Filipino Lumpia

I am keeping my New Year's resolution this year by expanding our menu here at our Cozy Kitchen.
I have been making spring rolls for years, but wanted to try something new.
I found this amazing lumpia recipe at allrecipes.com. It is AMAZING !!! If you like to dip your lumpia, then I highly suggest Mae Ploy SWEET CHILLI SAUCE !!

Filipino Lumpia adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound ground pork

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup minced carrots

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup thinly sliced green cabbage ( I used the shredded coleslaw mix in a bag )

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon soy sauce

30 lumpia wrappers/ or won ton wrappers

2 cups vegetable oil for frying




Place a wok or large skillet over high heat, and pour in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Cook pork, stirring frequently, until no pink is showing. Remove pork from pan and set aside. Drain grease from pan, leaving a thin coating. Cook garlic and onion in the same pan for 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked pork, carrots, green onions, and cabbage. Season with pepper, salt, garlic powder, and soy sauce. Remove from heat, and set aside until cool enough to handle.


Place three heaping tablespoons of the filling diagonally near one corner of each wrapper, leaving a 1 1/2 inch space at both ends. Fold the side along the length of the filling over the filling, tuck in both ends, and roll neatly. Keep the roll tight as you assemble. Moisten the other side of the wrapper with water to seal the edge. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap to retain moisture.


Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat, add oil to 1/2 inch depth, and heat for 5 minutes. Slide 3 or 4 lumpia into the oil. Fry the rolls for 1 to 2 minutes, until all sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Penzey's Baked Oatmeal

Well, that was a long bloggie break !

I am a huge fan of baked oatmeal and have a FABULOUS Baked Oatmeal already posted here.

When I went to visit my parents on the west coast last summer, mom made me this and I must admit, I was very skeptical because I already make a fabulous baked oatmeal.... and then I tasted this.........amazing.

You.will.love.it !!!!

Easy ~ Breezy ~ and DID I MENTION........... AMAZING ??

adapted from Penzey's Baked Oatmeal

2 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats or 2 3/4 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/3 cups skim milk ( I used 2%)
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350.
2 Spray an 8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
3 In a large bowl combine oats, sugar, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and salt. Mix well.
4 In a medium bowl, combine milk, egg whites, oil and vanilla and mix well.
5 Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well blended.
6 Pour into a baking dish. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool slightly. Serve topped with milk, yogurt, fruit or enjoy plain. Store leftover oatmeal tightly covered in the fridge.

Baked Raspberry Custard

When I went home this summer, mom made this for me.
Oh yum. Comfort. Comfort. Comfort. And the kids loved it too !!

I made it this weekend, and I just have to wonder why on earth it took me 6 months to make it myself ! Perfect paired with a hot cup of tea, cocoa or coffee !!

Baked Raspberry Custard by Martha Stewart

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups raspberries (about 9 ounces)

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In oven, melt butter in a 9-inch pie plate, about 6 minutes.
2.In a blender, combine milk, eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla. Add melted butter and blend mixture until smooth, 30 seconds.
3.Distribute berries evenly in pie plate and pour batter over top. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and bake until slightly puffed and just set in middle, 20 to 25 minutes. Heat broiler and broil until top is deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Happy Foodie Friday ! hosted by the wonderful DESIGNS BY GOLLUM !

{photo taken about 3 seconds after the kids came home from school !}

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies {adapted from Epicurious }

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 3.4-ounce package vanilla instant pudding mix
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Butter heavy large cookie sheets. Beat vegetable shortening and unsalted butter in large bowl until light. Gradually add white and brown sugars and beat mixture until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla pudding mix, vanilla extract, baking soda, water, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and salt and mix until well blended. Mix in oats, then flour. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop cookie dough by large rounded spoonfuls (about 3 tablespoons each) onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies appear dry and tops are lightly cracked and soft when pressed, about 12 minutes (do not overbake). Cool cookies 5 minutes on cookie sheets. Transfer cookies to racks and cool. (Store cookies in airtight container.)

Outdoor Wednesday

So we had yet another birthday weekend...mine... No cake recipe to share...because there was no cake. I asked for no gifts. All I wanted for my birthday was a day out on the boat so I could spend time with my family...
to hunt for shells and listen to the waves and enjoy the silence... and thank God for blessing me with another year...

Participating in

Blue Monday ! and Outdoor Wednesday !

Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Happy Blue Monday ! Yes, as a matter of fact, this is my breakfast... We had another birthday weekend...My daughter adores Hello Kitty and I went to Michaels and could not find a Hello Kitty cake pan... so I had to come up with plan B. That's what I get for waiting until the last minute !

The good news is this pound cake is delicious ! And even better for 'breakfast' the next morning with a cup of hot coffee !! Maybe my Foodie Friday friends like coconut !

COCONUT CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE {Southern Living Cookbook}

1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (6 ounce) packages frozen coconut, thawed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract


1 Cream the butter, shortening, and cream cheese together in a bowl.

2 Gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed.

3 Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

4 In another bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt.

5 Add to creamed mixture, stirring just until blended.

6 Stir in coconut and remaining ingredients.

7 Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.

8 Bake in a 325° oven for 1 1/2 hours or until a picks tests clean.

9 Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes.

10 Turn out of pan and cool completely on a wire rack

The Most Requested Pie at the Cozy Kitchen

It's hard to believe summer is coming to a close...but we took advantage of beautiful weather and took the boat out... I couldn't help but think of Smiling Sally hosting Blue Monday and A Southern Daydreamer hosting Outdoor Wednesday when we passed this blue boat !

The end of summer means a lot of birthdays in our house...and it all starts with this.

The most requested pie in our Cozy Kitchen...and I just have to share it with all my Foodie Friday friends !{hosted by the wonderful Designs by Gollum!}

Lucious Caramel Banana Pie {The Southern Living Cookbook}

14 oz Sweetened condensed milk

2- 3 Bananas

1-(9-inch) graham cracker crust

1 c Whipping cream

1/4 c Powdered sugar; sifted

1 - 2 English toffee-flavored candy (I use Heath bars), chopped

Pour sweetened condensed milk into an 8-inch pieplate. Cover pieplate with aluminum foil. Pour about 1/4-inch hot water in a larger shallow pan. Place covered pieplate in pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until condensed milk is thick and caramel colored (add hot water to pan as needed).

Remove foil when done, and set aside. Cut bananas crosswise into 1/8-inch slices, and place on crust. Spread caramelized milk over bananas.

Cool for at least 30 minutes. Beat whipping cream until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form.

Spread over caramel layer.

Sprinkle with crumbled candy.

Chill at least 3 hours or overnight before . Enjoy !

Outdoor Wednesday

Happy Blue Monday ! I am obsessed with watching my hummingbirds.... I love that I was able to capture this shot against a cloudless blue sky ...

It's Outdoor Wednesday hosted by the wonderful A Southern Daydreamer !

Do you see the hummingbird way up in this tree ??? It's sitting on the branch to the right...

Just.Make.This.

This is a my little ol' hummingbird getting ready to feed ! Happy Blue Monday ! {hosted by the wonderful Smiling Sally}


I could watch these guys all day long.... here they are, playing tag !


Oh my goodness.... this is soooooooooo good. {Participating in Foodie Friday hosted by the wonderful Designs by Gollum !}

Especially when you need a fabulous side dish to go with enchiladas, rice & beans.......

Barefoot Contessa's Guacamole Salad is ...well perfect! Spicy, crunchy, delicious...

It's great on it's own, or if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, then I put this amazing salad inside a flour tortilla and have a veggie burrito ................. Y U M !

{note: the only variation I made was that I added cilantro}

Guacamole Salad by Barefoot Contessa

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Jalapeno Popper Spread

I love to feed hummingbirds...we have at least 5 that float around our yard. This little guy was not afraid of the big green monster lurking...

{participating in Outdoor Wednesday hosted by A Southern Daydreamer !}

This Jalapeno Popper Spread was a hit. If you like it hot, this is for you... oh, and yes...it tasted exactly like a jalapeno popper !! Participating in Foodie Friday hosted by the wonderful Designs by Gollum !



JALAPENO POPPER SPREAD {adapted from allrecipes.com }

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 small can jalapeno peppers, chopped

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)


1. Using hand mixer, stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in jalapeno peppers. Pour in bake safe dish ( I used a pie plate ). Spread 1 c. parm cheese on top and then sprinkle with panko all over.

2. Bake at 375 for 20 min.



I served mine with pita chips... {tortilla chips are great of course too !}

S U M M E R

I have been out of the kitchen most of the summer...enjoying time with family...

We have friends coming for dinner this weekend, so I'm back in the kitchen this week.
I'm planning on a Mexican Menu... Stay tuned for recipes !

Happy Outdoor Wednesday hosted by A Southern Daydreamer !