toss and lay it down in the fridge.

I marinated mine overnight and I would walk by the fridge and shake it a few times. You can use a small jar if you wish but I wanted to not fill the jar and waste vinaigrette, so I opted to not filling and used this shaking method.

You will notice the oil will solidify so take the cheese out an hour before cooking and allow the marinade to liquefy and every now and then give the jar a shake.

Take out a plate (I use a glass pie plate) and use that as your flouring station and another dish for the bread crumbs (both the panko and plain combined). Add salt and pepper to taste to the bread crumbs and a dash of the Garlic Gold Nuggets.

Take cheese out of jar (reserve the vinaigrette) and dip them in the flour, rolling and making sure to not forget to dab the tips too.

Once the cheese is floured, dip the cheese back into the vinaigrette and then roll into the bread crumbs.

You will notice that not much will stay, but this is the first dip that will insure you have that great flavor. The flour will soak it up and give it a beautiful layer and crunch. Do all the bread sticks and let them relax in the bread crumbs.

Crack open the egg and whisk.

Dip each bread stick in the egg and back into the bread crumbs. I lay the cheese sticks on a plate because they will be relaxing in the freezer for 20-30 minutes after they have received their second coat. This is the coat that will stick really well and just continue until all cheese sticks are nicely covered and coated.

Put plate in freezer and depending how cold yours is, it only takes 20 to 30 minutes for them to set nicely. This buys you time when frying and also allows the breading to set.

Once the above time has lapsed, it’s time to fry! I use Peanut Oil for how it tends to fry everything really crispy. You can use any frying oil of your choice. Heat up the oil and this is a quick dish to make.

It takes less than 30 seconds to get golden. I take about 2 to 3 sticks at a time because I used a small frying pan but you can use a larger one (I don’t like wasting oil either 🙂 ). You just drop them in and you can see my oil comes up half-way and then once they are golden and this happens in a few seconds, just flip and finish.

I placed my fried cheese sticks on parchment to rest. Serve immediately and enjoy.

If you are frying more than the above quota, no worries as you can use a pan with parchment to rewarm them. Again, this happens quick as we are dealing with cheese. Heat your oven to 375 degrees and set your cheese sticks on a cookie sheet (with parchment) and heat until warm and gooey. This can take 5 minutes and I do this with leftovers (from the fridge). You can serve with a pesto and I opted for a eggplant and vegetable marinara sauce. The cheese sticks are flavorful and you can make these into “fire crackers” by adding the chili flakes to your marinade.

 

You can also make this easy dish by getting your own Garlic Gold Products at:

• On-line– http://garlicgold.com/
• Visit Garlic Gold on Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/GarlicGold
• Twitter– https://twitter.com/garlicgold
• See the pretty Garlic Gold products and the other dishes you can create onPinterest– http://www.pinterest.com/garlicgold/

I received the above product free of charge from Garlic Gold.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

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The Spice Lab: Ghost Pepper Crispy Oven Fries

The myth. The legend. The Ghost Pepper.

I have heard about the Ghost Pepper and even seen people taste it but their reaction was always to the intense heat with very little to report on taste. Scary stuff. I’m a girl that loves heat and spice but I want flavor too. My best description is that this pepper tastes like a non-latin red pepper, but with attitude. The notes are actually good and intense but end with a touch of smokiness. Not like a chipotle or a poblano, so there is where I come off with the “non-latin” description. It’s good……like, really good. After I tasted the salt as-is, I not only respected Mr. Ghost Pepper but could not wait to try it in a recipe. But wait for me to get some more water 🙂

Potatoes are usually bland so I felt they were the perfect pairing, plus I am always in that race to use up every Russet potato I purchased in the bag because then what I paid is not a super bargain. These fries are simple to make and only take 25-30 minutes to cook. You are left with crispy and I mean extra crispy fries from the oven. I am not overstating that here, because I have tried so many oven fries recipes and ended up with floppy sticks….no flop here.

Let’s get started…..

