Summer Rolls

SUMMER ROLLS

This is perfect for a nice light summer lunch or snack.  You can use any fresh veggies that you like and make them with any protein.  These are really delicious with Tofu or Shrimp or even better use both!  They can be a little daunting to roll up but once you do a few of them it gets much easier.  I like to make a roll and them cut them in half.  These are perfect with any dipping sauce but my favorite is to dip in a peanut sauce.   I will list a recipe for an easy peanut sauce below as well.

Ingredients:

Summer Rolls

1/2 lb cooked, chilled shrimp

6 rice paper wrappers

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup shredded purple cabbage

1 cup sliced zucchini or cucumber

Handful of butter lettuce leaves (or any kind you like)

Handful of micro greens

*Optional additions

cooked rice noodles, chilled

cooked grilled chicken, chilled

tofu, chilled

fresh mint

fresh cilantro

Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/4 cup water or more to thin out sauce

Preparation:

Summer Rolls

Prepare all veggies and shrimp in advance of making your summer rolls.  The shrimp should be cooked, deveined and tails removed.  All veggies should be prepared in long thin slices or shredded.  You can leave the lettuce in larger pieces but roughly chopped.  Have all your ingredients close by on a large plate or platter so you can easily assemble your summer roll.  

Get a large shallow plate or bowl and fill with warm water.  Prepare the rice paper wrappers one at a time.  Dip the wrapper in the warm water and then flip to wet the other side.  Quickly remove from water and place onto a flat workspace.  I like to use a wooden cutting board.  Fill your rolls anyway you like however it is much prettier to arrange the shrimp and colorful veggies nicely in the middle in a single layer so you can see all the ingredients when they are rolled up.  Place lettuce last on top of the shrimp and other veggies.  To roll,  fold the bottom over the top, then fold in the sides and lastly roll up from the bottom to complete your roll.  Slice each roll in half.  These are best if you serve immediately.  You can use a damp towel on the bottom and top of the finished summer rolls as you are making more so they won't dry out.  Serve with peanut sauce and Enjoy!

Peanut Sauce

Place peanut butter in a microwave safe dish and warm slightly in the microwave (about 15 seconds) to melt the peanut butter slightly which will make it easier to stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Add each ingredient and stir to combine well.  If you feel the sauce it too thick add a tiny bit of water a little at a time until you get your desired consistency.

 

Crab Rangoon

 

My family loves all things Asian and these are a favorite when we order Chinese food.  My daughter Annie and I decided to try to make these at home and they were really super easy and so delicious!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz package of Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 8 oz of imitation crab, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
• 20-25 Wonton Wrappers
• small bowl of water
• Oil for frying

Preparation:

In a medium bowl mix together cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil and garlic powder until combined well.  Next stir in powdered sugar and combine.  Fold in crab until completely incorporated.  

Place 2 wrappers on a flat surface, put about 1/2 teaspoon of the crab mixture in the center of the wrapper.  Using your finger dip into the bowl of water and wet all four sides of the wrapper.  Pull up two opposite corners of wrapper and stick together.  Then pull up two more corners.  Pinch to close and make sure all sides are sealed.  Once you have 6 completed you can pan fry in about 1/2" of oil, once one side is browned flip and brown opposite side.  Remove when golden brown and let drain on some paper towels.  Serve with any dipping sauce.  We love the Sweet Chili Sauce from Trader Joes.

"Leftover-Makeover" Curry Chicken Fried Rice

I love taking leftovers and creating a new meal from them. One of my favorite left over makeovers is fried rice. I always have the ingredients on hand in my freezer and pantry so it’s a very easy go to dish for a last minute meal. I had Chinese white rice in the fridge and leftover teriyaki chicken in my freezer ( I made teriyaki marinated chicken cutlets for dinner a few weeks ago and diced up the left overs and froze them). This is a very simple recipe because you really don’t have to measure anything. Just dump in what you like and season to taste. Any chicken would work as well. I have used leftover roasted chicken many times and it’s delish.


