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Spring Rolls
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends
It seems that Memorial Day is nothing more to most people than a time for cookouts and swim parties. We cannot be reminded enough about how great a debt we owe our soldiers who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today. Their sacrifice should inspire us to a profound sense of gratitude, and that gratitude should compel us to lives of service.
Remind yourself when you plan, prepare and cook for others that this too is a form of service. This Memorial Day consider giving your outdoor grill a break and enjoy some fresh chicken and shrimp spring rolls. They can be made the day before and are great for transporting to the lake to enjoy on the boat! And don't forget to say a word of thanks to all of our nation's war heroes.
As you can see by Nicole's face we were really excited about what was in store for dinner!
Here is the rice wrapper softened and our layering of the stuffing ingredients.
See, isn't it so beautiful?!? Looks like something gourmet!
Fold over the ends into a neat little package. Roll and tuck the veges as you go.
By this time we were jumping in the kitchen!
Because I love food and love when you love good healthy food, I will share. Because mom said its nice to share.
Delicious! Everyone loves these!
Spring Rolls
12-14 clear edible rice paper sheets
1 cooked chicken breast cut into thin strips
½ # cooked salad shrimp sliced thinly
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1 carrot julienned
1 cucumber julienned
½ red pepper julienned
½ yellow pepper julienned
1 cup bean sprouts
½ avocado thinly sliced
¼ package vermicelli rice noodles, prepared according to package directions
Make sure all veggies are cleaned, dried, and set out before you start.
Dip a sheet of rice paper wrapper into warm water very quickly, no longer than 15-30 secs. (or they will get too soggy to work with) and lay flat on work surface.
In the middle start layering the ingredients all to taste but don’t overstuff.
Carefully fold up ends then fold over edges and roll up.
Serve with the amazing sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high power, covered, until the peanut butter melts, only takes 15-30 secs. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth.
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup wheat-free tamari soy sauce
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 ½ tbp. Brown sugar
1 tbp. Rice vinegar
1 tsp. ground coriander
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Lettuce Wraps with Miss Idaho and Miss Washington
I had them chop, peel, and gather ingredients to help in a way that makes them feel comfortable. This is also a great time to teach, offer insights and encourage those who perhaps are less experienced in the kitchen. It is also a great time to laugh and talk. Lasting memories are made in the kitchen around food. Who knows, you may just pour a little confidence into the heart of another and that is better than building stress into a life, especially a guest.
We all agreed that lettuce wraps sounded good. So we started making dinner around 5:15 pm and ate at 6:05 pm. Pretty guick, easy and fun with the 3 of us in the kitchen together. Wish every day could be like this! I hope you love these like we did!
Nicole had the fun job of chopping all the vegetables.
Jenny thought if we were ever going to eat, she better help Nicole chop!
All the veges sautéing in the skillet smelled SOOOO good!
Okay, this sauce is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!
Glorious finished lettuce wraps to die for!
We were so proud of our efforts and could not WAIT to eat them!
Good to the last drop. There was not a morsel left. Oh that's because Jeremy had dinner with us! I was hoping for left overs...
Lettuce Wraps
1 Tbps. peanut oil or canola oil
1 pound ground pork, chicken or turkey
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cups packaged cabbage and carrot slaw, or 1 cup shredded cabbage and 1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 green onions
1 tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. garlic powder
2 tbps. wheat-free tamari soy sauce
2 tbps. gluten-free Asian fish sauce, A Taste of Thai
2 tbps. gluten-free Thai sweet red chile sauce, Thai Kitchen
2 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1 seedless English cucumber, unpeeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
16 Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry
SAUCE
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup wheat-free tamari soy sauce
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 ½ tbp. Brown sugar
1 tbp. Rice vinegar
1 tsp. ground coriander
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet. Add the pork and cook it over medium heat 7 to 8 minutes, until done. Transfer to a plate.
Add all the ingredients except the cucumber, lettuce, peanuts and the sauce ingredients, to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cabbage starts to wilt. Add the pork and bring the mixture to serving temperature. Stir in the cucumbers and the peanuts, transfer the mixture to a plate.
While the pork cooks, combine the sauce ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high power, covered, until the peanut butter melts. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth.
Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter with the pork mixture on the side. Drizzle with sauce, then roll up the lettuce and eat.
Recipe tweaked from Gluten-Free Quick & Easy by Carol Fenster
Xterra Granola
So here you go, because you need this.
Start off with some gluten free oats. I buy mine at Kroger or Whole Foods. I like Bob's Red Mill.
Add the nuts to the oats.
Some ground up flax seed is always a good thing to add. You can grind them up in a coffee grinder. That way your body is able to absorb the nutrients easier.
some dried fruit that you like, I used golden raisins and craisins this time
Xterra Gluten Free Granola
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, canola
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup egg whites
½ tsp salt
3 cups GF oats, (if using regular oats, omit xanthum gum)
½ tsp. xanthum gum
1 cup nuts such as pecans, almonds, walnuts or a mixture, roughly chopped
½ cup raisins, craisins or dried fruit of choice
¼ cup flax seed (optional)
¼ cup honey
Mix it up
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk oil, sugar, egg whites and salt in a medium bowl
Add oats, nuts, raisins and flax seed and zanthum. Stir until well coated. Spread on lined baking sheet and bake for 15 mins. Remove from oven and add dates and honey. Bake for another 10 mins. Or until golden brown. Stir to loosen. Let cool.