• 3 to 4 Russet Potatoes (washed but with peel….I said this was easy)
• 1/8 cup of Pecorino & Romano cheese blend (grated and if you just have Parm, that will do)
• 1/8 cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup of White Rice Flour
• 1/8 teaspoon of Onion Powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of Granulated Garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon of Oregano (dry)
• 1/4 teaspoon of Parsley (dry)
• 1/8 teaspoon of Dill Weed (dry)
• 1/8 teaspoon of The Spice Labs Ghost Pepper Infused Salt (or more if you dare 🙂 )
• Smoked Salt (to taste) and I used The Spice Labs Applewood Smoked Salt
• Black Pepper (to taste)

 

• Baste- 1/4 cup of Buttermilk and 1 tablespoon of Peanut Oil (or a oil with a high heat point of your choosing). I find Peanut Oil gives me the perfect crisp!

Cut your potatoes into fries and soak them in cold water for an hour, just make sure to change the water about 3 times. Removing the starch helps aid with the crisp factor.

Take a bowl and just add all the above dry ingredients and mix, then set aside.

Once the hour passes of your fries swimming in water, I spin them in a salad spinner to dry them. Patting them with paper-towels until completely dry works too.

 

Place the fries in a bowl and allow them to bathe in the 1/4 cup of Buttermilk. You will think a 1/4 cup is too little but as long as you come by and give them a stir, you will see that it covers nicely without waste. If you feel your bowl needs more Buttermilk, feel free to add more because this is just for the fries to soak in it for 30 minutes. Once the fries have been basting in the Buttermilk for 30 minutes or so, add the Peanut Oil and toss making sure to coat the potatoes well.

Turn on oven to 425 degrees. I used the convection setting.

Then comes the dunk! I take the fries by the handful (leaving whatever Buttermilk/Peanut Oil that did not soak up behind) and dump them in the batter. I make sure each fry gets a nice crust adhered to it and then place it on parchment paper.

It took me two pizza pans (the ones with holes) to get all my 3 potatoes to fit. I spaced them enough and in the oven they went for 25 to 30 minutes. At the half-way point, I made sure to get them out and give each fry a flip, so it would cook evenly. If you cut your fries bigger, they may need a little more time to finish but always taste-test to know if they are done.

 

These fries are crisp and have heat, so I paired them with a dip and chose a Caesar dressing! It’s yogurt based and went really well with them, plus saves you from the heat when needed.

 

Get Your Ghost Pepper kick and many others at:

• The Spice Lab On-line– http://shop.thespicelab.com/
• Via Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/TheSpiceLabInc
• Twitter– https://twitter.com/TheSpiceLab

Don’t forget to pick-up their wonderful Applewood Smoked Salt too and they carry so much, you will get lost in Spice Lab’s World!

I received the above products free of charge from The Spice Lab.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

 

Baking: Hawaiian Bread Loaf Recipe, Aloha Bread

Being tired of bread that reads like a science experiment gone wrong, I now just resort to baking at home. My experiments, at least when they fai,l are not filled with chemicals and the dog has benefited from a few “oopsies”. Thankfully, this is not one of them and it’s very easy to make….you don’t even need a dough hook.

Hawaiian bread is suppose to have a little tropical flair with a touch of sweetness from the Pineapple Juice and is usually a nice soft texture. I love making ham sandwiches with it but also just eating it with a little butter.

Let’s begin….

You will need:
3 cups of All-Purpose Flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill), plus

• 1/4 cup of All-Purpose Flour (to be used after the dough rises)

1/4 teaspoon of Kosher Salt
2 Eggs (room temperature)
1 1/4 cups of 100% Pure Pineapple Juice (I used Langer’s Pineapple Juice), and at room temperature
1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of Vanilla Extract (depends on your taste)
5 tablespoons of White Sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons of Active Dry Yeast
4 1/2 tablespoons of Unsalted Butter (melted), plus

• 1/4 tablespoon of softened Salted Butter (to grease the bowl the dough will rise in) and another 1/4 for the final rise and to grease the dish you will be baking in.

First mix your wet ingredients, this would be eggs, pineapple juice, vanilla, butter and white sugar in one bowl. Then in another bowl mix your 3 cups of flour, salt and yeast. Using the mixer with the paddle attachment (or by hand with a spatula), start incorporating the dry ingredients to the wet. I usually do it by hand using a spatula and you will get a sticky dough that is ragged looking. It takes me about 2 minutes by hand to accomplish this. If the dough looks too dry, add a little more pineapple juice. If the dough appears too wet, start by incorporating a little flour until you are left with a moist dough that does not have a over sticky appearance/feeling.

