Tuesday, June 28, 2011

summer roll success!

Kelly says they tasted like we were at a restaurant. Fresh and cool.  We made the peanut sauce- wowo! and then dipped the rolls in a combination of peanut sauce, hoisin and rooster chili sauce I think I will name my Asian restaurant Mr. Fong's.
Here is the recipe.  Courtesy of Food Network Magazine- two things I learned- don't skimp on the shrimp and roll them as tight as you can.  0h and don't use broken rice papers...........

Ingredients


For the Sauce:

1/3 cup unsalted peanuts


1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil


2 teaspoons red curry paste


2 teaspoons fish sauce


1 tablespoon sugar


1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk


1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth


1 tablespoon hoisin sauce


For the Rolls:


Kosher salt


1 tablespoon rice vinegar


2 teaspoons sugar


6 black peppercorns


12 medium shrimp (unpeeled)


1 ounce rice vermicelli


1 cucumber


3 scallions


8 8-inch-round rice paper wrappers


1/2 bunch mint


1/2 bunch basil


1/2 bunch cilantro


4 Boston lettuce leaves, torn

Directions

Make the sauce: Grind the peanuts in a food processor. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook 1 minute. Add the fish sauce and cook 1 more minute. Add the ground peanuts and cook, stirring, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook 1 to 2 more minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken broth and hoisin sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thick, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
Make the rolls: Fill a saucepan with water and season with salt. Add the vinegar, sugar and peppercorns and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and simmer until pink, 2 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Peel the shrimp, then halve lengthwise and devein. Cover and chill.
Cook the rice noodles as the label directs, then drain. Cut the cucumber and scallions into matchsticks and toss with 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. One at a time, soak a rice paper wrapper in warm water until pliable, 30 seconds, then lay on a cutting board and pat dry. Arrange 3 shrimp halves across the middle of the wrapper; top with some noodles, herbs, cucumber, scallions and lettuce. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll up into a tight bundle. Cut in half; serve with the peanut sauce.


Monday, June 27, 2011

Let it wash over me

Summer is a time for lazy days, early walks and salad meals and grilling.  I have not been lazy.  I feel like a hummingbird going from one flower to the next knowing there is a frost coming and I may miss the good juice. I have been too busy. I have had 3 extra people living at my house last week, I taught art class and I have not had time to cook for me.  But summer starts today.  My husband and I are cooking real spring rolls and having a vietnamese feast.  I have never made them but when I eat them they make me happy.  Happy is what I want, I want to slow down and savor.  4th of july is almost here-  Summer is half over, as the teacher point of view.  But that means I just need to make the most of my slow time.  File this, organize this, do this.........sometimes my brain won't shut down.  I need to take a message from Buddha and meditate for a minute.  or take a message from my mother and "tomorrow is another day, Scarlett"  The pile will be there tomorrow1