Mozzarella sticks (second attempt, with recipe)

As you can see from the picture on my previous post, my first try at making mozzarella sticks didn't go so well. This time I did a better job of coating each stick. I also liked frying them in a pan rather than a deep-fryer.

In the picture to the left are the ones I made this time. I prepared eight but one had to be thrown out because it came apart in the oil. This is tricky to master.

*** Important note: The amounts of ingredients that I've listed below were enough for eight small sticks. Doubled or tripled amounts will be necessary depending on how many you want to serve. No matter how many you are making, I recommend only heating 1/4 inch of oil and frying eight to ten sticks at a time.

Ingredients/things you will need:

• 4 string cheese pieces (I used the Publix store brand reduced-fat mozzarella), cut in half to make 8 pieces of about 2 to 3-inch length
• 1 1/2 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs
• 2 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup flour
• Enough vegetable oil to fill a large pan/skillet with about 1/4 of an inch of it
• I like to have three bowls: one for each step of the coating, and three plates: one for freezing the cheese sticks ahead of time, one for placing coated sticks on (while still coating others, before frying), and one for placing the finished sticks on.
• Paper towels, for blotting the sticks and wiping your fingers. The egg, flour, and crumb coatings will build up on your fingertips after every few dips.
• Salad tongs or a large slotted spoon for lifting the sticks out of the oil.

1. You will need to freeze the sticks for two to three hours ahead of time. This makes it less likely that they will melt during the frying. Unwrap them, place them on a plate, and carefully cut each one in half with a knife. Do not "saw" through them quickly or strands of cheese may tear off. Place the plate in the freezer.
2. When ready to prepare, pour the oil into the pan/skillet and heat it on medium-high heat. As always, watch hot oil carefully while you are cooking and be careful of possible splatters.

The coated sticks, before frying

3. Cover one plate with a double layer of paper towels. This is for placing the finished fried sticks on; the towels will catch some of the leftover oil.
4. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Beat them, then whisk in the milk.
5. In a separate bowl, stir the bread crumbs and garlic powder together. Add the flour to a third bowl.

6. Remove the sticks from the freezer. Dip each one into the egg-milk mixture first, then coat them flour, then dip in the egg-milk mixture again. Coat them in the bread crumbs. Dip in the egg-milk one more time, then in bread crumbs a second time. Make sure that no areas of flour or cheese are showing - cheese will ooze out of these places later (again, see the picture on my previous post for an example of this).
7. By this time the oil should be simmering or showing faint moving "lines". Carefully add each stick to the pan/skillet. Use the tongs or spatula to turn each stick a bit, until each one becomes entirely golden-brown, then use the tongs or spatula to remove and place them on the paper towel-covered plate. Turn the oil's heat off immediately when finished.

Mozzarella sticks - first attempt

This was my first attempt at homemade mozzarella sticks. I used Publix store brand string cheese, cutting each piece in half. As you can see, I learned my lesson about making sure that each stick is entirely covered in the coatings (flour, egg-milk mixture, and breadcrumbs) before frying. The holes with cheese oozing out will occur with even a seemingly small spot of uncovered stick. They still tasted like many of the mozzarella sticks that I've eaten in restaurants, though, even if they weren't pretty-looking.

I'm holding off on a posting a complete recipe until I try making these in a large skillet or pan. I used a little Presto deep fryer this time. I prefer not to post recipes that require tools/appliances that not everyone has on hand - I just recently bought my own deep fryer.

Fried broccoli pieces

I've mentioned before that I like using frozen, microwaveable vegetables. They're a nice way to save time or just use less dishes (because we've all had those times when we didn't feel like doing a bunch of washing later).

However, my complaint about frozen broccoli is that half of the bag is often square, tasteless chunks of stalk. I prefer not to add these to most pasta dishes, such as broccoli-alfredo pasta, because the pasta itself already needs the flavor from the sauce.