I then allow the dough to rest one hour in a buttered bowl that is big enough to allow it to double in size. This is where I use the 1/4 tablespoon of Salted Butter and it helps keep the dough moist but also does not let it adhere to the bowl.

After the dough doubles in size, I flour the surface and dump the bread dough to start incorporating the 1/4 cup of flour. I begin to first punch down the bread and then slowly knead it for a minute and until the flour is incorporated. I just keep folding in until I get the right texture and if it’s too moist, I slowly add a little more flour if needed. I then take the 1/4 tablespoon of butter and grease the loaf pan I will be baking in. I add the dough and again allow the bread to rise for about an hour, or until it doubles in size.

Set the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown in color. I then take the bread out and allow it to cool 15 to 20 minutes and pop it out of the pan to further cool down. I give it a couple hours and then start slicing and enjoying. This bread makes great panini style sandwiches and I love how it also toasts up. Get creative and enjoy!

Beautiful Nooks and Crannies in the Bread!

Note- My recipe uses 100% Pineapple Juice that has no added sugars or sweeteners. I feel Hawaiian bread has a touch of sweetness but should not start off being a dessert style bread. It’s suppose to be versatile and this why I control the sweetness by adding my own sugar and adjust my vanilla to fit my tastes or future uses.  You can also make buns for sliders using this recipe, versus just a loaf 🙂

Panini Ham Sandwich I made with the loaf.

Bolthouse Farms Review: 100% Carrot Juice made into a Hearty Soup #MeatlessMonday #GlutenFree

I first tried Bolthouse many years ago and then became reintroduced to the brand when I visited my local Costco. The “samplings” got me and of course I then had to usher my husband over and he became a fan too. Recently the wonderful company sent me 4 bottles to try and I am in love with the one I had the least expectations on. I love carrots but it’s usually the vegetable that acts as a filler in every vegetable medley I purchase, that I started to take it for granted. I tasted the juice and learned that not all carrots are created equal. My carrots from the baby to the large are missing the Bolthouse touch! The sweetness is unbelievable but not derived from sugar or some unholy syrup…..just the carrot. I know the bottle in the front stated clearly 100% Carrot Juice but I still flipped the thing around looking for further contents and then saw the ingredient list: Carrot!

I stopped drinking bottled vegetable juices because most taste like they took the oldest and not so prime vegetables to create the juice, and like a bad grape makes a bad wine, bad veggies make horrific juices! I should not have to pinch my nose to drink something that is suppose to be healthy and good for me, to then have it repeat on me after…..sort of like, “surprise, you pinched your nose, but here I come, back so you can taste my awfulness!”. Bolthouse juices have none of that. They are good from the blends to just the plain ones like this 100% Carrot juice.

Being that today was #MeatlessMonday, I looked at my left-overs and got creative. I have diced plum tomatoes, wild rice, and some Thyme left over from the crackers I baked. It’s the last real cold day we will have in California this week, so I want to make the most of it!

Let’s Begin….

Soup Base (great portion for Lunch Time):
1/4 a cup of Bolthouse’s 100%Carrot Juice
1/4 a cup of canned Diced Tomatoes. I used Plum Tomatoes that have been canned with Basil (unsalted)
Fresh Thyme
Smoked Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional- Dash of Oregano before serving

I put the above all together in a pot and just bring it to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Once it’s done, I paired it with the Herby Cheese Crackers I baked.  You can find my Herby Cheese crackers recipe here: http://wp.me/p2B5Rd-Dh

Now, for dinner, I wanted something a little more hearty. I used the above soup base but went up to 1/2 a cup of the 100% Carrot Juice from Bolthouse and 1/2 a cup of the Tomatoes. I added 1/2 a pat of unsalted butter, smoked salt and pepper medley to taste, and a dash of oregano. Let that come to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

I had some left-over wild rice I made over the weekend and added 1/4 cup to the soup base, along with 4 ounces of diced fresh zucchini. I brought that back up to a simmer and cooked it until the zucchini was the texture I desired. To serve, I added some parmesan cheese and a few of the crackers I baked earlier. Done! You can get creative by using wheat pasta, fresh kale to any vegetables that need attention from fresh to even frozen ones. A Meatless Monday meal that takes 10 to 12 minutes to make and is not only filling but delicious! Enjoy!

