This is a monumental recipe! Not because it tastes amazing (which is does) or because you should make it immediately (which you should), but because it’s the first recipe I’ve made and photographed for the blog since Sam was born. It may have taken two days and gone in and out of the fridge five times while I started and stopped, but here it is! Don’t worry, the recipe is actually super simple and easy so it won’t take you much time at all to whip up, unless you also have a three month old who decides to only take twenty minute naps that day!

I wanted to post something tasty in time for the Super Bowl on Sunday. I thought of these Cheesy Baked Prosciutto and Salami Egg Rolls a while ago and I’m so excited I finally made them. Prosciutto, salami, roasted red peppers and mozzarella cheese all get wrapped up in these crispy egg rolls. They are savory, salty and perfectly cheesy.

I like to think of them as antipasto egg rolls and you really could customize them with your favorite antipasto components. An all veggie one with roasted mushrooms and artichokes would be delicious! You would just have to make sure you chop the pieces small enough so you can roll the wrapper without it breaking.

As great as they are on their own these party appetizer egg rolls needed a dipping sauce. I had a hard time deciding on one because there’s so many that would pair well with them. Ultimately I landed on a creamy pesto dipping sauce using my cauliflower puree trick to make the pesto creamy without actually adding cream. Just as it worked in the sun-dried tomato cream sauce, the cauliflower taste doesn’t come through, but it adds a creamy thickness to the pesto.

If you’re looking for a pesto recipe I have one here. Enjoy!

Cheesy Baked Prosciutto and Salami Egg Rolls

 

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Yield: 12 egg rolls

Ingredients

for the egg rolls

• 12 egg roll wrappers, see note
• 4 slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces), cut into thirds
• 6 thin slices genoa salami (about 2 ounces), cut in half
• 6 thin slices sopressata (about 2 ounces), cut in half
• ½ cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers (about 1 roasted red pepper)
• 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

for the pesto dipping sauce

• 1 cup steamed cauliflower florets
• ½ cup basil pesto

Directions

for the egg rolls

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil or coat with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Before filling the egg roll wrappers, make sure you have a little bowl or cup of warm water and a clean work surface. Place the egg roll wrapper down so that a corner is facing you. Stack a piece of the prosciutto, genoa salami and sopressata near the bottom corner of the wrapper. Add some roasted red peppers and about 2 tablespoons of the shredded mozzarella on top. Take the bottom corner of the wrapper and fold it up and over the fillings so it’s completely covering it then continue to roll it one more time. Fold in the left and right corners so they create a little envelope then wet your finger with the water and use it to moisten the whole exposed top corner. Continue to roll the wrapper and seal the roll. Place it on the baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining rolls then coat all the rolls with cooking spray.
3. Bake the rolls for 8 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 8 minutes. They should be crispy and golden brown. Serve warm with the pesto dipping sauce.

for the pesto dipping sauce

1. Combine the cauliflower and the pesto in a blender or food processor until smooth. If it’s too thick add a tablespoon of water.

Notes

I use Nasoya egg rolls wrappers. I find them in the refrigerated section of my grocery store near the tofu products.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

The concept of a “clean out the fridge” recipe is an interesting one because everyone has different items in their fridge. So, while this Pork Chops with Baked Apples, Parsnips and Turnips dish helped me clean out my fridge, it’s so delicious that I think it deserves its own trip to the grocery store!

Right before Sam was born I was itching to try a new dinner recipe. I flipped through my recipe binders and came across this weeknight meal from the Food Network Magazine. I had bought pork chops with the intention of making the Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil since Matt and I are obsessed, but this recipe for Pork Chops with Baked Apples, Parsnips and Turnips was much more seasonally appropriate. I also had leftover apricot preserves in the fridge from the Grilled Chicken with Apple and Mango Chutney and the Baked Brie Fruit and Nut Tartlets. The pork chops are marinated in the preserves, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings before being broiled.

While the pork chops are flavorful and tender, the real standout are the baked apples slathered with apricot preserves and the roasted parsnip, turnip and red onion medley. I’ve baked apples into chips and I’ve baked them into dessert egg rolls, but I’ve never roasted whole apples. The apricot preserves brought a great brightness and sweetness to them that helped balance the savory flavors of the pork and root vegetables.

And those root vegetables! I love a good roasted veggie and these parsnips, turnips and red onion chunks just melt in your mouth!

This is a quick and easy dinner recipe that I’ll definitely be making all winter long. Enjoy!

Pork Chops with Baked Apples, Parsnips and Turnips

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
• ½ red onion, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 small apples, such as Gala, halved and seeded
• ¼ cup apricot preserves
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 4 boneless pork loin chops, ½-inch thick
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil and place the parsnips, turnips and onion on it. Drizzle with the olive oil, toss, then sprinkle with the rosemary and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the apple halves, cut side up, on the baking sheet nestled between the veggies. Divide 2 tablespoons of the apricot preserves between the apple halves and brush over top then season lightly with black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Turn the oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes, or until everything is golden brown.
3. While the veggies are cooking, marinate the pork. In a shallow bowl or plastic container large enough to fit the pork, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of apricot preserves, the Worcestershire sauce, sage and ½ cup water. Season with a little black pepper. Pierce the pork chips all over with a fork then add to the bowl and marinate for 10 minutes.
4. Set a wire cooling rack into a rimmed baking sheet and place the pork chops on top, reserving the marinade. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Broil the pork chops for 4-5 minutes per side, or until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let the pork rest while you finish the sauce.
5. Pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the tablespoon of butter until melted. Serve the pork alongside the vegetables and apples with the sauce drizzled over top.