I thought this recipe was a nice way to give the chunks more flavor and use them up. It's a great snack or side dish for two people. You may want to double the amounts of ingredients (except the oil for coating the skillet) if you are serving more.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen broccoli pieces
• About 1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus enough additional oil to coat the bottom of your pan/skillet
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (You may also want extra Parmesan for topping)
• Seasoning of your choice (I used garlic powder and salt)

1. Pour the 1/2 cup of oil and the bread crumbs into two separate bowls. Stir the grated Parmesan into the bread crumbs.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the broccoli pieces for about two minutes - enough so that the most of the ice from the freeze packaging is gone, but the pieces are still a bit cool.
3. Arrange the pieces on a plate and lightly pat them with a paper towel (to remove some of the moisture from the melted ice). Sprinkle them with the seasoning.
4. Coat the pan/skillet with the additional oil and warm it on medium-high heat.
5. Add the seasoned broccoli to the bowl with the oil, then use a large slotted spoon to remove them. Shake the spoon slightly as you do this to drain excess oil. Next, add the pieces to the bowl with the bread crumbs. Use the spoon to stir the pieces around in the crumbs, coating them completely.
6. Use the slotted spoon, or your fingers, to remove a few pieces at a time and place them in the pan. Again, shake them gently to remove excess crumbs.
7. Cook the broccoli for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally with a fork or spatula, until the crumb coating on some sides of the pieces begins to darken. Some bread crumbs will come off and into the oil.
8. Use the fork or spatula to serve the broccoli onto a plate. If you like, sprinkle them with a bit more grated Parmesan.

Chicken alfredo pouches

Ingredients:

• 10 - 12 egg roll wrappers
• 3 small or medium chicken breasts
• About 10 ounces pre-made alfredo sauce (I used about two-thirds of a 15-ounce jar)
• About 1 1/4 cups shredded Parmesan or Italian blend cheese
• Italian seasoning
• Salt
• Water in a small bowl or cup (you will need to wet your fingers with it to seal the pouches)
• Vegetable oil for frying

Note: I used a pre-made alfredo sauce to save time, since it can take a little while for my homemade sauce to thicken.

1. Rinse chicken and trim fat. Cut into small chunks or cubes, then sprinkle with salt and Italian seasoning.
2. Heat in a large pan until fully cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the alfredo sauce in a small pot on the lowest heat setting.
3. Pour the slightly-warmed alfredo sauce into a mixing bowl. Add the chicken, when cooked, and stir until the pieces are coated with the sauce.
4. Cover a counter or table with wax paper and lay out each egg roll wrapper. In the center of each, place two teaspoons of shredded cheese, then top that with a tablespoon of the chicken-and-sauce mixture.
5. Fold each wrapper in half, then fold the edges almost all the way back. Wet your fingers with water and lightly press along the seam to seal. Next, fold up the side of each roll. Seal with wet fingers again. You can see a three-step picture here, with the recipe for pizza pouches.
6. Add enough oil to a large skillet to cover the bottom. Warm on medium heat for 1-2 minutes, then place each pouch seam-side down. After that side has become a golden-brown color, use a spatula to turn each pouch over and lightly brown the other side.
7. Serve onto a plate. Gently pat with a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

Seasoned pretzels

Ingredients:

• About 7 ounces large twisted pretzels (I used half of a 14-ounce bag)
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder or a garlic seasoning of your choice
• 2 teaspoons basil or Italian seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix the oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and basil/Italian seasoning in a small bowl.
3. Pour the pretzels into a large bowl. Add the oil/seasoning mixture and gently stir with a large spoon, until the pretzels are lightly coated.
4. Spread onto a large baking sheet (I used a 13 x 9-inch. It's okay if some pretzels overlap onto each other). I baked mine for 15 minutes, which gave them a very slight burnt taste. I like that, but if you don't, try baking yours for 10-12 minutes.

Pizza pouches

 I've heard of pizza egg rolls in the past but never tried them. I decided to do so since I had an extra pack of egg roll wrappers.

Ingredients:

• 8 - 10 egg roll wrappers (I used Nasoya all-natural)
• About 1 cup tomato sauce of your choice
• About 1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or an "Italian blend" variety
• 1 small can mushroom slices or stems and pieces
• Water in a small bowl or cup (you will need to wet your fingers with it to seal the pouches)
• Vegetable oil
• Optional - 3/4 cup of a meat or vegetarian meat of your choice, such as chopped cooked bacon

Notes:
- I tagged this entry with "vegetarian" since I didn't use any meat ingredients in this batch.
- I added a bit of garlic and basil to my tomato sauce.