Visit Bolthouse and their Countless Juice Selections, Juices from Blends to the Plain; to Cafe drinks and even Protein ones:

• Say hello to the Carrot on-line: http://www.bolthouse.com/product/100carrot
• Veggies and Fruits on Twitter- https://twitter.com/bolthousefarms
• Visit Fun Bolthouse Crew on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/bolthousefarms
• Catch the pics on Instagram- http://instagram.com/bolthousefarms
• Save $1.50 off any bottle here: http://www.bolthouse.com/instagram

Next time, I will be reviewing the juices from 100% Pomegrante juice to Multi-V Goodness Smoothie.

I received the above product free of charge from Bolthouse Farms. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Bob’s Red Mill: Herby Cheese Crackers made with Rice Flour, Gluten Free #MeatlessMonday

Going with my Meatless-Monday dish, I decided to pair up my soup with a nice Gluten Free option, Herby Cheese Crackers. I used a mix of Gouda and Parmesan, however I have made these with a white cheddar cheese and plain sharp cheddar varieties. The cracker’s texture will vary by the cheese you use! I make sure to stick to a good quality cheese because the recipe only requires 2 ounces and I have had unpleasant experiences when a cheap cheese (this is not always connected by what you pay) that has oozed tons of oils and fats. No one wants an oily cracker….I want flaky with a nice crumble. Let’s Begin!

Dough:

• 2 Ounces of grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese or a cheese that has a close enough moisture content. You can use a semi-soft and pair it with a freshly grated harder cheese too. Allow the cheese to come to room temperature (after you grated).
• 2 tablespoons of Unsalted Butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup of Bob’s Red Mill Rice Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon of herbs (I mixed dried herbs with fresh)
• Salt and Pepper to taste (taste your cheese to measure saltiness before adding salt)
• *Optional- You can add Red Pepper Flakes, Smoked Paprika even a dash of Cayenne Pepper. You can also crumble pre-cooked bacon or pancetta to change the flavors.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the Rice Flour, baking soda and herbs. I used dried parsley, thyme, tarragon and oregano. My plants have been blooming well in this mild Winter we have been having in California, so I used some fresh sage and thyme to make a 1 teaspoon’s worth with the dried herbs. Add your salt and pepper. I used a smoked salt for additional flavor and a pepper medley variety. I also included (optional) a dash of smoked paprika, a dash of red pepper flakes and also a small dash of cayenne to give the crackers some kick.

In another bowl, grate your cheese. I used a semi-soft gouda and a grated hard cheese variety of mixed parmesan and romano. Add the cheese to your flour mixture and then incorporate the softened unsalted butter to the mix. I do not want to smell crackers on my hands all day so I use a glove to pretty much make a ball. Want a different way? Cream the butter and cheese in your with your mixer and add the flour mixture after. If the mix seems dry, add a 1/2 teaspoon of water. You do not want a super moist dough as this dough will rest and re hydrate in the fridge, plus we are making crackers and not bread. I usually rarely add water and just keep gathering the crumbs around until they play nice 🙂 Using plastic wrap, create a log that is almost 11 inches long. You can decide how large you want the crackers but since I want to have mine swim in my soup, I always go small. The log can be shaped and in this case I used the assistance of a wooden chopstick to make a crease, which will then help me work these into a heart shape. You can just go square or even round….or we can also have fun and create and abstract shape!

Allow the dough to rest in the fridge 20-30 minutes if you need to shape after, or 40 minutes if you will be just slicing and baking. Heat your oven 350 degrees. Take the dough out and you can I usually slice half a log and return the other half to the fridge while the first batch bakes.  I used the chop-stick to help refine the heart shape too.

Bake the crackers for about 10 minutes and then cool.   You then bake the other half and these go great with soup, salads, or just by themselves. Enjoy!

Find out more about Bob’s Red Mill products at:

• On-line– http://www.bobsredmill.com/
• Twitter– https://twitter.com/BobsRedMill
• Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/BobsRedMillNaturalFoods
• Pinterest– http://www.pinterest.com/bobsredmill/
• Save with a $1.00 off coupon– http://www.bobsredmill.com/get-a-coupon.html

I received the above product free of charge from Bob’s Red Mill.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Bob’s Red Mill: Gluten Free Zucchini Fries made with Rice Flour and Pecorino Romano & Parmesan Cheese

With the Big Game taking place this weekend, I wanted to try making a recipe that was not just healthier, but tasting delicious was a must. I started from scratch and this is my first time working with Rice Flour. My oven also decided to die on Wednesday (he needs a new igniter) and of course the part is on back-order and it won’t be fixed until the middle of next week, so this girl needs to find a way to still celebrate this weekend!

