Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls

Photo Credit: Pirate Palate

Not only am I’m obsessed with making my own take-out, I love making fun and interesting twists on some of my favorite dishes. One of my most exciting twists is on the classic takeout dish, eggrolls. Did you know you they are super simple to make and you can easily play around with the recipe to come up with all different kinds?

My two favorites kinds of eggrolls are buffalo chicken and a simple asian vegetarian. Today I’m going to talk about the buffalo chicken since I think if ANYTHING is going to motivate you to make your own take-out at home, it’s these delicious, crispy rolls. 

What You’ll Need
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 package egg-roll wrappers (give or take)
2/3 cup of Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (I like gorgonzola dolce)
Peanut oil or Vegetable oil for deep frying (if you want to fry it)

What You’ll do
1) Boil the chicken until cooked through and then shred the chicken with a fork

Shredded Chicken

2) Combine chicken with buffalo sauce and blue cheese

Combine chicken with hot sauce and blue cheese

3) Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Wrap the eggroll! If you want a good tutorial, check this out.

Place Mixture in Center of Wrapper
PC: Cookin’Cowgirl.blogspot.com

4) Cook the eggroll! You have two options here: You can either bake the eggroll’s at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes (the healthier version) or you can deep fry them in  a deep pot or dutch oven in 350 degree oil. Only cook a few at a time and be careful! You will know they are done when they are golden on the outside (since they are already cooked on the inside).

Cook the Eggrolls

Let these babies drain on a paper towel (and cool down a bit) and then serve them up with ranch or blue cheese dressing!

Love always,
Erica

Erica’s Mind Blowing Caesar Dressing

I never thought the time would come that I would share my caesar salad recipe, but I feel like there is not better time.

Last night I hit (and then exceeded) 1,000 Facebook fans. I’m just so overwhelmed with how supportive you’ve all been. Having a blog has always been a dream of mine and you’ve helped make this dream come true with your support, engagement and words of love towards me.

This dressing recipe is my thank you to you all. It is honestly the best caesar dressing you will ever try (I’m confident enough in it to say that). Every single person who tries it tells me they’ve never had a better dressing in their entire life. I won’t lie, it has a weird mix of ingredients, but put together it’s absolutely delicious.

What You’ll Need
1 cup mayo
1 egg
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon anchovy paste (you need it, PLEASE don’t skip it)
1 large garlic clove (or two small) (minced)
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

What You’ll Do

1) Whisk all the ingredients in a big bowl for a minute or two (until combined)
2) Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

This recipe yields a ton! It stores well in the fridge, covered for about 3 days.

Serve it over romaine lettuce with some shaved parmesan cheese and homemade croutons and you’ll be one happy person. Oh, and feel free to tell people it’s your secret recipe. I don’t mind at all :).

Love always,
Erica

Homemade Chili Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Photo Credit: easyeverydayeats

Like I’ve said before, I love sauces! Since I love cooking even more, it’s only natural that I would try to come up with my own delicious combinations, right?

Well I am excited to share one of my favorite homemade BBQ sauces. It’s a tangy and sweet balsamic bbq. I can’t take complete credit for this recipe since the inspiration came from Food Network a few years back. Of course, I’ve changed a few things and made it my own (and I think a little bit better).

What You’ll Need
3/4  cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper

What You’ll Do

1) Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and whisk until all the ingredients are combined and the mixture is totally smooth.

2) Simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes. The sauce should reduce by about 1/3 and the flavor will be totally concentrated and delicious.

Pretty simple and it only takes about 20 minutes! You can store this stuff in an air tight container for a couple weeks. Also, it’s much healthier than store bought bbq sauce because you don’t have nearly as many preservatives and weird additives!

Love always,
Erica

Truffled Whipped Potatoes Stuffed Tomatoes

Photo Credit: Grandparents.com

Over the holidays, I spent some time in Boston with my boyfriends family. For a big dinner, I was asked to make the side dish. The stakes were high this year since I started my blog and most people were expecting something pretty interesting. I knew I wanted to make something that wasn’t just delicious, but aesthetically pleasing as well.

I decided to try out a new recipe that has been brewing in my head for a little while. I wanted to take my famous truffled mashed potatoes and stuff them inside of a tomato. In my head, this recipe sounded great. In actuality this dish was “total perfection” (a quote from our dinner)!

