Fresh Thai Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

This is a great fresh summertime recipe that can be used for appetizers, a light lunch or if you are like me and enjoy eating appetizers for dinner, a great light dinner! This is a very simple vegetarian version of the recipe, but feel free to get creative with things and alter the ingredients to suit your tastes. Some protein suggestions include: baked tofu, tempeh, shrimp, chopped chicken or pork. Also you can vary the veggies as well...red peppers, bean sprouts, avocados, minced onion and various types of greens (arugula, mustard greens, other herbs and lettuces) make great additions.

The sauce and rolls can be made the day before. If you store the rolls, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and sprinkle lightly with water. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving.

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted chunky peanut butter (I would suggest using a natural brand of peanut butter versus something like Jif or Skippy..those have a lot of added sugar that you do not need, plus the natural versions have more of the natural peanut oils that help add flavor to the sauce).

3-4 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbs sesame oil

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

Juice from 1 small lime

Water - 1-2 tbsp or just enough to thin the sauce out

Salt to taste (this will vary depending on what brand of soy sauce and peanut butter you use)

Directions

In small bowl, combine all ingredients except the water and salt and stir until mixed thoroughly and the sugar has dissolved. Add water, a little at a time, until you reached the desired consistency. Taste and add more salt or sugar if necessary. Set aside while you make the spring rolls.

Spring Rolls

Ingredients

1 - package of Spring Roll Wrappers/Rice pancakes

1/2 package of Long Kou Bean Threads or other thin rice or bean noodles

3-4 carrots, shredded or julienne

1 large cucumber - shredded or julienne

Basil - 1-2 leaves per spring roll

Cilantro - 1-2 sprigs per roll

1 tsp sesame oil

1tsp rice vinegar

Salt

Directions

Prepare all of your fillings (veggies, greens, herbs and protein - shrimp, tofu, etc.) and set aside.

In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Add the sesame oil, rice vinegar and salt to the water. Turn off the burner and add the bean threads to the water and allow noodles to cook (approximately 5 minutes). Leave the noodles in the water while you complete the next step. You want to to drain the noodles right before you start using them, otherwise they stick together and are a pain to work with.

While the noodles are cooking, on another burner cover the bottom of a 12 inch pan with 1 inch of water and heat the water. It doesn't have to boil but should hot. You are going to have to put your fingers in it so don't make it so hot that it is going to burn you.

To assemble the rolls:

Place a rice pancake in the warm water and allow it to soften (about 15-30 seconds). Remove the paper from the water and lay flat on a clean surface (I like to use a flexible plastic cutting board). Place about 1/4 cup of bean threads, approximately 1 tsp of shredded carrots and cucumber, basil and cilantro onto the lower 1/3 of the paper. Roll in spring roll fashion. The paper should become relatively sticky and will seal itself. Set aside and repeat for the remaining rolls.

To serve: Assemble rolls on a plate and serve with peanut sauce. I also enjoy serving these with a some chopped herbs (basil) and some Sweet Chili sauce that can be found at most grocery stores in the international food's section or at any specialty food store (or even at World Market! Which by the way is also where I get the rice pancakes and bean threads.)

Salmon and asparagus

Salmon
2 slices salmon
6 cloves garlic chopped
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp old bay
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper

Asparagus
2 bunch asparagus
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 large shallot sliced thin
salt & pepper
olive oil to coat

Salmon cooking instructions
Melt butter in large skillet on low. Add garlic. Stir frequently. Season flesh side of salmon. Cook garlic on low for about 5 minutes. Remove garlic and half of butter. Add oil. Bring skillet heat to high. Add salmon skin side down to pan. Sear skin for 1 minute and reduce heat to very medium low. Cook for several minutes. Gently flip salmon to flesh side for about 40 seconds. Place back onto skin side. Add reserved garlic and butter. Tip pan to side and spoon garlic butter sauce over fish to baste. Remove when fish is cooked to desired doneness, we prefer pink in the middle (I buy sashimi grade salmon for this purpose)

Asparagus cooking instructions
Preheat oven to 400. Combine all ingredients on pan and toss to coat. Cook uncovered for about 40 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes. Remove to your desired doneness (tonight we wanted them soft, some nights we like them with some crunch)

Killer grilled chicken with veggies

Chicken
4 pieces boneless skinless chicken
1.5 Tbsp tapatio
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp whole mustard
1 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and marinate for 30 minutes minimum to over night. Heat grill to medium and cook chicken for 10-12 minutes per side or until cooked through. Turn every 3 minutes basting each side as you go. Serve with sautéed veggies.

Sautéed veggies
4 small red potatoes diced
1/2 medium red onion diced
1 cup frozen green beans
1 cup frozen white corn
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
(for heat add a pinch of crushed red pepper flake)
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil

Heat oil in pan over medium high heat add potatoes and brown on each side for about 10 minutes then add onion and frozen veggies, salt and pepper. Sauté for another five minutes before adding garlic. Continue cooking until all veggies are soft.

Rack of Lamb

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds frenched rack of lamb
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoon rosemary
2 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon garlic
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Season lamb racks with thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high hear. Brown lamb and remove from skillet.
3. Place lamb racks, rib side down inter twining the bones in a small roasting pan. Spread meat side with mustard.
4. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Spicy garlic soy chicken

4 Boneless skinless pieces of chicken cut into bite size pieces
4 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp fish sauce
4 Tbsp sugar
1.5 Tsp crushed red pepper
1 Cup water
1 Tsp pepper
Pinch salt
1 Yellow onion diced
8 Cloves garlic diced
3 Tbsp vegetable oil

In large skillet heat 2 tbsp oil over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent. Remove from pan and set aside (if garlic starts to brown remove then). Add remaining oil and chicken, salt and pepper to pan. Cook until chicken browns. Add onions and garlic back in. Whisk together soy sauce, fish sauce, water, red pepper, and sugar. Turn heat to high, add sauce and bring to a bubble. Cook at a bubble for about 5 minutes, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over white rice.

Ultimate Brownies

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup butter
5 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 9-inch square pan. In 1-quart saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.
2. In medium bowl, beat sugar, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on high speed 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture on low speed. Beat in flour just until blended. Stir in walnuts. Spread in pan.
3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or just until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack.

Sorry no pictures, they are already gone cuz they were soooo good!!

Perfect Beets

3 beets
Enough water to cover beets
1 tsp salt

Rinse beets and cut off ends. Cover with water and add salt. Boil covered until fork tender, about an hour. Remove beets from pan and using two forks peel the outer layer of skin off beets. Stab beets in center with a fork. Using second fork scrape the side of the beet and the skin will fall off. Slice and serve.