Ingredients:

1 1/2 pints left over Chinese take-out white rice
1 Cup frozen peas, corn, red peppers, edamame
1 C. Frozen Broccoli
1 T. curry powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. red chili flake
1/3 C. soy sauce
1 egg
1 C. left over cooked chicken, diced

Preparation:

Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with oil and set on medium heat. Add frozen vegetables and sauté for 2 minutes. Add white rice and continue to stir until heated through. Add curry, garlic, onion powder, red pepper flake and soy sauce and stir through. Next, make a well in the middle of the rice. Crack an egg into the well. Scramble egg, then mix into the rice. Add the cooked diced chicken and heat through.

Asian Slaw

It's about time for BBQ season so I'm pulling out all go to grilling recipes and side dishes.  I love this version of Cole Slaw, Asian style. 

Ingredients:

1 - 24 oz package Cole Slaw (cabbage, carrots and red cabbage)
1 package Oriental flavored Ramen Noodles (separate the flavor packet from the noodles, you will need both for this recipe)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Preparation:

In a large bowl add the contents of the Oriental Ramen Noodle Seasoning packet, sugar, vinegar, oil and soy sauce.  Stir with a wire whisk until combined well.  Add whole bag of cole slaw and toss to coat evenly.  Add in sunflower seeds and almonds and toss again.  In a small fying pan break up the Ramen Noodles and toast over med/hi heat stirring often until noodles are golden brown.  Remove from heat and add toasted noodles to the slaw right before serving.

Asian Meatballs

I adapted this recipe from a recipe my sister Karen gave me for Sesame Soy Meatballs.  I didn't have all the right ingredients, so I made my own version of what I'm calling Asian Meatballs.  They came out really yummy and my kids loved them.  I served them with orzo and string beans. 

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil


Preparation:

Mix together first 6 ingredients until combined.  Add ground turkey meat and mix gently with soy mixture.  Mix in panko bread crumbs until combined. (I added panko to help bind the meatball mixture because turkey meat tends to be loose, if you use ground beef you can omit the bread crumbs). Wet hands and form into balls.  Heat a 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet and cook meatballs until browned on both sides.  Place meatballs on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 -15 minutes to finish cooking.

Beef Teriyaki by Sharon

I LOVE this recipe.  My friend Sharon makes it often.  She brought it to my house for a potluck dinner I had with friends and it was a big hit.  I'm always amazed at how easy the recipe is.  She serves it with rice on the side.  You can also make this with chicken or shrimp if you prefer.  I love the steak!

Ingredients:

1 pound of steak (chicken or shrimp can be used too)
1 red pepper
1 large onion
1/2 of fresh pineapple
1/2 cup of terriyaki sauce (I use Soy Vey brand)

Preparation:

Thinly slice steak, pepper and onion. Slice pineapple into 1 inch cubes.  On high heat and in small batches, coat the bottom of the pan with oil and fry the vegetables, pineapple, and steak. Right before you are about to pull the food out of the pan, coat the food with the terriyaki sauce.  Let the sauce get sticky and caramelized and then pull the food out of the pan.  Serve with white rice.

Everyday Sisters Sharing Sundays #18

This week's theme is ASIAN cuisine Please link up any of your favorite Asian recipes to share with everyone!!

Our Rules:

1.  Please become a follower of our blog.

2.  Please share a link back to your actual recipe post, not to your main blog page.
3.  Please link back to our blog so others can join in the fun.
4.  Leave us a comment about what recipe you are linking up.
5. Have fun!

Here are a few of the featured recipes from last week!  Thank you to everyone who took the time to link up. 

Italian Style Chicken Noodle Soup by Lisa's Dinnertime Dish

Welsh Cakes by Cook Lisa Cook

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies by Meg's Everyday Indulgence

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

by The South Padre Island Flip Floop Foodie

Sawdust Pie by The Sweet Swiper

Now on to this week's recipes!!! Let's see your Asian inspired recipes!!