This recipe will make about 16 tomatoes. Feel free to adjust to make less if you’re just make this dish for just a couple of people.

What You’ll Need
3-4 lbs of your favorite potatoes, peeled and quartered
1.5 cups of half and half or cream
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon of black truffle salt (more or less depending on how strong you like it)
16 large round tomatoes

What You’ll Do
1) Make your mashed potatoes! Start with cold water and your peeled/quartered potatoes. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 20 minutes (until potatoes are tender).

2) While the potatoes are cooking, cut the tops of your tomatoes and remove them. Take a small knife and cut around the inside edges and remove the inner core/seeds from the tomato with a spoon. Make sure to leave the walls of the tomato intact.

My hollowed out tomatoes!

3) Once potatoes are done, drain them and add the half and half, butter and truffle salt. Mash together until smooth. For this recipe, I like to actually put it all in the blender on super low to get a really smooth, whipped texture (but you can totally do it by hand too).

4) Place the whipped potatoes into a pastry bag (or a big zip lock bag like I do). Then, pipe the potatoes into the hollowed tomatoes.

Me and my big sweater piping the potatoes into the tomatoes.

5) Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes soften and the top gets nice and brown. Yum! 🙂

Love always,
Erica

The EASIEST Homemade Gorgonzola Sauce

Simply put, I’m a sauce addict.

I love sauce on everything. Despite my complete obsession, knowing all the preservatives you get in store-bought sauces makes me shiver a little. That’s why I’ve set out to create my own delicious sauces. The first one is this super simple creamy gorgonzola sauce that pairs perfectly with steak. You can also use this baby on top of macaroni for a twist on macaroni and cheese. 

I always thought you needed to make a roux (cooked flour and butter) to make sauce thick, but this recipe defies everything you would ever think you need to do to make a creamy, thick and delicious sauce. Basically, all you do is boil heavy cream on medium low for an hour.

I’m sure there is science behind why this works, but I like to think it’s magic…

What You’ll Need
4 cups heavy cream
4 ounces gorgonzola cheese (not creamy or dolce)
3 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

What You’ll Do

1) Bring heavy cream to a rapid boil in  a medium sauce pan. Reduce heat slightly and let boil for the next hour stirring every few minutes (until thick and coats the back of a spoon). Make sure to keep an eye on this because it can boil over pretty easily.

2) Remove the pan from the heat. Add the gorgonzola, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt & pepper. Rapidly whisk the ingredients until cheese is melted and ingredients are combined.

So simple, right? This sauce is unreal! While it might not be the most low fat option, it is super low carb and a little goes a very long way! Who knew eating low carb could taste this good? 🙂

Love always,
Erica

Chocolate Lava Cake

Photo Credit: Yvonne Duivenvoorden

One of my least favorite things to do in the kitchen is bake. There is something about exact measurements and all the technical baking terms that kind of freak me out. That being said, many of you have written in and asked many baking questions, so I’ve made it my mission to learn!

My first conquest was the infamous chocolate lava cake! This is one of my favorite deserts and since I’m always trying to find the best one in town, I figured making it myself would be a cool idea. I tested out this recipe with Dan’s mom this Christmas and it was a total crowd pleaser (not to mention pretty easy to make).

What You’ll Need
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 and 1/2 sticks of butter (plus extra few tablespoons for buttering soufflè dishes)
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
6 table spoons of sugar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons of all purpose flour

What You’ll Do
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat until smooth. Turn heat off and let cool completely.

Smooth chocolate and butter mixture

2) While cooling, liberally butter your soufflè dishes. This is important so the cake does not stick!

Buttered Soufflè dishes

3) Use an electric mixer on high to beat the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and salt. Do this for about 5 minutes or until stiff and pale yellow.

Egg Mixture once you Beat it

4) Gently fold your cooled chocolate mixture in with the egg mixture until well incorporated. Be careful not to break all the air you created. If you don’t know how to fold, make sure you watch this.

Fold the egg and the chocolate together

5) Once the chocolate is folded in, sift the flour over the mixture and gently fold that in as well (sifting is just putting your flour through a fine mesh strainer).

Chocolate/egg mixture with sifted flour on top.

