Southwestern Egg Rolls with Cilantro Dipping Sauce

This month the Allrecipes Allstars Ambassadors received Herdez® Cooking Sauces.  I got the Classic Chipotle and Roasted Pasilla Chile. The Chipotle one has definitely got some ZING.  I felt it was best suited for the recipe I came up with.  I have had a few versions of different restaurants Southwestern Egg Rolls and I used the corn and black bean salad from my Grocery deli as a shortcut so I wouldn't have to do all the chopping. AND these are BAKED not FRIED!!!  Double Score.  I created a Cilantro sauce to help cool the sting from the Chipotle or to just add another layer of flavor.

Southwestern Egg Rolls with Cilantro Dipping Sauce
by JennyMac's LipSmack

1 lb ground beef
1 jar Herdez® Classic Chipotle Mexican Cooking Sauce
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup corn and black bean salad (or see note to make own)
1 pkg. egg roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water
oil for coating
Cilantro Sauce:
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2.  Brown ground beef with green onion.
3.  Add Herdez® Classic Chipotle Mexican Cooking Sauce and cook until reduced. Set aside to cool.
4.  Add Corn and Black Bean Salad (a mixture of yellow corn, black beans, chopped red pepper, green pepper, onions and lime juice.
5.  Put one egg roll wrapper on cutting board. Turn, so it's a DIAMOND not SQUARE. Coat edges with beaten egg with basting brush.  Place 1-2 Tbsp of mixture on bottom of Diamond.  Fold up bottom point to just cover the mixture. Fold over each side (should resemble an open envelope).  Now roll up fold to the top tip of that "envelope/diamond"  Use fingers to press edges so egg can start the wrapper edges to stick to itself.
6.  Brush each egg roll with oil of choice.
7.  Bake for 10-15 until golden.
8.  While baking put cilantro, sour cream, onions, mayo in a food processor.  Blend until smooth.
9.  Serve cilantro dipping sauce with egg rolls for cool finish to with the ZIP of the Herdez® Chipotle Cooking Sauce.

Cook's Notes:
To make your own Corn Salad: 
Corn and Black Bean Salad can be found in your in your grocery store's Deli, perhaps near the potato salad?  If not, don't worry.  You can use canned or frozen corn.  Drain a can of black beans.  Chop up one red, one green pepper and one onion.  Squeeze one lime on chopped stuff. Mix it all up.  Reserve 1 to 1-1/2 cups of salad to put in your beef with Herdez®.  Eat the remainder of your salad another time or as a side.

These were a keeper!  I was shocked K-man loved the cilantro sauce.  No everyone is a FAN of cilantro.  I know it took me awhile to develop a taste for it.  I swore K-man was gonna ask for Ranch instead.  I believe the word he used was "Killer".  I'll take it.

Caliente!

Chicken a la Mexican

I make this little dish at least 3-4 times a month.  It's very versatile hence it's generic name.  It could have been Chicken tacos but why make you think you have to eat it with a shell/bread?  It's not a casserole because usually that has some kind of rice or pasta.  I named it Chicken a la Mexican because it's got Mexican type spices, peppers and onions.  But here is the fun part. You decide how/where you want it.  Put it on soft tortillas with shredded cheese.  Or put a giant spoonful on rice or pasta.  Top it with cheese or sour cream or both.  Put it on crushed tortilla chip on a green salad.  Slop it in a long crusty sub roll....Have you figured out how you want yours yet?


Chicken a la Mexican
a JennyMacLipsmack creation

4 chicken boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper cut into strips
1-2 jalapeno peppers cut into very thin strips
1 large onion, sliced, rings separated
1-15 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
cilantro for topping/garnish
oil for coating pan
shredded cheese, optional
sour cream, optional
Chicken seasoning:
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chile powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt

1.  Sliced chicken into strips, coat with seasonings, set aside.
2.  Slice and prep all veggies.
3.  Heat pan medium high with oil of choice about 2 Tbsp.
4.  When pan is hot start with chicken and constantly stir with wooden spoon.
5.  When chicken is half pink and white (about half cooked) add sliced veggies and tomatoes.
6.  Keep cooking until chicken it totally cooked through and no pink remains.
7.  Serve on soft flour tortillas, rice, pasta or sub rolls or a pupusa (as seen below)

Cook's Notes:
1.   Feel free to add a whole green pepper instead of jalapeno if you can't stand the heat.
2.  Feel free to use a pre-prepared Mexican seasoning that is your favorite.  I won't mind.
3.  Taste while you cook to add more of something.  I didn't add on the list an ingredient I don't know if you have available.  I found some Smokey chipotle dried peppers at Home Goods.  I better start looking to see where I can find more.  They are smokey and spicy.  I love them.  But I didn't want you to not make this because you couldn't find them.

K-man smiles real big when he sees this dinner.  He always puts his on a soft flour tortilla.  I prefer the corniness of the tortilla chips on a salad is my favorite.  If you have pre made pupusas in your ethnic section, this is a great topping as well.  Find yours!

Fiesta!