Fried Spring Rolls with Nuoc Cham

So, I practically lived on these when I was pregnant with my third baby.  This is definitely a top contender for those "last meal" lists.  I could die happy after feasting on these.  Truly.  It's a labor of love to produce these, but I swear, it's worth the time!

Most spring roll wrappers are rice paper, but you can find wheat wrappers if you look (Whole Foods carries them).  They look just like rice paper, only tan-colored, and you use them the same way.  I mention this because I've had much better results with the wheat version.  Frying rice papers gets, well, sticky.  Literally sticky.  If you can't have wheat then rice is still an option, you just have to be extra careful when frying them.

Amendment, June 12, 2014:  If you are looking to copy the fried spring rolls that you find in restaurants, then I have just been informed that you can purchase frozen spring roll wrappers at most Asian markets.  They look like egg roll wrappers but they are NOT the same.  They are much thinner and should be labeled for spring rolls.  Apparently these are really easy to fry, as opposed to the kind I used here.  Hope that helps!

Fried Spring Rolls with Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

6 tbsp. sugar

3/4 cup warm water

6 tbsp. fish sauce

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

2 garlic cloves

Combine sugar and water, stir until dissolved.  Add remaining ingredients in a bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool.  This also mellows the garlic.  

4 ounces dried bean thread noodles (cellophane noodles)

shitake or wood ear mushrooms (2 oz dried or 6 oz. fresh)

1 medium shallot, minced

4 cloves garlic, pressed

2 cups shredded carrot

2 lbs. cooked ground pork and/or shrimp meat

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 tbsp. sugar

salt and pepper

wheat spring roll wrappers

iceberg lettuce

English cucumbers

salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Soften bean thread noodles according to package instructions.  If using dried mushrooms you'll also need to soften those in water.  Once softened, cut noodles into 2 inch lengths and finely chop mushrooms.  Combine remaining ingredients (through salt and pepper) in a large bowl and stir until evenly mixed.

I recommend that you wrap as many spring rolls as you plan to make all at the same time before beginning to fry them.  To soften a wrapper simply place them in a shallow pan or pie plate filled with hot tap water for a few seconds.  Once soft pull it out of the water and place on counter-top.  Place 2 tbsp. filling about 2 inches from the edge closest to you and fold that edge over the filling. Roll tightly about halfway, fold the sides in and finish the roll.  It is very important to make sure the wrapper goes all the way around the filling TWICE.  If it doesn't, try using less filling or making your rolls longer and skinnier.  If it doesn't go around twice, the single layer will break when you are frying them and you will have filling explode in your hot oil.  Frustrating, messy, and wasteful.  Place filled rolls on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Once all your rolls are filled you can begin frying.  These turn out much better if you fry them twice.  The first time just until they are firm and the second time until they are browned.  Heat about 2 inches of oil in a pot.  It should be hot enough that the rolls sizzle when placed in the oil but not so hot that it smokes or burns the rolls.  It's important that the rolls not touch each other, they will stick together if they do, so only do 2-4 at a time (depending on the size of you pot.)  As they are frying be sure to pop any bubbles that form.  Turn once to cook evenly.  On the first fry remove rolls from oil once they are no longer soft or sticky but before they begin to brown.  Drain and cool on a baking sheet lined with paper towels while you continue with the rest.  On the second fry begin with the cooled rolls and fry until they develop an opaque browned crispness.  Drain fried rolls on baking sheet lined with fresh paper towels.  

Slice rolls in half at an angle and serve with dipping sauce (add peanuts, if desired), soy sauce, sliced cucumbers, and iceberg lettuce leaves.  Wrapping the lettuce and cucumbers around the rolls makes it easier to handle them while hot.  Enjoy!

Avocado Deviled Eggs

I really wanted a somewhat healthy St. Patrick's Day treat to go along with the delicious cupcakes my friend made for our Bible Study kids, so I whipped up these green deviled eggs this morning.  Total hit!

Avocado Deviled eggs

6 eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 small avocado

1/4 cup chopped spinach

pinch of salt and celery seed powder

fresh parsley

Place eggs in pot and cover with water by 1 inch.  Bring to boil, cover with lid and turn off heat.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Drain, cover with cold water to cool, then peel.  Slice eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolk.  Place whites on a plate, set aside.  Place yolks in a bowl or food processor along with mayo, mustard, avocado, spinach, salt and celery powder.  Blend or mash until smooth.  Spoon filling into the egg white halves.  For a fancier look, pipe filling from a frosting bag fitted with a star tip.  Top each with parsley leaf.

Turkish Eggs

Anyone who knows me well knows by now that I eat this all the time.  It's my breakfast of choice.  I owe it all to my best friend, Brooke.  Life-changing eggs... really.  

