chicken burrito egg rolls

I've had egg rolls wrappers sitting in my fridge for a few days and didn't really know what to do with them other than my usual vegetable egg rolls (wow... looks like I had a white balance issue back then!) As I was baking some chicken breasts and rice, I thought it would be good to make a burrito. Then I remembered the egg rolls and HELLO great idea! Chicken burrito egg rolls!

I just put the usual burrito ingredients inside the egg roll wrapper - chicken, black beans, rice and cheese. I added shredded cabbage (aka cole slaw mix) for crunch and really liked the texture it gave.

Just pan fry these for a few minutes on each side until they are golden brown and crispy. I added a little lime juice, fresh cilantro, salt and pepper to the rice to give it more flavor. I wasn't trying to copy Chipotle's cilantro lime rice... because let's not talk about how many times I've tried to recreate that and failed. I'm convinced they put crack in it.

You're left with this totally yummy treat and a filling dinner. It would be fun to make a dipping sauce from sour cream, lime juice and maybe a little honey. If you try it let me know!

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Chicken Burrito Egg Rolls

serves: 2 people (2 egg rolls each)
Jenna Laughs Original

1 chicken breast fulled cooked (I baked mine then shredded it)
1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed in a colander
1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used Mexican blend, but Colby Jack would be good)
1/4 cup shredded cabbage (cole slaw mix, this is optional)
4-6 egg rolls wrappers (just keep making them until you run out of ingredients!)
1 cup cooked rice
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup canola or vegetable oil

Heat oil (you want about 1/2 inch depth of oil in the pan) in a large skillet over medium heat until it reaches about 350 degrees. You want bubbles to form when you put the egg roll in the hot oil, but not bubble up too quickly and burn. Mix the cooked rice, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Taste to make sure it is seasoned correctly and has good flavor.

Lay one wrapper down in front of you. Put about 1 tablespoon shredded chicken, 1 tablespoon black beans, 2 tablespoons rice, 1 tablespoon shredded cheese and a little shredded cabbage (you can just estimate all this.) You want the wrapper to be full, but not too full. You can reference my photo above. Fold the bottom up over the fillings, then fold in the sides and roll it up like a burrito. Set aside as you make the rest.

Once all your egg roll burritos are made, put them in the oil for a few minutes on each side until they're golden brown and crispy. Let them dry on paper towels, then enjoy!

grilled chicken salad with orange segments and dressing

We're not going to talk about how long it's been since I've updated my happy little food blog. It's embarrassing. But I hope you will welcome me back with open arms and empty stomachs!

My husband and I are trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle which includes better meals and being more active. Nothing crazy, and we will certainly splurge every once in awhile because I can't live my life without ice cream. But we just want to make healthier choices and move our bodies, if you know what I'm saying. Exercise!

We have been playing tennis, working out and Michael is biking to work and even competing in a bike race next month. We've got a long way to go but we are moving forward, and that's all that matters.

This recipe was one of those moments where I had no clue what to make for dinner. I had chicken defrosted in the fridge and some salad greens, and I didn't really know what else to do. I'm not a huge fan of salads but there are a few elements that make me want to eat them: a warm ingredient (like grilled chicken), sweet dressing and something crunchy.

This salad has a delicious dressing made with fresh orange juice, honey, vinegar and olive oil. It's simple but so tasty and perfect. The crunch comes from homemade tortilla strips.

To segment an orange, you just peel it and run your knife along the side of each membrane. Do this over a bowl to save the juice for the dressing. For detailed instructions, watch this video.

For this salad, I like to dress just the greens and orange segments, not the chicken or tortilla strips. The tortillas will keep their crunch if they aren't covered in dressing.

Enjoy! And lots of hugs for coming back :)

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Grilled Chicken Salad with Orange Segments and Dressing

Serves: 2-3
Jenna Laughs original

For the Salad-
1 bag of pre-washed lettuce (I used butter lettuce but you could use spring mix)
1 large orange peeled and cut into segments (do this over a bowl and save the juice)
2 corn tortillas (the taco size, 6 inch)
1 cup vegetable or canola oil (for frying tortilla strips)
6 chicken tenders
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Dressing-
Juice of one orange (from your segments)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (you could use apple cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut tortillas into strips (about 1/2-1/4 inch) and heat oil in a small saucepan until it reaches about 350 degrees, or when you drop a strip in the oil it starts to bubble around the edges. You don't want it to start browning immediately, then your oil is too hot. Fry your tortillas in small batches, the strips from one tortilla at a time should work. Use tongs to stir them every minute or so, then when they are golden brown remove them from the oil onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Once all tortilla strips are fried, set aside.

Season your chicken tenders with salt and pepper, then saute them in the butter for 3-5 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through. Set them on a plate to rest while you prepare the salad.

To make the dressing, combine orange juice, honey, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper into a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Arrange lettuce on plates, then add the orange segments. Pour half the dressing on each plate and toss the lettuce and orange segments with the dressing. For this salad, I like to just dress the greens and not the chicken or tortillas. Top each salad with half the chicken and tortilla strips. Serve immediately.