6) Transfer batter to the buttered ramekins or soufflè dishes and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 16 minutes.

Lava Cakes on Baking Sheet

This recipe will yield about 6. The first time I made these, I doubled it for 12 and it came out perfect. These are best served warm with a dollop of ice cream!

Let me know how you like them :).

Love always,
Erica

“Cheesy” Creamed Corn

I can’t believe it took me this long to share this recipe. I say this corn is “cheesy”, but in actuality, it has absolutely no cheese in it at all (although it taste so rich and creamy, you will think it does)!

I wish I could take full credit for developing this recipe, but sadly, I can’t. I got it from Wendy, my boyfriends mom who blew me away when she first made this dish. You honestly have to make this yourself to understand how delicious it actually is (and its surprisingly not too bad for you). I make this as a side dish with any Mexican  or Latin style meal. It’s also really good served along side a steak.

What You’ll Need
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped scallions (about 6 large)
12 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 large garlic clove
Salt and Pepper

What You’ll Do
1)  Heat butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides.

2) Add scallions to butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 5 minutes). Add corn kernels and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes.

3) Stir together cream and cornstarch in a small bowl until thoroughly combined, then add to corn and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

4) Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn mixture to a blender with garlic and purée until smooth. Return to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until just heated through.

Pretty simple recipe, huh? The last time I made this was for my friends Brian and Amy. I actually halved the recipe and it went so fast, that I wish I had just made the whole thing.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Love always,
Erica

Erica’s Famous Green Bean Casserole

My Famous Green Bean Casserole

Growing up, one of my favorite parts of the Holiday season was getting to eat green bean casserole! I loved everything about how salty and crunch and just plain delicious it was. As I started to grow up (and I realized how much junk is in canned green beans and cream of mushroom soup), I decided to try and revamp the recipe using more natural ingredients.

The result? A MUCH better tasting, kick-ass casserole that will have your guests begging for the recipe. Last year I spent Thanksgiving for the first time with my boyfriends family. They asked me to contribute a dish and I chose this one. If that doesn’t tell you how confident I am (and how delicious is is), then I don’t know what will!

What You’ll Need
1 lb of fresh green beans (cleaned and cut in half)
1/2lb of mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cloves of garlic, mined
1 cup chicken stock (I love Swanson)
1 cup heavy cream
1 Teaspoon of soy sauce
1 and 1/3 cup of French’s French Fried Onions (no matter how unhealthy these are, they are irreplaceable)
Salt and Pepper

What You’ll Do
1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add a heaping tablespoon of salt and then add your green beans. Blanch them for 5 minutes. Drain and quickly place green beans in an ice bath (shock them) to stop them from cooking any further.

Green Beans in Ice Water

2) In a large pan over medium high heat, melt the butter and add mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes (don’t add salt yet, it draws out the liquid and will make the mushrooms take longer to cook). After the mushrooms have begun to soften a little, add the minced garlic, salt and pepper and cook for another minute or two.

Mushrooms in Pan with Butter and Garlic
Photo Credit: wednesdaychef.typepad.com

3) After your minute or two is up, sprinkle the flour over the mushroom/garlic mixture. Stir it around for a minute and the add in the chicken stock. Cook for one more minute and then reduce the heat to medium low and add the heavy cream and soy sauce. Cook until the mixture thickens (about 8 minutes)

4) Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat and stir in your green beans and 1 cup of the french fried onions.

5) Transfer mixture to an oven safe baking dish (I just use a pie dish, why not?) and put into a 350 degree the oven for about 20 minutes (or until bubbly and hot). Add remaining french fried onions and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Super simple right?! The other great thing about this dish is that you can make it ahead of time (skip step 5 and just transfer it to your oven safe dish, let it cool and store it in the fridge until you are ready to bake). A half hour before you are  ready to eat, just finish with step 5!

I am getting hungry just thinking about this dish and I’m confident you and your family will love it as much as I do.

Love always,
Erica

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip
Photo Credit: http://abitchinkitchen.blogspot.com/

Although I’m not a huge football fan, when I’m forced to watch a game, I love nothing more than delicious buffalo chicken wings.

