Food Maker, Chef, and Traveling Diner
Yes, I said it: sloppy Joes! Okay, so it’s a guilty pleasure, but I see no guilt in eating it when I really want something to satisfy my childhood craving. The subtle spices of sloppy Joes can be something to master, although once you do, …
An Early Father’s Day Wish… What does a father really need on father’s day? My dad likes peace and quiet, maybe a couple of packs of pro v golf balls, or these days to pitch in on his latest eBay find, some food, and a …
In Los Angeles its spring in full motion, the clouds are peaking from the top of the sky for the weekend with a bit of rain but the weather reached over 100 one day this week and in the last couple of days it has been at least 85 degrees and I’ve been sun bathing and taking in the glory of the season.
I love cooking for the weather. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s hot heavy foods that stick to your ribs when its 100 degrees out.
I’ve been looking for very light delicious options for food these days that are fast and clean up easy. Having a new baby in the house has dramatically affected my kitchen situation. She is so beautiful and worth it but its very hard to food blog at times and devote the time to cooking, writing, photographing so all you out there doing so with your busy lives I commend you on all your hard work.
I think I’m starting to get the hang of it a bit. I’m still looking for kitchens to use whenever possible so if you’re in the LA area and would like to cook or have someone cook for you let me know.
These spring rolls are something my sister in laws mother had made around Christmas time. I thought the flavor of the peanut sauce and the ingredients were so wonderful that I would have to make them sometime. I knew that I would probably make them for cooking class which I did but also ended up making some for friends at a dinner party, vegetarian ones for my best friend, and some sausage and shrimp for my family. The ingredients are fairly simple there is a different way to prepare them for everyone so I definitely believe this is something anyone herbivore carnivore alike should try. This is a pretty inexpensive appetizer or light meal you can make these beautiful spring time rolls and stun your family and friends. I hope you enjoy.
Spring Rolls with pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, shrimp, and longanizas
Medium sized Rice Paper
Vermicelli noodles
2 Carrots peeled and cut into ¼ inch strips
½ small Cucumber cut into ¼ inch strips
Small piece of Dikon radish peeled and cut into ¼ inch strips
½ cup of rice wine vinegar (you can use seasoned if you want a simple way to pickle the vegetables)
If using unseasoned add about a teaspoon and ½ of salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar to vinegar and dissolve then add carrots dikon and cucumber let soak at least an hour in fridge or for longer if you want a more intense pickling . This step can be omitted and the carrots and dikon can just be steamed or boiled for about 5 minutes instead then placed in a ice bath.
Shrimp Peeled Deveined and sautéed in oil salt and pepper to taste
Longanizas (philipino chorizo) grilled or baked till warmed through, then cooled, and sliced into strips or omitted
Cilantro picked from stems
Mint leaves picked from stems
Once you prepared all vegetables and meats that you want in your spring rolls
place vermicelli noodles in extremely hot water and let soak till pliable about 3-4 minutes drain
In a dish large enough to hold your rice paper place hot- very warm water. Make sure it’s not too hot that you are unable to place your hands in the water to soften the rice paper.
Take a piece of rice paper and place the 1st edge of the paper in the water then rotate the rice paper around so that its outer edges have been soaked all the way around in one rotation. Then place the paper completely submerged in the water and flip once. The paper should now seem very pliable, be care to not have it stick to itself when taking out from water. Place on a flat surface so that the paper is not folding over on itself.
About ½ way in the middle of the paper put down 3 or 4 shrimp on the wrapper
Then place rice noodles
pickled vegetables
herbs
and sausage
Then to roll the spring roll
Lift the edge of the rice paper closest to you and cover the ingredients you placed in the center of the roll.
Be careful not to pull the wrapper too hard or it will tear, cover the ingredients with the rice paper and tuck the one side under
Then tuck the right side of the paper over toward the center And then the left
Continue to roll the center closed and press the sides of the spring roll in tightly
Finally you’ll reach the other side and the roll will be complete
Peanut sauce
¾ cup peanut better smooth or chunky depending on your preference of smooth or chunky sauce. I made it with both its good each way
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of sambal chile sauce or Sriracha (change this for your preference of heat)
½ to 1 cup of water (depending on how thick you want your sauce to be)So I Mix these ingredients together to form a slightly thick sauce that is sweet spicy and salty the combination of flavors goes very well with this spring roll.
