Fresh Rolls

Somedays, I think I could live off Fresh Rolls. It's hard get tired of them. They're light and tasty. Easy to make. Good portions. Versatile. What's not to love? These make a perfect appetizer, meal, or snack. If you're looking for something reasonable to eat, I highly recommend!

Of course, no fresh roll would be complete without some yummy peanut sauce. I'm always in the pursuit of the perfect peanut sauce. I found this one and I like it better than the one from Love and Olive Oil that I've used in the past. The best veggie Fresh Roll in this area is from Bangkok 54 located in Arlington, VA. Theirs are made with tofu, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, and avocado. Check it out some time.

Note: it's hard to give exact measurements because it depends on how many you want to make. Best way to do the math and is ask yourself, "how many do I want to make?" Also, there is a difference between Thai basil and regular basil. You'll probably have to go to a global store to find some but it's worth it. The taste is more assertive and less sweet.

This makes about 16 rolls.

Rolls

24 Shrimp- peeled, deveined, and cut in half
about 1/4 cup Thai basil
about 1/4 cup mint
4 big lettuce leaves, chopped
4 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
about 1/4 cup bean sprouts
16 rice wrappers (8.5 in diameter)

Peanut Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup roasted peanuts, ground, for garnish
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili paste or sriracha sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
3/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons peanut butter (or more)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce

For the rolls... Put some water to boil in a small sauce pan to cook the shrimp. Peel, clean, and devein the shrimp. There are 2 veins to look for, the one on the back and the one on the inside (see below). Some people don't devein them- it's up to you. Break the spine of the shrimp by gently bending or making a small cut on the spine. When the water reaches a gentle boil, add the shrimp. The shrimp will turn into a soft pink/orange color signifying they're cooked. Drain and set to the side.

Once they have cooled, cut them in half down the middle. If you cut them before you cook them, they will shrivel up. They are still good to eat but annoying to work with.

In a larger pot, put water to boil. Once it reaches a boil, dump the noodles in. Lower the heat slightly and cook for about 8 minutes. Drain.

Take a wide, shallow pan or bowl and fill with warm water to dip the rice paper. Don't use hot water because it can 1) burn your finger tips and 2) sometimes the rice wrapper will fold in on itself.

Set up your work station like an assembly line. You'll have your basil, lettuce, bean sprouts, and mint ready to go. Noodles check. Shrimp check. Have one plate in front of you for wrapping and another to set your completed rolls.

Take the rice wrapper and submerge in the shallow pan/bowl of warm water. Set down on your plate so it's flat and even. Take a small handful of noodles and place about an inch from the outside of the rice wrapper that is closest to you. If you place it in the middle- you cannot really 'roll' it. By placing it closer, you can wrap easier.

Place a few bits of the mint, basil, lettuce, and bean sprout. Lastly, add the shrimp. I like to use 1 and half shrimp per roll. It's all up to you.

Once you are satisfied with the contents of the roll, firmly but gently roll ONCE so all of the contents are encased in the rice paper. Like you're wrapping a present, fold the outside edges of the roll in. By doing this, you wrap the edges inside the roll so it's nice and solid. If you just wrap the roll and then fold in the excess wrapper, it would not hold together very well. Sometimes the rice wrapper can tear, don't worry. That's normal.

To make the peanut sauce.... Heat the oil slowly and add the garlic, and chili paste. Fry until garlic is golden brown. Add the broth, sugar, peanut butter, and hoisin sauce, and whisk to dissolve the peanut butter. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Garnish with the ground peanuts.

RhuBars

Rhubarb. What is the big freaking deal about rhubarb? I have seen it all over the food blog world. It looks like red celery but supposedly gives anything a touch of class. I think people just like the sound of it- 'rhubarb.' Maybe if you roll the 'r'. Quite frankly, all the hype on rhubarb was starting to annoy me so I had to check it out.

It's season is from April to September. The leaves are considered toxic but are usually removed by the seller. Look for long, firm, fleshy stalks for optimal taste and freshness. Look for that strong, red color.

The pretty color of the bars is what lured me in; I'm simple-minded like that. I hate to say it because I don't want to be a groupie but... my goodness. These bars are wonderful and really neat to make. Bear in mind, this was my 1st time playing with rhubarb. They gently fell apart in the pot and transformed into this light pink puree in a matter of minutes. I was impressed.

The flavor? It's kind of like a lemon but not as zesty. Tart. Refreshing and light. I think eating one bar is perfect. I was tickled that such a flavor exists in a veggie that looks like celery. Okay Rhubarb. You've won me over. At least in this recipe. The crust is delicious as well! I found these lovely bars by Lara Ferroni. The curd is adapted from Ginger Tablet and the crust from Joe Pastry.

Note, you will have left over puree. Save it in the fridge as a spread. It can last up to a week. This recipe calls for a 9x5 baking dish. I couldn't find one at the time so I used an 8x8. If you have the 9x5, I strongly encourage using it to make the bars cut more evenly. Also, let them cool completely before you serve them! My brother was literally circling the dish so I cut them early. While they tasted perfect, the were not 100% settled as you can see in the pictures.

Rhubarb Curd

400 grams/ almost 1 lb of rhubarb (about 10 to 15 stalks)
1/4 cup sugar

6 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional, if you want more tartness)
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut up into chunks
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Crust

4 ounces butter, room temperature
1 cup (136 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350. Makes about a dozen bars.

Make the rhubarb puree. Wash and chop rhubarb into 1/2 inch chunks. There is no need to peel, but if your stalks are particularly large, you might trim off any tough parts. Stir the rhubarb and 1/4 cup of sugar together and let sit for about 10 minutes. Place in a medium sized pot with about 1/4 cup of water and cook over low heat until you can no longer see whole pieces. Turn off the heat and let cool to room temperature. Blend to a smooth puree if you desire (this will remove any remaining little stringy bits, but it isn’t necessary).

