Vegetarian Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Despite the name, these are a great light snack that you can eat at any time of year. They can be filled with almost anything but I chose to just add vegetables. Forming the rolls takes some finesse, but with practice - you will be making tons of rolls ahead of time ( a day at most) and slicing them when you're ready for a nutritious snack.

The peanut sauce is a nice addition which adds a punch of flavor. As someone who doesn't really use recipes - I only started with this one as a base to get it going. I then added a little more of this and a little of that to get it to my liking. You should do the same.

Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup natural-style creamy peanut butter (I had chunky and just pureed it)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (I didn't have any so I just added some more of the other ingredients)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 small garlic clove, mashed to a paste
1 teaspoon chile-garlic paste (Also didn't have this so I just added red chili flakes)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Juice of 1 lime (didn't have, so I used a lemon and rice vinegar)
1/4 cup water
Salt to taste


Mix all ingredients together to your liking. Add more water if necessary to thin out the sauce. Keep in mind it tastes different on its own than it does with the rolls, so if you make the sauce ahead of time (which you should) taste it with a piece of lettuce or something instead of on the spoon.

Vegetarian Summer Rolls
Spring/Summer roll wrappers - Rice paper
Bean thread noodles (mung bean or glass noodles)
Lettuce leaves (romaine, bibb, iceberg)
Cucumbers - sliced into strips (julienne)
Red cabbage - shredded
Green apple - sliced into strips (julienne)

With the bean thread noodles, you need to soak them in warm water for about 10 -15 minutes. Because they are so thin - you don't really cook them but rather reconstitute them in the water. Meanwhile, prep your vegetables and have another bowl of warm water nearby. Once ready, align all your ingredients and place one of the wrappers in the water until it becomes pliable - 15 to 20 seconds.

Next, lay it down on your work surface and add all your ingredients on the wrapper. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling, fold in the sides totally covering the filling and then fold the wrapper upwards to form a neat roll shape. Depending on your ingredients - you could deep fry it at this point but this is the fresh, raw version.

You can slice it into smaller, bite size pieces like sushi - in which case you need a very sharp knife and I would wet the blade with some water. (picture above) or you can also just slice it in half. Either way, when served with the peanut sauce, it is delicious and refreshing.

Pine Nut Cookies

Pine nuts are the edible seeds from pine trees. Though typically known for their unmistakable flavor in pesto, they go very well with a myriad of dishes.They have a delicious creamy and buttery flavor which is highlighted even more when they are gently toasted. It is no wonder that they go perfectly in this light, buttery cookie which has a wonderful anise (licorice)  flavor from its fennel seeds. They are sliced thin and are baked to an addictive crunch. If you like biscotti, you will certainly enjoy these pine nut cookies which pair well with coffee or tea.

When I thought to make these very different - but very delicious cookies, I knew to order the pine nuts from OH NUTS! They are my favorite online store for nuts, seeds, dried fruit and even gift baskets. I love that they give me reviews, nutrition information and a detailed explanation on the product I am interested in purchasing.

1 stick unsalted buttter (room temperature)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup pine nuts

-In a bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, fennel seeds and salt in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the flour and mix just until blended.
-Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a log. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
-Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Press the pine nuts into the cookies. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes.

Not Overly Sweet Pecan Pie

I don't understand why someone would go through the trouble of making their own pie dough when you can find a perfectly good one ready to go? Maybe I say this because I am not much into baking. When it comes to cooking however, I rather do most things from scratch. Either way you go, here's a great recipe that makes an easy (and not so super sweet) pecan pie.


Yes - I use store bought dough. I ordered my pecans from my favorite online store OH NUTS! because I love that they package everything in a resealable bag and I get my order rather quickly. Their website gives me all the nutritional information I need and did I mention, they have way more than nuts? Dried fruit, candies, chocolate and even gift baskets. I urge you to visit their site for the upcoming holidays. You won't be disappointed.


1 9-inch pie shell
1 3/4 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line your pie plate with your dough and crimp the edges with whichever style you like. Spread the pecans on the bottom. 

In a small bowl, mix all other ingredients together and pour over pecans. They should float to the top. Place on a sheet pan or cookie sheet to make it easier to take in and out of the oven. Bake the pie for approximately 45 minutes. 20 minutes into it, the crust should be golden. At that point - use foil to cover the sides of the crust to prevent burning.

Allow the pie to cool for a little while and then place in the fridge so it can set. It tastes great alone or with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken & Broccoli

The reason I really like this meal is because it's an easy weeknight meal, and by making it homemade - it is fully customizable (no MSG, extra broccoli...etc) I look at ginger, garlic and scallion as the "mirepoix" of Asian cookery. Mirepoix just means a flavor base - usually onions, carrots and celery, but can vary widely depending on the cuisine. Here, the flavor base will perfume your kitchen with the smell of a wok.

This is an adaptaion of the food network's recipe.