These can also be done vegetarian no meat inside and some roasted peanuts for crunch.
I hope these seem a little more approachable to you all
Cheers
Unrivaledkitch
Baking as you can tell is something I’ve grown to love. There is something that is to be said about a perfectly chewy cookie, a beautiful cake, or a wonderful sweet flavor combination and during my chef days I probably would of never said that …
Life, I’m sure is overwhelming at times for us all. And if it’s not, please tell me what planet you’re residing on, I’ll take a ticket there any time. My life over the last 10 months has become a place where I frequently feel at …
Do you eat artichokes? Have you ever not eaten artichokes because they’re such a pain in the ass? If you’re in this category then this may be for you.
Spring is the season for these giants in the veggie world, if you’re used to eating carrots and celery this might not be the next step for you but if you want something that is definitely engaging your pallet and your napkin, Artichokes are a brilliant vegetable to bring to the table.
When I was working back at my old Italian Restaurant, in the early days, my boss told us we were going to put roasted fresh artichokes on the menu and I just rolled my eyes and said good thing I’m not on the salad station. It was one of those things that just really made me annoyed. The tough skins would dull my knives I would constantly get picked with those stupid sharp things on them, they would get black if there wasn’t enough lemon water; it was just so much for such a little thing. But then I ate them and I realized artichokes not from a can have a fresh delicious tender roasted woody flavor and nothing compares. So here I have for you to share in the pain and anguish of artichoke breaking down and roasting. You’ll need a bit of time in the beginning but after that you’ve got it. The simplicity of these beautiful roasted artichokes are where it’s at but its up to you to keep an eye on them. Try one 1st and see if you cooked it though it needs more time or you like them a little softer, play with your food, a little salt pepper olive oil and some garlic powder and they are ready to devour.
Olive Oil Roasted Artichokes
1 large pot of boiling water ½ lemon added and about 1 ½ tablespoons of salt to the water
3 tablespoons best extra virgin olive oil you got
1 pinch of black pepper
1 small pinch of garlic powder
1 large pinch and a half of salt
Now for trimming
With a large sharp knife cut the top of the artichoke about 1/4 to a 1/3 of the way from the top and discard also cut off about 1/4 of a inch from the bottom of the stem so its not dry and hard
Peel off leaves from around the bottom of the stem about 3 levels up to get all those prickly pokers off. If you have a lot all over use some kitchen scissors and snip them. don’t waste all the leaves
Place the artichoke on the board and cut it length wise in ½
Now take a big spoon and place it at the part of the artichoke where the fuzz is and hallow out the purple part and the fuzzy part till their all gone. Discard
Now check that all the dark and fuzzy parts are gone
With a peeler or a paring knife you choose, peel the tough part of the stem away from the flesh and around the bottom part of the artichoke where you peeled the leaves off to make it smooth. lightly as to not break the stems those are a delicious part of the artichoke
Place in boiling lemon water about 10 – 12 minutes till fork tender at the stem depending on your artichoke. I’d say not to walk away from them and to check them at 8 minutes because you don’t want them over cooked they fall apart and are gross. You still want them to have a little bite because you’re going to roast them as well. Keep those things in mind especially if this is your 1st time making these, just watch them. It will definitely vary in time if your artichokes are larger or smaller.
Once you take them out of the water place them in a baking dish but 1st make sure you drain most of the water out of them before you place them in the dish if you find a pool of water left in them drain them in a strainer 1st for about 5 minutes and then place in a baking sheet.
Preheat your oven to 425
Pour olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder over the artichokes and toss till well coated and between the leaves
place the artichokes cut side up 1st and roast in the preheated oven for 8 minutes check and see that the top side is golden if it isn’t then leave them in for about 2-3 minutes then flip them over and roast about 8 minutes on the other side till golden using the same rule for the 1st side
Take out of the oven. If your artichokes haven’t browned well depending on your oven then place them in the broiler for about 1-2 minutes till golden
There you have it Olive Oil roasted Artichokes.
You beat them
Feel good about yourself and then make more
Practice makes perfect, enjoy 🙂
Unrivaledkitch