The Knives Make All the Difference - Chicago Cutlery Update & #Giveaway

Without a fancy cooking class or one-on-one instruction, I am happy to say my knife skills and confidence have been improving. Who knew it had so much to do with the knives themselves?

You might remember that I am a became a Chicago Cutlery Ambassador and have been trying out 3 fabulous DesignPro knives. You can check out my first post and knife introduction HERE. Over the past two week I have chopped my way through Chicken Chasseur, split some golden-fleshed squash, sliced the perfect bread slices and even diced up a lovely plate of Baked Egg Rolls. Here is where my knives have taken me:

With Fall comes squash! We love to slice it in strips or just in half and bake or broil it.  These knives are made with an ultra sharp, Japanese steel blade to improve the cutting experience and in my opinion it made slicing through thick objects much easier.  The knife was easy to hold onto and didn't require me to put all my weight into the cut.

The bread knife did a beautiful job on my homemade loaf of Honey, Oat and Whole Wheat Bread. It sliced through easily and didn't compact the loaf down as I moved the knife through. The crumb inside held it's shape and didn't tear. It was also easy to cut even and thin slices without getting the bread guide out.

Then I used the Chef knife to make quick work of a pile of veggies. I used a julienne slicer for the zucchini, but cut the long strips down and the other veggies with the DesignPro Chef knife. The innovative grip helped to guide my hand to the best position when holding it for superior control and ease of cutting.  I didn't understand it until I tried these knives. They feel more comfortable in my hand and because of that I felt more confident and in control as I worked. It was a breeze to make even and thin slices with these knives for my egg roll recipe.

So, overall I learned two important things. Sharp knives really do make a difference. Sharp knives have kept me from cutting or nicking myself over the past few week. Also I learned that knife handles and overall design change how I use and enjoy the knife.

Now I have a recipe to share with you!

Baked Egg Rolls

You Will Need:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 cup zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 cups of bean sprouts
• 1 can of water chestnuts, rough chopped
• 2 Tbsp green onions, sliced
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 1/4 cup water
• 14 egg roll wraps
• Sweet chili dipping sauce 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the cabbage, zucchini, and  carrots to the pan. Heat till they begin to soften. Then add the sprouts, chestnuts and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes, the vegetables should still remain a little crisp. Mix the corn starch and water to make a slurry. Add the corn starch, soy sauce and green onions to the pan. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat to cool.

Put a heaping tablespoon of the cooled mixture in the center of an egg roll wrap. Fold the bottom up and the two sides over, making an envelope, then roll it up to close.

Place the finished egg rolls on a baking sheet and spray the top with cooking spray.

Bake for 8-10 minutes then turn them over. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Serve with sweet chili sauce for dipping

Enjoy!

Giveaway Time!

You can see the full line of Chicago Cutlery DesignPro knives on Amazon. I have one Chicago Cutlery DesignPro Chef Knife to give away to one lucky reader! Open to US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclaimer - I wrote this review while participating in a Brand Ambassador Campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Chicago Cutlery and received products to facilitate my post and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.