A few years ago, I was just getting into a new relationship and wanted to be the “cool girlfriend” and host Sunday Football at my apartment. (Side-note, I’ve since realized you should never try to be someone that your not. Even if it makes you uncool.) Of course, I wanted to order chicken wings, but I was embarrassed to eat them and get messy in front of my new man. Enter, buffalo chicken wing dip.

This dip has EVERYTHING you could ever want in a delicious, juicy chicken wing, but with much less mess (and you won’t have chicken bones lying all over the table). It’s easy and I promise you’ll be the hit of your next tailgate party if you show up with it :).

What You’ll Need
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened (I prefer Philadelphia brand)
1/2 cup blue cheese dressing (substitute ranch if you don’t like blue cheese)
1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce (this isn’t the regular hot sauce, it’s a different version)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 large chicken breast (about 2 cups), boiled and shredded

What You’ll Do
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cream cheese, blue cheese dressing, buffalo sauce and half the cheddar cheese together until well mixed.
2) Fold in the shredded chicken breast
3) Top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until golden and bubbly on top

That’s it! So the next time you’re craving some buffalo chicken wings, do me a favor and try out this dip. I promise it won’t disappoint!

Love always,
Erica

P.S:  Remember,  for more tips, tricks and recipes, please follow me on social media:
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/everythingericaeats
Instagram: @everythingerica
Twitter: @ericaeckman

 

 

How to Cook A Steak Perfectly

Photo Credit: http://www.stephencooks.com

Every once in a while, I crave a good piece of steak. While I love heading over to Mastro’s or Gibsons for a delicious filet mignon, it is SUPER expensive and honestly, I think I make a pretty killer steak all on my own.

Making steak at home is not only much less expensive, it’s super simple. Today’s post is going to be about how to cook a filet, but you can use the same cooking method for many other types of steak including like ribeye or a short loin steak (like NY strip). They may just need to be in the oven a little longer depending on the size!

What You’ll Need
An oven-proof skillet (or a baking sheet if you don’t have one)
2 teaspoon of olive oil
Salt
Pepper
A piece of steak

What You’ll Do

1) Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. If you don’t have an oven proof skillet, keep a baking sheet in the oven while it’s pre-heating.

2) Take the steak out of the refrigerator about a half hour before you want to cook it. Pat it down to remove all the moisture and generously coat with salt and pepper.

The reason we bring a steak to room temperature before cooking it is because if we don’t, it will bring the temperature of the pan down. The key to making a perfect steak is cooking it at a super high temperature for a short amount of time. The longer a steak is cooking, the tougher it will get (and thus a cold steak will be cooking longer and result in a tougher outcome).

Steak Coming to Room Temperature

2) Heat up your skillet with a small drizzle of olive oil (about couple of teaspoons). When the oil gets really hot (it may start smoking a bit), place your steak in the skillet. Turn your fans on, because this will be smokey!

Steak Searing in the Pan

3) Let the steak caramelize in the pan for 3-5 minutes (depending on size of steak). Do NOT touch it or it won’t get a good sear. Once it’s ready, you should be able to flip it without it sticking to the pan. If there is even the tiniest bit of resistance, it’s not ready to be flipped.

A Nice Sear on My Steak

4) Let the steak cook on the other side for another couple of minutes. Once you get a good sear on that part, it’s important to make sure you sear the sides of steak. I usually just use some tongs and hold the steak on the skillet for about 30 seconds-1 minute on each side. Just be CAREFUL you don’t burn yourself.

Searing the Sides of the Steak

5) Once your steak has a nice sear on all sides, take the entire pan and put it in the oven (or take the steak off and put it on the super hot baking sheet). The length of time depends on the cut/thickness of the steak.

I can usually tell how done the steak is by pushing my finger on the top of the steak (the harder it is, the more well-done it is), but if you want an exact science, here are the temperatures (you will need a meat thermometer):

Rare: 125-130 degrees (this will be very red throughout)
Medium Rare: 130-135 degrees (this will pretty read in the center and pink on the outside)
Medium: 140-145 degrees (pink throughout)
Medium Well: 155-160 degrees (pink in the middle and darker on the outside)
Well done:  Just don’t do this…please.

To give you some guidance, I like my steak cooked to medium and 6 minutes is usually perfect for a small/medium filet.

So that’s it! The next time you’re craving steak (but don’t want to shell out $40), try making it yourself! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Love always,
Erica