1. Open and drain the can of mushrooms. The can I opened had a few big pieces, so I spread them onto a small plate and carefully cut up the larger pieces with a knife.
2. Pour the tomato sauce into a bowl. Stir in the mushrooms and any optional ingredients you are using. Pour the cheese into a separate bowl.
3. Cover a counter or table with wax paper and lay out each wrapper. Place a large spoonful of cheese into the center of each one. On top of the cheese, add a spoonful of the sauce.
4. Fold the wrapper in half, then fold the edges almost all the way back over (see my three-step picture). Wet your fingers with water and lightly press along the seam to seal. Next, fold up the side of each roll. Seal with wet fingers again.
5. In a large skillet, heat enough oil to cover the bottom. Place each pouch seam-side down. After that side has browned (or even blackened slightly - I personally like them that way), use a spatula to turn the pouches over and cook the opposite sides.
6. After serving onto a plate, gently pat with a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Chicken-and-vegetable "pouches"

This was actually my first attempt at Chinese dumplings or pot-stickers. They won't be just like the ones you're used to getting from a restaurant or the grocery store's frozen food section, but I thought they were a decent substitute (and my husband absolutely loved them).

Ingredients:

• About 40 wonton wrappers
• 4 or 5 small chicken breasts or tenders
• Garlic powder (for seasoning the chicken)
• Black pepper (for seasoning the chicken)
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 cup cooked green beans or mixed vegetables (I used a frozen microwaveable variety of green beans)
• Soy sauce
• Water in a small bowl or cup (you will need to wet your fingers with it to seal the pouches)
• Vegetable oil

Notes:
- This is one of those recipes that is hard to give specific ingredient amounts for. You can adjust them based on the amount of wrappers and chicken you want to use, and adjust the amount of seasoning as you like. I've suggested "about 40" wrappers because I used part of a pack of 48 and still had a good amount of filling left over.
- While frying the pouches, I placed groups of finished ones in a glass pan in the oven, set on the lowest heat, to keep them warm as I finished frying the others.

1. Trim and rinse chicken breasts. Lightly season with the garlic and black pepper (I didn't add salt because the soy sauce has a lot of sodium).
2. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.
3. Heat vegetables according to can/package directions.
4. Cut the chicken breasts into very small chunks. I carefully made rough cuts with the knife, to get a more shredded texture, and gently tore some larger pieces apart with my fingers.
5. On a separate plate, chop the heated vegetables into smaller pieces. Afterward, you might want to lightly press a paper towel over the pieces to remove any excess liquid.
6. Combine the vegetables and chicken in a mixing bowl. Stir a couple of times as you add the onion powder and a few drizzles of soy sauce.
7. In a large skillet, heat enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom.
8. Cover a counter or table with wax paper. Lay each wonton wrapper down flat. Place about half a teaspoon of the chicken mixture into the center of each one. Bring up the edges and gather them in your fingers. Wet the fingers of your other hand in the water, then use it to press the cluster of edges down and seal.
9. Place the pouches seam-side-down in the skillet until that side becomes golden-brown. Turn over with a spatula and allow the other side to brown.
10. After serving, I drizzled them with a bit more soy sauce, but you can skip this and use a dipping sauce of your choice.

