Southwestern Egg Rolls

I have no idea why these are called egg rolls.... This is inspired by this social media post by Freddsters 

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, finely chopped (seeds removed if you want it more mild)

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chili powder (guajillo variety, if you have it)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

2 bell peppers, chopped

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 cup black beans (I used a whole can of beans, drained and rinsed)

1 cup corn (I used a whole can of corn, drained and rinsed)

1 small package of fresh baby spinach or half a package of frozen spinach

1 lime, juiced

Shredded cheese of choice

10 large flour tortillas

Avocado Ranch Dip

2 avocados, mashed

1 lime, juiced

1 cup ranch dressing

finely chopped cilantro to taste

1 small clove of garlic, grated

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Saute onion, jalapeno, and garlic for a few minutes.

Add spices and bell peppers, cook for a few minutes.

Add in beans, corn, and spinach, cook until spinach is wilted.

Mix avocado ranch dip.

Lay out all 10 tortillas, add cheese to each one, divide the filling evenly. Roll them up, lay them in a frying pan with a little olive oil until browned, turn to brown on each side. 

These make a great meal, about one to one-and-a-half per person is plenty. They are great as leftovers, and make a nice breakfast with a side of eggs.

Tomato Soup From Scratch

This recipe is from my mother-in-law, possibly as far back as the late '90's. I don't remember. I haven't made it in many years, but I'm in a wintery, soupy, cozy mood, so I made a half-batch. I'll write this as the full recipe. For reference, a half-batch made 12 500mL (2 cup or 1 pint) jars.

Ingredients

2 pails of tomato chunks

1 head celery

3 large onions

3 green peppers

3 jalapenos (with or without seeds, depending on preference)

2 cloves garlic (individual cloves. Not two heads of garlic!)

3 bay leaves

3 Tbsp dried parsley (or 1 cup fresh)

2 Tbsp dried basil (or 3/4 cup fresh, loosely packed)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp black pepper

1 cup butter

1 can tomato soup

1 small can tomato paste

1/8 cup ketchup

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup flour* 

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup salt

Directions

Prep veggies and roughly chop. Add into a very large pot with the herbs and spices. Boil for 45 minutes, stirring periodically. Remove the bay leaves, then use an immersion blender to zap the soup. The soup can be poured through a strainer at this point if a smoother end result is prefered.

Combine the next set of ingredients in a separate pot, add to main pot once it's combined.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add into the soup pot while running the immersion blender to ensure there are no cornstarch blobs.

Bring till almost boiling and then ladle into prepared jars.

Notes

When I did the half-batch, I used the full cup of cornstarch without any of the flour. I really like the texture and thickness of how this turned out.

Gluten-free: This recipe would be so easily GF, if you omit the flour and ensure the commercial tomato soup is also GF.

Store-bought tomato soup is concentrated and intended to be diluted with water or milk. This recipe is ready-to-serve.

Mennonite New Year's Cookies, Fritters, Portzelky

This recipe is adapted from, and inspired by edieseveryday.com

Note! This version of the recipe requires TWO blocks of time for rising.

Ingredients

5 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 3/4 cups warm milk
7 cups flour, divided

2 tsp baking powder, optional
1/2 cup sugar (minus the 5 tsp)
1/2 cup melted lard or butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups raisins, coated with some flour to keep them from falling to the bottom of the dough (or chopped apples or omit fruit all together)

enough lard for frying, about 8 cups

Toppings
Sprinkle with powdered sugar when fritters are hot
Dip fritter into powdered sugar while eating
Toss hot apple fritters with a combination of powdered sugar and cinnamon
Dip into Roger's Syrup

Instructions
For a full batch, using a large bowl, mix sugar and yeast into the two cups warm water. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Stir to combine.

Mix in 2 cups flour to make a sponge. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and allow to rise in a warm area until light and bubbly. Once the dough has doubled, stir in the other ingredients and approximately 5 cups flour to make a stiff batter. Let rise until doubled and fry in deep, hot fat.

You will need two tablespoons to form and handle the dough, as well as a slotted spoon to remove the fritters from the hot oil. Quickly dip the two tablespoons into the oil and form small balls of the dough with the oiled tablespoons, carefully scraping and dropping the dough into the hot oil. The fritters will sink to the bottom of the pan and then pop right back up. You should be able to fry at least six at a time, but don't crowd the pan. Fry until golden brown on both sides, carefully flipping when required. Drain on a tray lined with paper towels.

Serve warm.