It seems like a lot of work, but since the yogurt warms in the oven while you cook the eggs it really doesn't take much more time than making any other kind of eggs.  Since I eat this regularly, I mix 2 cloves of garlic into an entire 16 oz. container of Greek yogurt (Fage Total is my favorite) and make a batch of paprika parsley butter in my food processor and keep both in my fridge.  Then I only have to put some yogurt and butter in a bowl and place it in the oven while I poach my eggs.  Easy-peasy.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Turkish Eggs (serves 4)

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 clove garlic

salt

4 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika

chopped fresh parsley

4-8 eggs (1-2 per person)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Press garlic into yogurt, add a pinch of salt and mix together well.  Divide into four oven safe bowls.  Place bowls in oven to warm the yogurt.  Poach individual eggs to desired doneness, placing finished eggs in bowls of yogurt in the oven to keep warm.  Stir paprika into melted butter.  When finished poaching eggs, remove bowls from oven and top with 1 Tbsp. melted butter and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.  Salt to taste.

Toasted Coconut Chips

Around Christmas time I was shopping at Cost Plus World Market for stocking-stuffers.  As usual, I was also browsing through products to see what things I could add to my pantry.  I commented to an employee that I was happy to see they carried coconut sugar, because the closest place to get it that I knew of was 30 minutes away.  "You like coconut?" she asked.  "You have to try these!"  I followed her and she handed me a bag of DANG Toasted Coconut Chips.  Yowsa!  I was hooked the moment I tried them!

Fast forward to about 2 weeks ago.  I receive fresh fruit and milk deliveries at my home from a local organic company.  In my box was a fresh coconut.  I had never used one before and I had no idea what to do with it.  After looking up "how to open a fresh coconut" on youtube, I made my attempt.  It was easy!  I just punched some holes into the eyes with a hammer and a Phillips screwdriver, emptied the water, and then tapped the horizontal circumference of the coconut with the same hammer until it cracked open.  After removing and peeling the meat I simply sliced it into thin slices with a paring knife to try my hand at homemade toasted coconut chips.  Total success!

Slice fresh coconut meat as thinly as possible. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tsp. salt to 1 cup reserved coconut water and dissolve. Add to coconut shavings in plastic bag. Squeeze out excess air and let soak overnight (about 10-12 hours). Strain, spread shavings in a thin layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat. Bake at 200 degrees for about 4-5 hours, checking frequently, until desired crispness is achieved. They will be slightly chewy while warm, but when they cool they are delightfully crisp.  Enjoy!

Palek Pakora (Spinach Fritters) with Cilantro Chutney

In my opinion all cooking is intuition based and is never really an exact science.  You must do to learn.  Start where you are and learn from your mistakes and successes.  Deep frying is a perfect example, and fritters are an easy and cheap thing to practice on.

 That said, let's get a few things straight:  I'm not gluten-free.  I'm not dairy-free.  I will NEVER be vegan.  However, just because I'm not those things doesn't mean I can't enjoy those things.  A lot.  So much so, that I will make up endless batches of these with my kids, forever.  Much thanks to a sweet lady, who emigrated from India, for introducing me to garbanzo bean flour, and how it makes impossibly amazing fritters.  Don't stop at spinach.  You can batter small pieces of just about any vegetable in this.  Just make sure they are small and/or thin pieces so they'll cook through before burning.  Great accompaniment to Indian food.

Palek Pakora and Cilantro Chutney

1 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
pinch of salt

Mix together and add enough water to reach a pancake batter consistency (too much and the batter won't stick, not enough and you'll have too much batter on the spinach and it won't get crispy)

fresh spinach leaves or 
other veggies (thinly sliced zucchini, green beans, bell peppers)

Batter individual pieces and deep fry* in 2-3 inches of vegetable oil (or canola, or shortening, whatever you prefer) heated over medium heat, until golden brown, turning once.  Serve with cilantro chutney:

1 small tomato, seeded
leaves from 1 small bunch cilantro 
1/4 white onion
2 whole canned green chiles OR
about 1/4 cup chopped canned green chiles
(I've even used jarred salsa verde in a pinch)
juice from 1/2 lemon
pinch of salt and cumin

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until salsa-like consistency is achieved.

*Test oil temp with a drop of batter.  It should sizzle immediately and brown slowly.  Never let your oil start smoking, that means it too hot, and never crowd your pot, you'll risk the oil cooling too much to cook everything quickly.  

Strawberry Jam and Goat Cheese Shortbread Thumbprints

Spring is in the air... and I want to put goat cheese on everything.  It's so fresh and tangy, and goes so well with the flavors of spring.  Baby lettuce salads, asparagus soup, berry desserts.  I love goat cheese.  I could eat it on just about anything.  These basic shortbread style thumbprints are a favorite recipe of mine because they can be flavored and filled with just about anything you have on hand.  Salted caramel, jam, chocolate, peanut butter, Nutella, pumpkin and cream cheese, even savory combinations (sans sugar) like bacon and cheddar... the variations are endless.  Here's my most recent combination.  Enjoy!

3/4 cup softened butter (1 1/2 sticks)

1/2 cup sugar

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

strawberry jam

goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar in mixer, mix in flour. Scrape bowl and mix again. It should be dry and crumbly. Dump out on counter top and press the dough together. Scoop dough into 1" balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat . Indent with thumb. Bake, one tray at a time, on the center rack for 13 minutes, rotating tray after 10 minutes. Cookies should be golden around the edges. Fill warm cookies with a small dot of goat cheese and top with strawberry jam. Allow to cool completely before eating.