While this is cooling, make the crust. Place the butter, flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Start on low speed, stir until it resembles course crumbs. Then increase speed slightly and continue to mix until a soft dough forms. Lara says it's kind of like magic and she wasn't kidding! The crumbs eventually turn into a nice, soft dough.

Take the dough and press it into a 9x 5 baking dish. Let rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes, and then bake until it is lightly golden, about 20 minutes. While the dough is baking, finish preparing the curd.

By now, the puree should have cooled to room temperature and is ready to be made into curd. In a double boiler, whisk the egg yolks, remaining sugar and salt. Whisk until well combined and warm. Add about 1 cup of the stewed rhubarb and the lemon zest (optional). Keep stirring until the mixture is warm again. Check for taste and add more of the pureed rhubarb until you get the desired flavor and color.

Remove from heat and stir in the butter chunks.

Pour the enough curd onto the crust to make a layer a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Make sure it settles evenly by gently tapping on the counter. Bake for another 10 minutes, until the curd has set. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate if desired (it’s easier to slice when chilled). Dust with powdered sugar and serve!

These bars were demolished in my house, so make sure you have enough to share!

Banana Bread II

Yes, I love banana bread. Why? Because we always have an excess of bananas in my house that I don't want to go bad. Just thinking of it, there are three in the kitchen right now calling my name.

I found this recipe and gave it a shot. I must say, it is yummy! Unfortunately, I didn't have coconut flakes on hand. So I made some adjustments. Next time, I'll be sure to make the lime glaze. It just didn't sound right with chocolate chips.

This recipe beats the one that family has used over the years. I think it cooked more evenly and was a little lighter tasting. This was my first time using rum in a bread recipe. I'm starting to like booze and baking, hehe!

2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut OR chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut or chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut (optional). Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.

Baked Donuts

Baked Donuts? Sure- I'll give anything a try. I must admit, they were a bit rushed towards the end. The first batch got frosted properly, the second half.... not so much. I got a little distracted =) It's difficult when you have Jack in your house.

This is a time consumer because the dough has to rise. I cut out the donuts with a cup and cut the holes with the base of one of my frosting tips. Hey man, gets the job done. I was impatient and used salted butter in the frosting- it tasted like Auntie Anne a little bit. Whatever you do- don't over cook them and don't burn the yeast! Serve immediately. This makes about 2 dozen donuts.

Oh! Don't throw out the donut holes either! Let them rise like the donuts, then bake for a shorter amount of time, about 5 minutes. These make yummy bite-sized treats.

Thanks for the recipe 101 Cookbooks

Donut:

1 1/3 cups warm milk, 95 to 105 degrees (divided)
1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch or two of nutmeg, freshly grated
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Place 1/3 cup of the warm milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and set aside for five minutes or so. Be sure your milk isn't too hot or it will kill the yeast. Stir the butter and sugar into the remaining cup of warm milk and add it to the yeast mixture. With a fork, stir in the eggs, flour, nutmeg, and salt - just until the flour is incorporated. With the dough hook attachment of your mixer beat the dough for a few minutes at medium speed. If your dough is too sticky, add flour a few tablespoons at a time. Too dry? Add more milk a bit at a time. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and eventually become supple and smooth. Turn it out onto a floured counter-top, knead a few times (the dough should be barely sticky), and shape into a ball.

Transfer the dough to a buttered (or oiled) bowl, cover, put in a warm place and let rise for an hour or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and roll it out 1/2-inch thick on your floured countertop. Cut out the circles with what you have- cookie cutter, cup, etc. Transfer the circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet and stamp out the smaller inner circles using a smaller cutter. If you cut the inner holes out any earlier, they become distorted when you attempt to move them. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise for another 45 minutes.

Bake in a 375 degree oven until the bottoms are just golden, 8 to 10 minutes - start checking around 8. While the doughnuts are baking, place the butter in a medium bowl. Place the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool for just a minute or two. Dip each one in the melted butter and a quick toss in the sugar bowl.

Vietnamese Coffee Sundaes with Crushed Peanut Brittle

Vietnamese Iced Coffee is a must. It's French pressed drip coffee served with condensed milk and it's divine! So long as you don't go too crazy with the milk- I like my coffee strong and bitter. My girlfriend Yen-Nei sent me this recipe to try out. It definitely has the iced coffee taste to it but I would go easy on the peanut brittle- it's very sweet! Serve with or without the brittle, depending on your taste buds. I put some peanuts in a food processor to garnish mine. If you really like that coffee taste, add another tablespoon of the instant coffee! Perfect for a hot day where you need a refreshing boost!

Peanut Brittle:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Coffee:

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons instant coffee mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of hot water

Whip Cream:

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar

Base:

2 pints vanilla ice cream

Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of the sugar with the water and bring to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat, undisturbed, until an amber caramel forms, about 12 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the roasted peanuts, cinnamon, and salt until the peanuts are evenly coated. Scrape the caramel mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Let stand until the brittle is hardened, about 20 minutes.

Break off 4 medium-size pieces of peanut brittle. Place the remaining brittle in a resealable plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin to crush the brittle into small pieces.

In a medium bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk with the dissolved instant coffee.

In another medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar at high speed until softly whipped.

Scoop the ice cream into 4 bowls and drizzle with the milky coffee. Sprinkle with the crushed peanut brittle and top with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with the reserved pieces of peanut brittle and serve at once.