Take-out Fake-out Egg Rolls

Happy Chinese New Year!
 I love Chinese take-out, but the price tag and I don't always get along. Don't get me wrong, I'll still buy it, but with a little bit of effort, I can make it for less at home and it's fun. As my family gets older and the kids are eating more, I'm feeling more and more inclined to make things at home. Do you have any idea how quickly the tab climbs when six people eat out? It's nuts!

 So here I have these awesome egg rolls, they are a big step-up from the egg rolls I used to make, because I discovered the secret ingredient: oyster sauce. A bottle isn't very expensive and makes a world of difference.

Click here for the printable version.

1.25 lb ground pork, 2 tsp minced ginger or paste, 10 oz angel hair coleslaw, 2 med carrots, shredded
4 T oyster sauce, about 20 egg roll wrappers, and about 1 QT oil for frying (not pictured)

Cook pork and ginger together.

Stir in coleslaw and carrots and cook 2 minutes.

Stir in oyster sauce and cook 2-3 minutes.

Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon into an egg roll wrapper.
Roll up and seal with a little bit of water.

Repeat until filling and/or wrappers are gone.

Preheat oil. It should lightly sizzle when a drop of water is added. If it crackles and pops, it is too hot.

Carefully add a prepared egg roll to the oil and allow to turn golden brown. Turn egg rolls to evenly cook.

Remove from oil and allow excess oil to drain onto a paper towel lined plate.

Enjoy!
 Click here for the printable version.

What's your favorite take-out dish?

Meal Plan Monday: August 4, 2014 Revitalizing Pulled Pork Leftovers

 Our family is beginning our back to school transition this week. The kids are gradually working their way back to an early bedtime and I'll be working toward getting up early again. It is also finals week for David, so I guess you could say it might be a hectic week.
Our pulled Pork from last week's plan got pushed to this week, so you'll see that again plus the meal plans for the leftovers. If you haven't seen my recipe for pulled pork, I like to make it fairly neutral so I can use the shredded pork in a variety of other meals.
I also found an amazing looking breakfast that we're going to try or the first time this week.

• Sweet Corn and Blueberry Waffles (I'll be doubling the recipe for my family)

Here are the dinners I have planned:

• Pizza at a friend's birthday party
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches with South Carolina Style Barbeque Sauce
• Pork Pot Pie
• Mini Pulled Pork Taco Boats
• Pork Burritos
• BBQ Pork Pizza
• Gyros (not with leftover pork, just a request from our dinner guests)

What do you like to make with your leftover pulled pork?

this post is linked up at menu plan monday

Mini Pulled-Pork Taco Boats

This is such a fun way for the kids to get involved with dinner. I brought out a plate of the boats plus all of the ingredients, so everyone could make their own if they wanted. Zeke (5) had a great time assembling his little boats and ended up eating several.

Makes about 40 boats

1 C pulled pork
1 T taco sauce
1 tsp tajin
1/2 bag scoop tortilla chips
1 small handful leafy green, torn to bite size pieces
1/2 C shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 recipe pico de gallo

Mix together pork*, taco sauce, and tajin.
To assemble boats: place leafy greens in a tortilla chip, add a small scoop of pork mixture, top with a pinch of cheese and pico de gallo.
Enjoy!

*Shredded chicken or beef can be substituted.

South Carolina Style Barbeque Sauce

My brother-in-law makes the best pulled pork. He takes it seriously and does all the extra work to get the flavor and texture just right. Getting an invite to his house for pulled pork is kind of a big deal. While dining at his house one evening, he introduced me to South Carolina barbeque sauce and I've been hooked ever since.
I was in the habit of buying the sauce, but it's not always easy and inexpensive to find quality versions around here. So, last time I bought a bottle, I played around with the ingredients until I came up with this easy recipe that, according to David, tastes even better.

 This recipe makes enough for about 4 sandwiches

Ingredients
3 T tomato paste
2 T yellow mustard
1 T +1tsp white vinegar
2 tsp packed brown sugar
10 drops Franks Red Hot 
1 smidgen* kosher salt
1 smidgen* garlic powder

Wisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.
Serve and enjoy!
Leftovers should be refrigerated.

 *A smidgen is 1/2 pinch or 1/32 tsp, or you could use special measuring spoons. The following affiliate link shows the spoons I got for my birthday:

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

When I prepare a larger cut of meat, I am usually hoping to get at least 2 meals out of it, so I prefer to cook it with a somewhat neutral flavor. This allows me to have a tangy barbeque flavor for one meal and a zesty Tex-Mex flavor in the next one without any issues.

I have a few different versions that I rotate through depending on what foods are in my pantry or on sale, but here's one of my most recent:

4lb pork shoulder or butt (just about any pork roast will work too)
1 T celery salt
1 T (6 cloves) minced garlic
2 C apple juice

Rub the celery salt all over pork.
Place in slow cooker and sprinkle with garlic. Pour juice on top.
Cook on low 6-9 hours. Shred pork and return to slow cooker on warm setting until ready to serve. Refrigerate  leftovers.

A good slow cooker can make a big difference. In case you're in the market for one, I've included an affiliate link to my slow cooker. I got this as a wedding gift 6 1/2 years ago and it's still going strong. I love this thing and can't imagine my kitchen without it.


What's your favorite way to eat pulled pork?