Asian Roasted Shrimp and Salmon Foil Packets

A new test recipe that was a big hit at my house with both my husband and children.  It's light and healthy and easy to prepare.  The sauce is a broth like consistency which is just enough to lightly flavor the fish and vegetables.  It's so nice to make a recipe that uses very little oil but still tastes good. Frozen broccoli works perfectly for this dish.  I also love using the foil packets to cook in.  The steam makes the shrimp and salmon juicy and of course there is the added bonus of no clean up!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of fresh med shrimp, uncooked, peeled, deveined
1/2 lb of fresh salmon, cut into 2 - 1/4 lb pieces
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons agave (or 2 tablespoons of honey)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
salt and pepper
1/2 lb frozen or fresh broccoli florets
2 teaspoons fresh chives, chopped
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a small bowl mix together vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, agave and ginger.  Lightly season the salmon with salt and pepper and then add shrimp and salmon to the bowl with the marinade toss to combine and then let sit and marinate for 30 minutes.  Make two 2x2 pieces of foil place one piece of salmon and 8-10 shrimp and a handful of frozen broccoli florets on each piece of foil.  Sprinkle salmon and shrimp with chopped chives and black sesame seeds.  Fold up packets being sure to leave space at the top of the fish and fold ends in to tightly seal the packet.  Place packets in oven on a sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes.  Open packet carefully to allow steam to vent.  You can serve directly in the foil or transfer fish and veggies to a plate to serve.

Sesame Noodles

You know how I love quick and easy recipes that travel well.....here is another one. 

Ingredients:

1 lb thin spaghetti
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/2 cup edamame, cooked and shelled
1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds (optional)
1 Tablespoon black sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation:

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain and set aside.  Combine, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil in a large bowl and whisk until completely combined.  Add hot pasta into soy sauce mixture and toss until coated evenly.  Add in scallions, edamame and sesame seeds, Toss.  Refrigerate to allow flavors to meld together.  Serve, cold or room temperature (I prefer room temperature)

Linked to Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Asian Glazed Chicken

This has to be the easiest, no fuss chicken recipe out there.  It's just two ingredients (well if you don't count the salt and pepper).

Ingredients:

1/1/2 - 2 lbs of chicken pieces on the bone

1 40 oz jar of Dai Day Duck Sauce (it must be Dai Day brand)

salt and pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Salt and pepper chicken pieces and place in greased baking dish.  Pour Dai Day Duck Sauce over the chicken to cover.  Bake in oven for an 1 - 1 1/2 hours basting chicken every 20-25 minutes until sauce is dark in color and chicken is caramelized.

Bok Choy Salad

My family has been making this salad for a very long time and it never disappoints. This a classic Susie Fischbein recipe from the original Kosher Palate cookbook. There a very few ingredients which makes it easy to throw together for a get together or to bring to someone's barbecue. The dressing is made from regular pantry ingredients (with the only exception of the oriental ramen noodles). This salad components can be prepared the day before and left in the refrigerator overnight. A couple of tips: Leave the sunflower seeds, ramen noodles and almonds off the salad until just before serving so they stay nice and crunchy. I never use the entire bottle of dressing on the salad. I use approximately 2/3 of it. I think it is better lightly dressed. Another good tip is to toast up the ramen noodles in a dry frying pan until lightly browned. I personally think they taste better that way.

Ingredients:

2 pkg ramen noodles (oriental flavor)
3/4 C. sugar
3/4 C. olive oil
1/3 C. white vinegar (apple cider vinegar works well too)
2 tsp. soy sauce
3 heads bok choy
2 bunches of scallions, chopped
1 (7.25 oz) jar of sunflower seeds
3 c. sliced almonds

Preparation:

Removing seasoning packets from ramen noodles and set noodles aside.  Combine seasoning packets, sugar, oil, vinegar, and soy sauce in a cruet or jar.  Cover tightly and shake vigorously (dressing may be prepared in advance). Slice bok choy into bite size pieces, including the stems.  Combine bok choy, scallions, sunflower seeds, and almonds in a large bowl.  Toss gently with dressing. Top with ramen noodles and toss.

Linked to Salad Round Up at Seaside Simplicityhttp://seasidesimplicity.blogspot.com/

Moo Shu Chicken Egg Rolls

I have always wanted to tackle the egg roll. After last night, I now know why I never have. LOL What a mess!!! It was fun to try and they actually came out really delicious but it was a lot of work and a lot of cleaning. I think if I had a fry daddy or something like that it would have been easier than using a boiling pot of oil. Either way, I am happy that I took the challenge. The pay off was the fact that the kids both loved them.




