Crab and Cream Cheese Wontons

I went to my friend's house yesterday to veg out and cook some good food while watching some bad TV. She had a recipe for Crab and Cream Cheese Wontons, which at first I thought was going to be difficult to make, but turned out to be really easy and really yummy.

The recipe and a short video of how to make the wontons are below. We didn't exactly fold the wontons correctly, but as long as you seal up the ends your wontons will still cook properly and taste just as good. We both decided you need a diagram on how to fold wontons, and apparently there are tons of different ways to fold them. I found a great site that shows you the different folds along with a how-to video. Look out for some Mexican-inspired favorites next week like nachos, tacos and burritos.

Crab and Cream Cheese Wontons
Ingredients:

• 1 package of cream cheese (onion chive works well)
• 1 package of crab legs or meat, drained
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 3 scallions, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• Oil for frying
• Wonton Wrappers

Instructions:

1. Beat the egg in a small bowl - this will be used to brush the edges of the wonton wrappers before folding, and helps to keep them together (you can also just use water).

2. Place a spoonful of the cream cheese in the middle of the wonton wrapper.

3. Next, add a piece of crap and a few bits of chive.

4. Then, brush edges with egg mixture or water.

5. Fold over to form a triangle, then press edges together to seal. Bring the two side edge corners of the triangle to the middle and press these together to form a ring.

6. Heat oil to 350 degrees in a large, heavy bottomed pan, make sure to cover the wontons.

7. Fry wontons (around 3-4 at a time) until golden, turning once or twice for about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and serve with a sweet and sour sauce.

Deck the Halls with this Delicious Dip!

The holidays are here, which means gift shopping, cookie baking and of tons of tree trimming parties. And what better to serve at your next holiday party then easy to make, and easy to eat dips.

Bacon-Horseradish Cheese Spread
Recipe reprinted courtesy of my dad
(however, he made me leave out two secret ingredients)


Ingredients:

• 6 8-ounce packages of cream cheese (regular or 1/3 less fat)
• 8 ounces of horseradish (strained)
• 8 ounces of real bacon bits
• 1/8 teaspoon of seasoned salt

Instructions:
Let the cream cheese soften in a mixing bowl (can speed it up by placing bowl with cheese in oven at 200 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes). When soft, beat with a hand mixer and gradually add remaining ingredients a little at a time. Scoup mixture into a serving dish or bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with an assortment of crackers and meats.