Pasta with creamy pesto sauce and chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pasta of your choice (I used whole-wheat rotini)
• 2 to 3 small chicken breasts, rinsed and trimmed
• Salt or garlic salt
• Italian seasoning or black pepper
• Pesto sauce mix or 1 cup prepared pesto sauce (use my recipe if you like)

Notes:
- I used a pesto sauce mix this time. To make it creamy, I replaced the amount of water indicated in the package directions with milk. I also stirred in 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese.
- I used garlic salt and Italian seasoning on the chicken in this picture.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lightly coat a baking pan with cooking oil spray. Place the chicken breasts about an inch apart. Sprinkle on the salt/garlic salt and pepper/Italian seasoning. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. When finished, cut into small chunks and set aside.
3. Cook the pasta.
4. If you are using a pre-made sauce, warm it in a small pot over low-medium heat when the pasta is partially cooked. Stir occasionally. If you are using a recipe or a mix, you might want to begin cooking it at the same time as the pasta, so that it can thicken as the pasta cooks.
5. Drain the pasta when finished and return it to the pot. Add the chicken pieces and pesto sauce. Stir until the chicken and pasta are evenly covered with the sauce.
6. Serve. Top with shredded or grated cheese if you want.

Cheese and mushroom tortilla pizzas

Ingredients:

• 4 tortillas (2 for each pizza)
• 1 small can mushrooms
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 3 cups shredded cheese of your choice
• Basil, Italian seasoning, oregano, garlic, or a garlic seasoning (for topping or adding more flavor to the sauce)
• Optional - Add 1 cup bacon bits or chopped cooked bacon if you don't mind making this a non-vegetarian meal
  
  

Notes:
- My husband and I used leftover chopped bacon on the pizzas in this picture.
- The amounts given for the ingredients are not strict. Adjust them as you like.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Heat 1 cup of the sauce (set aside the rest) in a small pot on low-medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms and any extra seasoning you want to add.
3. Cover each bottom tortilla with the sauce that was set aside (not heated). Lay the next shell on top and press down firmly.
4. Spread the sauce with mushrooms on each top tortilla. Leave about an inch of space from the edge.
5. Add the cheese and any other toppings you are using.
6. Bake for 3-5 minutes, then let cool before serving.

Bacon and mushroom "mini pizzas"

My husband made these. They were very delicious, so I wanted to share his recipe here.

Ingredients:

• Pre-made frozen garlic bread or toast. My husband used Cole’s Garlic Toast.
• Sliced mushrooms, or “stems and pieces” (if they are canned, drain them after opening)
• Chopped cooked bacon or bacon bits (use vegetarian bacon if you like)
• Pre-made tomato sauce or pizza sauce
• Shredded mozzarella and/or cheddar cheese, or a “pizza blend” variety
• Optional - Garlic powder, oregano, or Italian seasoning

Note: I’m not giving specific ingredient amounts since you can easily adjust this for the number of pizzas you want to make.

1. Preheat oven according to package directions for the garlic bread.
2. If the bread is thick, cut each slice in half to make thinner pieces.
3. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Lay the slices down in a single layer.
4. Toast the bread for the amount of time indicated in the package directions, then remove. Do not turn off oven heat.
5. Spread tomato sauce evenly over each slice. Add bacon and mushroom pieces, then top with shredded cheese.
6. Bake for another 2-3 minutes to melt cheese.
7. After removing, top each pizza with a bit of garlic powder, oregano, or Italian seasoning if you wish.

Simple cheese and salsa nachos

This is an easy snack or a good side dish for tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, etc. If you want, add other ingredients such as sliced peppers, olives, or (if it doesn’t have to be vegetarian) leftover cooked meat from other meals.

Ingredients:

• 12-15 multi-grain tortilla chips
• 2 cups shredded pepper jack, cheddar jack, or Monterey jack cheese, or a taco or nacho blend
• 1 1/2 cups salsa of your choice

Note: If you are adding meat, place a small amount in the center of each chip before adding the cheese.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lay the chips in a single layer on a baking ban. Sprinkle a bit of cheese onto the center of each one. Repeat until all of the cheese is used.
3. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted.
4. Add a small spoonful of salsa to the center of each chip.

Baked chicken with paprika and garlic

Ingredients:

• Cooking oil spray
• Chicken breasts or tenders
• Paprika
• Salt
• Garlic powder
• Italian seasoning or oregano

Note: As with many of my chicken recipes, I'm not listing specific ingredient measurements; you can easily adjust them according to the amount you are making or your own preference.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Trim any fat.
3. Coat a baking dish with cooking oil spray. Place each piece of chicken inside. Sprinkle generously with the paprika, garlic powder, and oregano/Italian seasoning. Add a bit of salt.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the insides of the chicken pieces are white.