1.5 pound chicken breast

• 4 scallions, whites for marinade - green for garnish
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 inches of ginger, minced
• 2 Tablespoons of light soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons of honey
• 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 Tablespoons of sherry wine
• 2 Tablespoons of toasted sesame oil
• 2 heads of broccoli, florets only
• Red chili flakes, to taste
• 1-2 Tablespoons of hoisin sauce

Tip: slice your chicken in strips first and then on the bias (on an angle). I find that slicing them this way instead of cubing is better for browning the chicken and also helps keep them moist and tender!

1. Slice chicken and season lightly with salt. In a bowl, mix all ingredients except hoisin, broccoli and chili flakes. Pour this marinade over chicken and allow to soak for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook your Jasmine rice. Heat a skillet with oil and saute broccoli with chili flakes until bright green - then remove and reserve. (Add a little water if necessary to prevent burning)
3. Get the skillet hot again and add the chicken and allow to brown on all sides and to cook through. Add hoisin sauce, return broccoli to pan and heat through.
4. Garnish jasmine rice with scallion greens and serve with chicken and broccoli.

Split Pea Soup

It has been a while since I wrote last. I am back with some news.....my husband and I are expecting our first baby in April 2012! We are very excited. Perhaps through all the changes going on, I needed a break from blogging.

I figured that soup was a good comeback for early fall. This is a vegetarian version and it is really simple and delicious for lunch or light dinner.

1 pound split peas
1 large onion, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbsp lemon zest ( from one lemon)
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1 tsp nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
1.5 quarts water

-Sweat the vegetables until soft and add the split peas and spices.
-Cover with water and bring to a boil, then simmer until peas are soft.
-Once soft, puree using a hand blender and add zest and check for seasoning.
-Serve with paprika and a little drizzle of olive oil.

Arequipe (Dulce de Leche)

My mother was born in Cienaga Magdalena, Colombia - simply known as "la costa". ( "the coast" in Spanish.) Among many of my visits, I remember it to be a small and quaint town, with the walls of the nearby shops and houses painted all colors of the rainbow. The facade of bright white buildings combined with the hot sun beaming down, made it hard to see out in front of you. I've only been to Colombia a handful of times as a child, but the memories remain vivid in my mind. Things that stand out to me are the town, the smells walking through the cobble stone streets, Postobon, and Arequipe.

Better known as Dulce de Leche - in South America it is usually served with a large, round and thin wafer cracker called "oblea" When my grandmother, Mamy Lucy would return from her trips - inevitably, I could expect a little surprise. While my mother came to the states very young and became Americanized rather quickly, I always associated myself with a bit of my South American background. I longed for those little bits of Colombia. 

The taste of Arequipe will bring me much nostalgia - which is why I wanted to try and make it from scratch. There is no true recipe here - but you do need time. It can be considered a caramel, but it is WAY better!

3 or 4 cans of condensed milk, wrapper peeled off

1 nail

1 hammer

1 sauce pot that will fit the cans in evenly

water

approximately 3 hours

1. Hammer a nail into both sides of the can

2. Next, place all the cans in a sauce pot and fill the bottom with water to come up about half way around the sides of the can. Put it on a low heat and go do things around the house.

In the picture above you can see what the holes do. First, it ensures that the cans will not explode. Second, it allows you to preview the color of your milk to make sure you do not under or overcook it!

This is how it looked when I took it out after about 4 hours! I was confused by the color but remembered that I needed to stir the bottom which is where the magic happens.

Take a look and see the amazing transformation.

Try this delicious spread on fruit, cakes, ice cream, bread - you name it! 

I'd like you to leave your comments below and tell me about a nostalgic food that you have from your family.

Cool & Chunky Gazpacho

• 1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded - not peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
• 1 rib of celery, roughly chopped
• 4 juicy red tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups) 
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar (lime or lemon juice works fine too)
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 
  
• Pulse all ingredients separately in your food processor and combine into a large bowl. Season with Salt & pepper. Refrigerate and enjoy the next day to let the flavors meld.
• 
  
• There is not much to making this soup but the results are incredible. Gazpacho is basically a liquid salad. It originated in the Southern region of Spain's Andalusia and generally has the same types of ingredients. 
• 
  
• An interesting piece of information is that José Briz, who wrote a book on gazpacho, also suggests that the word derives from the Hebrew gazaz, meaning to break into pieces, referring to the bread base. Gazpacho was traditionally eaten by workers in the fields, whether they were vineyards, olive plantations, citrus groves, wheat fields or cork farms. Originally gazpacho was nothing but bread, water, and olive oil, all pounded in a large wooden bowl called a dornillo. It was poor people's food. More on that from the knowledgeable Clifford Wright, here.
• 
  
• Over time, people have learned to enjoy a cool gazpacho during hot summer days. My father in law requested one for Father's day and he loved it. I added some avocado in at the end for the creamy texture.
•  Get creative with your toppings - just as you would with salad. Make it your own!
• 
  
•