I started by cutting raw zucchini into sticks to resemble fries. Since I was experimenting, I used half of a zucchini because this was a large sized one to begin with. I poured buttermilk and allowed the vegetable to soak for about 30 minutes. I then mixed the ingredients for the batter.

Soak 1/2 to 1 Zucchini in buttermilk for about 20 to 30 minutes. I used about 1/2 a cup of buttermilk.

Coating/Batter:
1/4 cup of Bob’s Red Mill Rice Flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon of Pecorino Romano & Parmesan cheese blend (you may use any grated hard cheese)
Smoked Salt (to taste)
Pepper Medley (to taste)
Dash of Parsley Flakes
Dash of Cayenne Pepper

You simply take the above ingredients and mix until incorporated.

I then took the french fry style zucchini sticks and simply coated them until they were nicely covered.

While I coated the rest of the zucchini, I started to warm the oil (I used Peanut oil but you can use any oil that suits you best). Once the oil reached a 375 degree temperature, I began to fry. You will notice that the amount of oil needed is not much and these begin to brown almost instantly.

Like, within 30 seconds you will notice color change so be ready to flip. The rice flour cooks up to a nice golden brown and because the cooking time is quick, this not only a easy recipe to make but the vegetable does not get soggy or mushy in texture. You get crisp and light fries you can enjoy. You may serve with ranch or even a light marinara, or just as is with a dash of flake salt and black pepper.

Try the above with onion petals and you can mix it up 🙂 For a fun way to serve, I used a sheet of parchment paper and made a cone. Cut the top with one of those decorative scissors that leave a pretty edge (or just swag up and down when cutting). I then stapled the end because tape does not stick to parchment paper. Cheap and an easy was to give them that classic “Pomme Frites”!

Enjoy your weekend!

Connect with all the wonderful product’s from Bob’s Red Mill:

• Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/BobsRedMillNaturalFoods
• Twitter– https://twitter.com/BobsRedMill
• Pinterest- http://www.pinterest.com/bobsredmill/
• Google+– https://plus.google.com/+bobsredmill/posts
• Instagram– http://instagram.com/bobsredmill
• and yes, the man has a Blog– http://blog.bobsredmill.com/

I received the above product free of charge from Bob’s Red Mill. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

BzzAgent: Kroger/ Ralph’s Classic Garlic Bread

Located in the Fresh Bakery section of your local Ralph’s grocery store, you will find a french style loaf that is packaged in a foil covered bag. The loaf is large enough for a family to enjoy with two meals! Very easy to warm up in your oven and it’s ready to go with no preparation needed. Neat.

Overall Taste and Texture:
I liked the bread itself as it had a wonderful crust and was light and fluffy towards the center. The spread is suppose to resemble a garlic one, however I did not smell much garlic when I checked out the loaf before baking. I smelled oils and what you would describe a very light garlic-ey scent that seemed more like what you find in seasonings (powdered). After heating, I sliced the bread and again did not detect a rich smell that makes you almost drool when you have garlic bread in front of you. I usually sneak a bite in before serving but the spread was so fluorescent yellow in coloring, that it did not pique my appetite. When I lifted the top portion from the bottom, I noticed the “butter” was more oil than anything…..maybe it’s a margarine? I felt the spread sort of was a negative compared to how the bread itself is. I would definitely purchase a loaf of bread to go with a meal but I am sticking to plain on this one!

I received the above product free of charge from BzzAgent and Ralph’s.  I am not obligated in providing a positive/favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

Wafu style Chicken Egg Rolls

I have been enjoying myself and trying all of Wafu’s wonderful dressings that are so delicious, that they can be used as marinades. Tonight was one of our “trips to Asia”, so that means I needed something that went beyond a potsticker for dinner. I had one defrosted chicken breast that was screaming I don’t do my fall back and make Orange Chicken. My answer was simple and quick egg rolls since the chicken breast seemed to be dictating the night 🙂

I don’t own a mandoline because so many seem to have poor reviews, that I can never decide which one to actually buy. I make do with the knives I own, plus that also means I don’t need to make room for another kitchen tool.