(NOTE - Taste the dressing before you put it on the salad, if if tastes too sweet to you add a little more vinegar. If it tastes too acidic, add a little more honey.)

lemon cheesecake cups

My husband is a sucker for cheesecake and anything flavored with lemon, the more tart the better. So when I found these light versions of mini lemon cheesecakes, I knew I had a winner. They're made with cream cheese, mascarpone cheese and plain greek yogurt. Lots of lemon zest makes them fresh and delicious.

 

 The "crust" part of these cheesecake cups is just one Nilla wafer dropped in the bottom of the cupcake liner. It gets soft and lovely during the baking process.

The only problem with these beauties is that the recipe only makes 12. I made them for Fathers Day, and they were gone before everyone got to try it! Double the recipe if you're feeding a crowd, or if you're really hungry.

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Lemon Cheesecake Cups 

Serves: 12

12 vanilla wafers (I used Nilla wafers, is there any other kind?)
6 oz cream cheese, softened
2 oz mascarpone cheese, slightly softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz fat-free plain Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
2 large egg whites
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp lemon zest (about 3 lemons)
1 tbsp all purpose flour

Heat oven to 350°. Line cupcake tin with liners. Place a vanilla wafer at the bottom of each liner.

In a medium sized bowl, beat cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gently beat in yogurt, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest and flour. Do not over beat. Pour into cupcake liners (I just used a spoon) filling about half way. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature. Chill a few hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Recipe adapted from: Skinny Taste

basil mozzarella pinwheels

Has a been a month since I've blogged? More than that? Okay, let's just look past that sad fact and move on...

These basil pinwheels are lovely little creatures. I love a sheet of puff pastry. The possibilities are endless! You could make something chocolatey, cheesy, salty, fruity, spicy or sweet. Of course it's more adventurous to make your own puff pastry, but when you're short on time the frozen version is a great shortcut.

I started by laying out a thawed sheet of puff pastry, then brushed the whole thing with egg wash. Then I chopped up fresh mozzarella and basil from my garden (aka the only thing that's really growing well...) and sprinkled it over the whole thing.

Then roll it up as tightly as possible before slicing it into 1/2 inch slices.

As it bakes, the mozzarella kind of oozes out and gets slightly brown. It's really delicious with bright, summery flavors. Keep it in mind for your next barbecue - your guests will be surprised when you serve this instead of baked beans!

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Basil Mozzarella Pinwheels

Serves: 6

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (I used Pepperidge Farm)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Let the sheet of puff pastry sit out at room temperature for about 35 minutes, until its mostly thawed. Lay it out on the counter top and make sure the fold marks are smoothed out. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl, then brush it all over the puff pastry.

Chop up the mozzarella cheese into small pieces, then place evenly over the puff pastry. Do the same thing with the basil. Season with salt and pepper. Starting at the bottom (the smaller side of the rectangle) roll as tightly as possible.

Then, using a sharp serrated knife, carefully slice the roll into 1/2 inch pieces. Let the knife do the work, don't press down too hard. Place the pieces on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray and brush each pinwheel with remaining egg wash. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.

easy monkey bread

Work has been crazy the last few weeks. I've been leading a culinary tourism campaign (awesome, right?!) that links local restaurants to producers and growers in our area. It will highlight restaurants that are already serving local, and encourage restaurants who aren't. I am excited to see where this project goes!

Here is the website I've been working on. It launched yesterday, part of the reason I've been so busy! Writing content and designing a website from scratch is no joke.

Local on the Menu

All this work hasn't left me much time for baking. I needed an easy dessert one night, so I found this Monkey Bread recipe that is made from a can of biscuits... and I am not ashamed.

You just make a cinnamon sugar mixture, then melt some butter.

I set up a little station with my bowl of melted butter, cinnamon sugar and a loaf pan. Cut the biscuits into quarters, dip the pieces in melted butter then roll them in cinnamon sugar. Yes it's true.

Line up those little beauties in a loaf pan. You will probably end up putting a few pieces on top of the first layer... unless you eat them of course. I'm just saying.

It bakes up beautifully. The melted butter caramelizes the sugar and creates this gooey center just dripping with a syrup-y cinnamon glaze. I mean you can just imagine what biscuits dunked in melted butter tastes like. It's out of control.

I set this pan of goodness out for our weekly movie night. People were just picking the pieces right from the pan and going to town.

I think I like this recipe so much because the only thing I don't keep stocked in my kitchen is the can of biscuits, so it's really easy just to run out and get one thing in a pinch. So if you need a super easy dessert you can make in just a few minutes, this is a good one.

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Easy Monkey Bread

3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup melted butter
1 can buttermilk biscuits (I used Pillsbury)
Cooking spray

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray your loaf pan and set aside. In small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Separate dough into individual biscuits and then cut them into quarters. Dip each quarter in the melted butter, then roll it in cinnamon sugar mixture. Arrange in the loaf pan. You may end up putting a few pieces on top of the first layer.

Bake for 15-18 minutes and let cool 2-3 minutes just so the sugar doesn't burn you. At this point, you can loosen the edges and place the whole loaf on a serving platter. Or let it cool a few more minutes and serve it right from the loaf pan.

Recipe adapted from Pillsbury