Shepherd's pie

My husband made this and it was great! He used a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 6 servings instant mashed potatoes, according to package instructions (You will need enough to make a 1-inch deep layer across the baking dish)
• 1 small can sliced mushrooms, or stems and pieces
• 1/2 pound of mixed vegetables (My husband used frozen microwaveable vegetables)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, celery seed, and garlic powder or garlic salt
• Paprika for topping
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook mashed potatoes according to package instructions. When finished, stir in the sour cream, then set aside to cool.
3. In a skillet, brown the beef with the celery seed, garlic powder or garlic salt, and pepper.
4. In a separate small skillet, cook the onions and mushrooms until the onions appear clear, then stir them into the ground beef.
5. If you are using frozen vegetables, heat them until they are about halfway done, then add to the beef, onions, and mushrooms.
6. In a bowl, stir the Worcestershire sauce, butter, egg, and salt together until well-blended, then add to the beef and vegetables.
7. Move the mixture to the glass baking dish. Use a spoon or spatula to smooth out until it is level and fills the dish evenly.
8. Top with the mashed potatoes. Smooth the potato layer out as well, then peak in several places with a fork (insert fork partially into the layer and gently lift up), to help brown.
9. Bake for 60 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with paprika, and let cool.

Chicken stuffed with cheese and bacon

My husband made this along with rice and green beans with mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts, trimmed and rinsed
• Marinade or sauce of your choice
• Bacon slices
• Shredded cheese of your choice (for filling and topping)

Note: We didn't include specific ingredient measurements because you can easily adjust them depending on the amount of chicken you have.

1. Make a “butterfly” cut in each chicken breast (slit open the side of each, but do not cut all the way through).
2. Close the breasts and place them in a dish. Cover them with the marinade/sauce. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Set aside one whole piece of bacon for each chicken breast. Leave raw; do not cook yet.
5. Cut the remaining bacon strips into halves. Fry them in a skillet until they are as tender or crispy as you prefer.
6. Place the marinated chicken in a glass baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove and let cool.
7. One by one, set each of the raw slices of bacon onto a plate. Place a chicken breast on each piece, then open the chicken at the slit.
8. Place the cooked bacon pieces inside the breasts (use as many as desired for each piece).
9. Set aside some cheese for topping. Add the rest to the bacon inside the breasts. Fold the chicken halves together and then wrap the raw bacon over the tops of the chicken.
10. Return the wrapped chicken to the baking pan and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Cheese ravioli with breaded chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 to 4 breaded chicken patties (I used Tyson’s frozen pre-cooked patties). Use vegetarian ones if you like.
• 1 package refrigerated or frozen cheese ravioli
• Butter
• Garlic powder
• 1 jar pre-made tomato sauce
• 1 small can mushroom slices or stems and pieces
• Shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese, or an “Italian blend”

Notes:
- This is one of those recipes that I don’t give specific ingredient amounts for. You can easily adjust them according to the amount of pasta you are making or your own personal taste.
- Even if your tomato sauce is a “mushroom” variety, I recommend adding the extra mushrooms. I’ve found that many pre-made sauces have only a few tiny slivers.

1. Begin cooking the ravioli in a medium or large pot.
2. Depending on the type of breaded chicken, you may want to microwave the patties or bake them in the oven. If you’re baking them, I recommend starting the oven at the same you begin cooking the ravioli so that both will be finished cooking at about the same time.
3. When the ravioli is about halfway cooked, heat the tomato sauce in a small pot.
4. Stir in the mushroom pieces (drain them after opening the can). When the sauce begins to bubble, keep it on low heat and continue stirring occasionally.
5. When the ravioli is finished, drain and return it to its pot.
6. Stir in butter and garlic powder until the noodles are evenly covered.
7. Serve the ravioli and breaded chicken onto plates. Spoon the tomato sauce over the ravioli noodles, then top with the shredded cheese. Sprinkle a bit of shredded cheese over each piece of chicken as well.
8. If you want, add a small portion of broccoli or mixed vegetables as a side.