Ingredients:

8-10 egg roll wrappers
3/4 -1 pound chicken cutlets, sliced into thin strips
1 small onion, chopped
1 package of sliced mushrooms
1 T. crushed garlic
1/2 bag of broccoli slaw mix (or regular cole slaw mix)
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of hoisin sauce
1/4 cup of mustard (any kind)
4 T. oil

Preparation:

For filling:

Mix soy sauce, mustard and hoisin sauce together in a medium bowl. Toss chicken strips with the sauce mixture and set aside (you could also do this in advance and leave in the refrigerator to marinate). On medium high heat, saute onion and mushrooms in 1/2 the oil until very tender. Add garlic and broccoli mix and continue to cook down until soft. Remove from pan. Add more oil and cook chicken strips through. Add back the veggie mixture to the chicken and continue to cook until the liquid reduces. Remove from heat to cool enough to handle.

Assembling egg rolls:

On clean. dry work surface, place approx 2-3 tablespoons (more if your wrapper is larger) of mixture on one side of the egg roll wrapper leaving a 1/2 border around the sides of the wrapper. Roll wrapper around mixture, folding in the sides. At the end, wet your index finger and rub along all the sides of the wrapper in order to seal the ends well. Repeat until all of the filling or the wrappers are gone.

Here is another way to roll an egg roll:
On a clean work surface, orient a wrapper so that a corner points toward you. Place 2-3 tablespoons (more if your wrapper is larger)of filling near the corner closest to you. Fold that corner over the filling and then fold the sides over toward the center. Roll the rest up toward the far corner. Wash the edges of the far corner with the beaten egg white and gently seal the egg roll. Repeat until all of the filling or the wrappers are gone.

Heat oil on medium heat. Fry egg rolls two at a time. DO NOT WALK AWAY!!! These will fry up quickly. Fry until golden brown on all sides. Place on paper toweling to drain.

Honey Teriyaki Skirt Steak

Skirt steak is my favorite type of steak to eat.  I love it on the grill but in the winter a grill pan on the stove top works great too.  This is the one meal that we NEVER have leftovers.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 Tablespoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons honey

1.5 lbs skirt steak (fat trimmed)

Mix soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and honey in a small bowl until combined.  Place skirt steak in a large gallon ziploc bag and pour marinade over steak.  Seal bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hrs.  Preheat grill pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, add steaks and grill 5-7 minutes on each side until outside of steak is seared and caramelized and inside is medium rare.  (Grill longer for thicker steaks).

Chicken Potstickers with Soy Honey Dipping Sauce

Love this recipe.  It's a combination of a few different recipes and always depends on what I have in my kitchen at the moment I want to make them.  I played around until I got this final recipe.  My whole family loves these potstickers.  My sister Karen thought they sounded good and just made them for her family (this is her picture)and they came out exactly like mine.  I like these because they are a combination of pan fried and steamed. They are a little labor intensive but so worth it.  I still have to figure out how to make them without my husband and kids eating them while I'm still making them.  Typically I finally finish cooking and I'm ready to eat and they are all done.

Ingredients:

12 oz of ground chicken
1/4 cup finely chopped mushroom
1 tablespoon finely chopped bamboo shoots
2 tablespoons finely chopped waterchestnuts
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon of ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
50 wonton wrappers

Mix together all ingredients until combined. Layout 8 wonton wrappers at a time being careful to keep the rest out of the air (or they will dry up - place a damp paper towel over the top of the package) spoon about 2 teaspoons of chicken mixture into the middle of each wonton wrapper. With your finger tip wet all 4 sides of the wonton wrapper with a little water (keep a small bowl of water infront of you so you can do this quickly) Pull up opposite corners and pinch together and then pull up the other two corners and pinch together to form a little "purse" Repeat until you are done with all 50 wonton wrappers. Keep the finished potstickers on a platter with damp towel over the top so the won't dry out while you are finishing preparing the rest of the potstickers.Heat about 2 tablespoons of veg oil in the bottom of a large skillet. Add the potstickers to the hot oil but do not over crowd, the potstickers should not be touching. Brown the bottoms of the potstickers for about 2-3 minutes and then add about 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover the pan and allow the potstickers to steam for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Soy Honey Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons of honey

whisk together and enjoy