Egg Rolls

I haven't made these in years and now, if I want egg rolls, I always opt for veggie egg rolls instead. But if you want meat and a little more substance to yours, these will do the trick!

1 lb. ground beef, pork, chicken, or firm tofu

1 tsp. minced ginger

2 c. finely chopped cabbage

¼ lb. bean sprouts

½ c. shredded carrot

3 green onions, finely chopped

2 T. oyster sauce, optional

1 pkg. (16 oz.) large square egg roll wraps

oil for frying

sweet and sour sauce

Fry and drain meat or tofu. Add remaining ingredients and cook 2 minutes. (If using oyster sauce, stir in last.) Use 2 Tbsp. filling for each egg roll. Roll up securely. Can be frozen individually or fried right away. If all ingredients are precooked, don’t need to fry too long. Just until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Makes about 20.

Cheese Enchiladas

Honestly, I shy away from these enchiladas because they take a while to make, but they are really yummy so if you have the time, go for it! My friend, Jennifer, taught me how to make these. I opt for flour tortillas instead of corn, but both are great!

Six 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce

½ cube margarine

3 Tbsp. chili powder

Combine and simmer.

Filling:

2 lb. grated cheddar cheese

2 small cans sliced olives, drained

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Combine in a large bowl and toss.

In a skillet of hot oil, soften 24 corn tortillas one at a time. Dip each tortilla in sauce, covering both sides. Be careful not to burn fingers on hot sauce. Lay tortilla down flat on a cookie sheet and fill with cheese mixture then roll shut. Repeat with all 24 tortillas. Pour remaining sauce over all. Sprinkle with remainder of cheese mixture. Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes. Serve with a side of refried beans, if desired. (Missy’s note: I like them with flour tortillas. I don’t get the sauce too hot or soften the tortillas beforehand. Seems to work fine. 

Waikiki Meatballs

I always loved it when my sister, Chantal, made this dish. I'm a fan of sweet and sour and these meatballs, in their tangy sauce, are delicious! It's a bit time intensive, but oh, so worth it!!

1 lb. ground beef

2/3 c. cracker crumbs

1/3 c. minced onion

1 egg

1 ½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ginger

¼ c. milk

1 Tbsp. shortening or coconut oil

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

½ c. brown sugar

1/3 c. white vinegar

one 13.5 oz. can pineapple tidbits

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/3 c. chopped green pepper

Thoroughly mix beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, salt, ginger, and milk. Shape by rounded Tablespoonfuls into balls. Brown and cook meatballs in melted shortening. Remove meatballs and drain fat. Drain pineapple tidbits and keep the juice. Combine cornstarch and sugar. Stir in pineapple juice, vinegar, and soy sauce until mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute. Add meatballs, pineapple tidbits, and green pepper. Heat through and serve over rice.

Pulled Pork

It doesn't get much easier than this! Several of my kids get pretty excited when this is on the menu.

Place ~2 lb. pork roast in crock pot with a little water. Add onion, if desired. Cook all day. Remove fat. Shred with 2 forks. Pour in a jar of your favorite BBQ sauce and stir (I like the bold and spicy sauces, but original KC Masterpiece is always a good choice). Serve on buns.

Chicken Chow Mein Casserole

This is a pretty unique recipe and I honestly don't remember where I got it. In all honesty, I haven't made it for years, but I had to include it because I remember how much we loved it back in the day.

Layer in 9x13 pan:

4 cups chicken/turkey, cooked and diced

2 cups chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion (~1 medium onion)

1 cup rice, uncooked

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can bean sprouts

Mix and pour over:

1 ¼ cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 tsp salt (optional)

Bake at 350º for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and add about 5 ounces of chow mein noodles sprinkled over the top. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Spinach Lasagna

I got this recipe from my mother-in-law many years ago and it is the ONLY lasagna I'll make. It is so delicious and is always a hit. I love the spinach in it, but my favorite part might be that you don't have to boil the noodles first.

1 lb. bulk sausage

1 jar spaghetti sauce (28 oz.)

½ c. water

15 oz. ricotta cheese

1 c. shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed

lasagne noodles, uncooked

In a frying pan, cook sausage until browned. Drain well. Combine spaghetti sauce and water. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, ½ c. of shredded cheese and spinach. Grease bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Place small amount of sauce on bottom of baking dish. Place 3 uncooked noodles over sauce. Layer with 1/3 of the sauce, ½ of the cheese/spinach  and ½ of the sausage. Repeat same layers – noodles, sauce, cheese/spinach, sausage. Final layer is 3 noodles, remainder of sauce and ½ c. shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375º for one hour. Let stand about 10 minutes after removing from oven.

Feijoada - Brazilian Black Beans and Rice

My friend Jennifer and her husband served missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in different parts of Brazil. They used to invite us over when they'd make these Brazilian black beans and rice. Topping it with the fresh onion and salted tomato slices are a must, if you ask me. If you are using canned beans, you can whip this up in a jiffy!

Beans:

1 lb. bag black beans OR 3 or 4 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces

3 bay leaves (remove before serving)

3 cloves garlic, minced

half of white onion, finely chopped

1 ½ T. salt, or to taste

If using dry beans, put beans into a large bowl covered by 2 inches of water and let soak overnight. Pour into large pot and bring to boil. Mix all ingredients and let cook (simmer) until beans are soft and mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.

If using canned beans, beans are already soft. Mix all ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes to heat through and meld flavors.

Serve over rice and top with thinly sliced onions and sliced salted tomatoes, if desired. 

Baked Ham With Pineapple

I got this recipe out of Taste of Home magazine forever ago. This makes a pretty ham that would be nice for an Easter meal or Christmas.

1 fully cooked bone-in ham, 6-8 lbs. (I’ve used a ½ or whole boneless ham before with success)

Whole cloves

½ c. packed brown sugar

¼ c. pineapple juice

1 can (8 oz.) sliced pineapple, drained (use for above juice)

5 maraschino cherries

Place ham in a roasting pan. Score the surface with shallow diagonal cuts, making diamond shapes. Insert cloves into diamonds. Cover and bake at 325º for 1 ½ hours. Combine brown sugar and pineapple juice; pour over ham. Arrange pineapple and cherries on ham. Bake, uncovered, 30-45 minutes longer or until meat thermometer reads 140º and the ham is heated through. Yield 16-20 servings.

Slow Cooked Ham

The 7-UP in this recipe makes the ham really tender. I love the glaze!

Place 3-4 lb. half ham in slow cooker with 1 can 7-UP. Slow cook from 4-8 hours adjusting temperature according to amount of time ham will cook. 30 minutes before serving, combine ¼ c. honey, 1 tsp. prepared mustard, ¼ tsp. cinnamon and 3 Tbsp. liquid from ham. Pour over ham in slow cooker. Continue to cook. Slice before serving.

Chinese Beef and Rice Casserole

This is my very favorite way to use up leftover roast. In fact, I think I like this dish better than the roast to begin with! I got this recipe from my friend, Troba, years ago when we lived in Columbus. It's a keeper, for sure!

2/3 c. uncooked rice

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced diagonally (optional)

2 Tbsp. salad oil

1 ½ c. diced, cooked roast (leftovers!)

1 ½ c. boiling water

1 beef bouillon cube

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 green pepper, chopped

Cook and stir rice, onion and celery in hot oil until rice is golden brown, onion tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except green pepper. Heat to boiling and then lower heat. Cover tightly and simmer 15-18 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Add green pepper and fluff rice lightly with fork. Cover 10 minutes. Serve with additional soy sauce, if desired.