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 Recipe from January/February 2016 issue of Food Network Magazine.

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Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments

Well, everyone, it’s time to say goodbye to 2019! As I sit here on the eve of a new year I am so grateful to have spent another year sharing my passions for cooking and writing here with you all on Lemon & Mocha. Whether you are a family member, friend, fellow blogger, recipe seeker, Pinterest pro, or all of the above, I am so thankful for your support and presence here! On a personal note, 2019 brought both great highs and deep lows for my family with the birth of our son, Sam (more on that further down!), and on the loss of Diane’s mom (Nina to me) this past fall.

Nina had a sweet tooth so I think she would approve of 2019 on Lemon & Mocha being dubbed the year of cookies! Between the Food Network Magazine’s Calendar of Cookies and the first annual Lemon & Mocha’s 12 Days of Cookies this holiday season, there were twenty-one new cookie recipes posted on the blog this year. It’s hard to know where to start so I’d suggest quickly whipping up a batch of the Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies to snack on while you contemplate which cookie recipe to bake next. As much as I love sweets, the top ten list of most popular new posts from 2019 made it pretty clear that easy and healthy dinner recipes are a favorite category here on Lemon & Mocha. I already have a few in the works for the new year and I’ll be sure to work on even more for you all. Here are the top ten most popular new posts from this past year:

10. Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil

9. Cheesy Barbecue Chicken Puff Pastry Bites

8. Skinny Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

7. Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

6. Tuna Melt Egg Rolls

5. Parmesan Crusted Brussels Sprouts

4. Healthy Spinach, Goat Cheese and Quinoa Egg Muffins

3. Potato, Leek and Bacon Pizza

2. Birch Benders Pancakes Four Ways

1. Sheet Pan Parmesan Roasted Green Beans and Baby Potatoes

Welcome sweet Sam

Although it may have been the year of cookies here on Lemon & Mocha, my 2019 was definitely the year of Sam. We spent almost all year preparing for his arrival and Matt and I welcomed our sweet boy, Sam, on November 7th! That morning our hearts exploded with more love than I could ever imagine and ever since it’s been an incredible whirlwind of love, amazement, cuddles – and of course sleepless nights! I don’t like to divulge too much of my personal life on this public space so in 2020 I will have to continue working on that balance in my writing. It would be too difficult to write from my heart and not include the little guy who has it completely wrapped around his tiny little fingers! I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year and I look forward to sharing more recipes and stories with you in 2020!

Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for my referral. This does not affect the retail cost of the item. Thank you for supporting Lemon & Mocha!

Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments

Hi, friends! For those of you that celebrate, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I wanted to pop on here real quick to share one final recipe before the end of the year. This simple Roasted Shrimp Cocktail recipe is the perfect party appetizer so I’m sharing it just in time for those of you that have New Year’s celebration plans. For those of you that won’t be cooking party appetizers, this is still a great one to have in your back pocket.

It’s also so delicious that sometimes I just make it for Matt and I for dinner along with a salad! This recipe is simply shrimp cocktail kicked up a notch. Roasting tends to bring out extra flavor and as Ina Garten lets us know in her Back to Basics cookbook, shrimp are no exception.

The shrimp get briefly roasted with some olive oil, salt and pepper before being left to cool and served with cocktail sauce. That’s it! It sounds so simple (because it is), but I promise you everyone will be raving over this easy appetizer.

Diane has been making this Roasted Shrimp Cocktail for years; it’s a staple at all our family gatherings and sunset watching cocktail hours when we visit my parents down in Florida. I’ve recently started incorporating it into my menus when we have family and friends over and I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner because it seriously is the easiest and tastiest dish to put out.

I hope you all enjoy this one! Have a great weekend!

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

 

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Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds jumbo shrimp (raw, peeled and deveined with tails on)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• Cocktail sauce, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place the shrimp on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper and spread them out so they’re in a single layer. Roast the shrimp for 8-10 minutes. They should have just turned pink and firm and be cooked through. Set aside to cool.
3. Serve at room temperature with the cocktail sauce. If you cooked them earlier in the day and had them in the fridge, let sit out for 10 minutes before serving.

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Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments

The day is finally here for the last recipe in our 12 Days of Cookies! These Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are one of the easiest and there is no dough chilling required. Since we’re so close to the holiday and if you’re like me you’re probably busy with a million things while also trying to soak up time with your family so I’ll keep today’s post short and sweet.

Having a go-to peanut butter cookie recipe is a staple and I’ve finally found mine! I find a lot of peanut butter cookies deliver on the peanut butter flavor, but are too crumbly. I prefer a cookie that is soft and chewy. These Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies have brown sugar in the cookie dough, which helps bring that chewy texture.

Rolling the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar gives them an added little bit of sweetness and shimmer as they spread out during the baking

The original recipe calls for them to be done around ten minutes, but I found mine needed closer to thirteen minutes. They do firm up a little after baking, but I love the chewy texture from these peanut butter-packed cookies.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

 

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Yield: 18-20 cookies

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), room temperature
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling the cookie dough balls
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and peanut butter until creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just a few streaks remain.
4. Put some granulated sugar in a small bowl. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out a dough ball then roll in the granulated sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat for the remaining dough. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly brown and they’ve just started to set. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then remove to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Repeat for the second baking sheet of cookies.

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Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments