Spring Rolls

Fresh spring rolls are a popular item in many Vietnamese restaurants. Vegetables, shrimp and chicken are wrapped in delicate rice paper rolls. The dipping sauce was delicious, a light sweet and spicy sauce complemented the flavor of the rolls. Here is a recipe from epicuious for the dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fermented fish sauce (nam pla)*
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced jalapeño chili with seeds

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Once every three or four months, my husband travels to Southeast Asia for work. Sometimes he will bring a culinary item back for me to add to my collection at home. I now have 12 sets of chopsticks and this adorable condement holder. I decided it was time to use the chopsticks and the sauce dish, so chicken lettuce wraps it was.

I shredded a rotisserie chicken, shredded a carrot and cucumber, and placed it with a half of an iceburg head. Soy sauce, sweet and sour, and peanut sauce filled the condement cups. Rice and Edamame complemented our wraps.

Peanut Sauce was the best part of this dinner. I have never been satisfied with store bought peanut sauce, so tonight I made my own. This recipe is from Amy, and it is a spoonful of heaven. Here is the recipe:

Perfect Peanut Sauce
From Cooking with Amy

1/4 cup peanut butter (natural, no sugar added kind)
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup coconut milk (lite is fine, if you prefer or substitute water)
1/4 cup water
red chili flake to taste
chili garlic sauce to taste or 1 clove crushed garlic

Optional:
sesame oil
curry paste
rice wine vinegar
fish sauce
grated ginger
shallots sauteed till brown in oil
Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl, adding the water last. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until sauce begins to bubble and thicken. Experiment with this sauce adding a teaspoon at a time of one the optional additions and tasting as you go. Serve hot or cold.

I didn’t use any of the optional ingredients, and it was still divine.

Let me know if you like it too.

Good-bye, faithful grill pan

There is no question as to what my favorite kitchen item is. I love my grill pan. It is two sided, fits on the stove over two burners, and makes those perfect grill lines on food. I use the grill pan almost every night, for chicken, turkey burgers, veggies and grilled fruit. The problem with the grill pan is that it sets the smoke alarm off every time I use it. We hear the smoke alarm so often, “The Daily Smoke Alarm” was the original name of this blog.Today, I said good-bye to the large grill pan, and bought a new, smaller grill pan at Crate and Barrel. Hopefully, it will control the smoke and heat output a little better. ***UPDATE 05 january 08***Grill Pan #2 has been replaced, due to extreme ammounts of smoke, weight and difficulty to clean. The new grill pan is going to be a keeper. It is light, non-stick, and produces perfect grill lines. This grill pan is from IKEA.  Here is my recipe for a grilled veggie sandwich:Grilled Vegetable Sandwich1 green squash1 yellow summer squash1 portobello mushroom1 roma tomato1/4 white onion, sliced thin1 roasted red pepperolive oilsalt and pepper1/3 c. goat cheese or ricotta1 loaf cibatta, focaccia, or baguetteSlice veggies at an angle, 1/2 inch thick. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat grill pan on high, try to avoid setting of the smoke alarm. Place each piece on the grill pan. Do not move, we want the grill lines to show on each piece. Grill on both sides until slightly charred and just cooked through. Remove with tongs.Slice ciabatta bread in half. Over a preheated hot grill or under broiler, using tongs, grill bread until grill marks appear about 2 to 4 minutes. Spread goat cheese or ricotta on the inside of the bread. Add a layer of each veggie. Place bread on top. Serve warm.