Filling:

• 1 Carrot thinly shredded
• 1/2 cup of shredded Cabbage
• 3 Green Onions thinly sliced

• 1 large Chicken Breast
• 1/4 teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

• 2 to 3 Garlic Cloves (diced)
• 1 tablespoon of Peanut Oil and 1 tablespoon of Seasame Seed Oil

• 3 to 4 tablespoons of the Original Wafu’s Japanese Vinaigrette
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated Ginger (less or more, as to your taste)

Wraps:

• Egg roll wraps (you will yield 10 to 12 egg rolls depending on how you stuff)
• 1 egg whisked

Frying Oil:

Peanut Oil for frying, about 1 to 1/2 cups

Dip:

• Wafu’s Wasabi Edamme Japanese dressing
• Sriracha sauce to taste (between 2 to 3 drops or be brave and do more)

I start by peeling the carrot and discard the peels. I then take my peeler and make thin slices of the carrot. I take my knife and then julienne the carrots into fine slices.

I then finely slice the cabbage.

Next, comes the green onion and I use all the white parts, saving the green stalks that can be used for garnish.  I start by slicing the onions in half, and then in halves again to create thin strips.

Your trio should look like this:

Next comes the chicken breast.  I start by dicing the breast into chunks and then add Chinese Five Spice

This is about the size of my chunks but please cut them to any size you are comfortable with.  I then just add salt and pepper to taste and massage the seasonings into the meat.

The vegetables do not require to be pre-cooked but the meat does.  These egg rolls take only but a few minutes to cook, so the meat needs to be fully cooked before frying.  I start by adding a mix of peanut oil and sesame seed oil, plus the fresh garlic I diced up.

While that cooks, I take a bowl and add 3 to 4 tablespoons of Wafu’s Original Japaneses Vinaigrette.

I fry the chicken on both sides until the breast pieces get a nice color and are fully cooked, making sure to not burn the garlic.  I then add everything once it cools for 5 minutes to the Wafu dressing.  This includes the garlic, any left over juices and oils.  I toss making sure everything is incorporated.

I then take my fresh Ginger out of the freezer because it’s the only way I can make it last.  Using a knife, I finely grate enough to make 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of shavings.  I then add it to the chicken and toss.

Next comes the fun part, assembly time.  I went to three stores that I knew stocked egg roll wraps, however everyone was out of stock. I finally found some at Von’s market and this is the brand I used.  Use whatever brand you desire as I do not have a favorite.  Just make sure the ingredients the wraps are made of are to your liking.

This how I assembled and I did not take certain amount of vegetables and meat.  I went with what seemed like an even amount and sometimes even a little more meat than veggies because then I could almost hear my husband asking if there was a chicken shortage he did not know of 😛

Then add the egg wash all around.  I used a silicone brush to make it easier to swipe all around.

Next, comes the folding and it’s just like making mini burritos.

I then add a little more wash to the folded edges to insure things remain closed and also stuck together.

Then just finish rolling.

Repeat the process until you are out of chicken.  I was able to make 10 of this little guys.

I covered my uncooked egg rolls with slightly moist paper towels while my oil heated up.

Once my oil was hot, I began to fry three egg rolls at a time.  They cook up quickly….like less than a minute on each side.

Flip once you see the edges slightly brown.

When done, I just take them out and pat them on paper towels.

Continue to fry until you are done and this goes by quickly, which is a good thing!  I then make my dip.  I take 1 to 1/2 tablespoons of Wafu’s Wasabi Edamme Japanese dressing and add 2 to 3 drops of Sriracha sauce.  Mix and you are finished!  This is my first time making egg rolls, if I can do it….so can you!  Enjoy!

I received the above dressings and vinagrettes free of charge from Wafu.  I am not obligated to provide positive/favorable feedback, just my honest opinion.  I highly recommend this company because they have one of the best dressings on the market.  From flavors that make a simple salad that much more enjoyable, to the practicality of being able to use their products as marinades.  I love the ingredients and the pride the company takes in keeping things simple but delicious.  My review is based on my experience with the brand, which may differ from yours.

Check them out at: http://www.wafu.ca/  on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/wafubrand Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/wafubrand or even on Pinterest at: http://pinterest.com/wafubrand/