Original recipe tweaked from Mary Capone.
Store granola in airtight container.
Try not to drown here!
Now we're talking!
Work - Pedal - Create - Idol
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed (Ecc. 4:9 NLT)6:30 AM: After I poured a smooth cup of Nespresso (Americano with a few sprinkles of Stevia) I took just a few minutes to work out a dinner plan knowing I would be away from home most of the day. I set out a few frozen chicken breasts for thawing. They were soft within 45 minutes. I then placed them in this killer marinate (see marinate below) and placed them in the refrigerator. Tuesday's are one of my more scrambled days. I have the privilege to go into the office and work in a "suite style cube" with my husband. We get to work in a marriage ministry together.
4:00 PM: One of my greatest pleasures besides eating is to work-out each day. Today I was able to ride tandem with my husband. So home we go. He inflates the tires and checks the bike over while I get our water bottles ready along with our necessary gluten free energy snacks for the ride. Today my husband says we're riding 40 miles including hills and intervals. (Today's interval was three laps around a business park for 8 minutes at 80% of our max threshold - In other words - P-A-I-N) At the 35 mile mark we've yet to climb River Mountain road which feels like we're riding straight up Mt. Everest. We did it! And we past a guy on a single bike midway up the hill. Shame on him.
6:30 PM: We arrive back at home. We both need showered, dinner must go on and American Idol starts in 30 minutes. My husband fires up the grill. I begin preparing the mango salsa and start the brown rice cooking. Rob agrees to gather the ingredients while I begin. He retrieves the peppers, cucumbers, onions, spices while I chop. He sets the table and washes dishes as I dirty them. Rob places the chicken on the grill and turns them once while I've finished the salsa.
6:50 PM. Off to the shower we go. No hanky-panky in the shower, dinner and American Idol is our goal and neither of us will stand for dry tough chicken and Rob knows it. Rob has been a quick change artist since the day we married, prides himself on being able to be ready in 5 minutes. Today he readies with a PB, personal best of just over 3 minutes. Hair dry too.
6:55 PM The chicken comes off the grill...cooked to perfection. We dish up a little rice and smother the chicken with salsa and sit down to Ryan Secrest, "THIS is American Idol"!
Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Corn-Mango Salsa
MARINADE
2 Tbsp Jamaican jerk seasoning, such as Durkee, Tone’s, Spice Islands
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp wheat-free tamari soy sauce
1 Tbsp gluten free Worcestershire sauce, Lea & Perrins
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp lime juice
CHICKEN
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
CORN-MANGO SALSA
½ of an 11 oz. can shoe peg corn
2 ripe mangos, peeled, and diced in ½ inch chunks
2 small baby cucumbers diced
½ cup grape tomatoes halved and halved again
¼ cup diced red bell pepper
¼ cup diced red onion
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ tsp table salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1. For the marinade, place all the marinade ingredients into a large heavy-duty zip-lock bag. Seal the bag and shake to blend the ingredients. Add the raw chicken and place in refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
2. Chop and toss all the salsa ingredients together in a small bowl.
3. Grill the chicken, discarding the left over marinade. Grill for 5-7 minutes per side and turn over and cook 5-7 minutes on the other side. Remove and serve with a large spoonful of salsa over the top of warm chicken.
Recipe taken from Gluten-Free Quick & Easy
8:00 PM: Orange Polenta Cake with Creme Fraiche and Nespresso (legal if you just rode 40 miles)
Blood Orange Polenta Upside Down-Cake
With Whipped Crème Fraiche
CAKE:
7 Tbsp sugar, divided, plus ¾ cup sugar
3 Tbsp water
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
3 unpeeled small to medium blood oranges, if not available Valencia oranges
¾ cup plus 3 Tbsp Gluten free flour, such as Pamela’s or Tom Sawyer
3 Tbps Polenta or coarse yellow cornmeal
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp coarse kosher salt
¾ tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
6 Tbsp Whole milk
Whipped crème fraiche:
1 cup chilled crème fraiche
2 Tbsp sugar
Preparation
For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Combine 6 Tbps. Sugar and 3 Tbps. Water in 10-inch diameter ovenproof skillet with 8-inch diameter bottom and 2 ½ inch-high sides. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is golden amber (not dark amber), occasionally brushing down sides of skillet with wet pastry brush and swirling skillet, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and whisk 2 Tbps. butter into caramel. Set aside.
Cut off both rounded ends of each orange so that ends are even and flat. Using sharp knife, cut oranges into 1/16 to 1/8 inch-thick rounds. Remove and discard any seeds. Arrange orange slices, overlapping slightly, in concentric circles atop caramel in bottom of skillet.
Whisk flour, polenta, baking powder, and coarse kosher salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat ¾ cup sugar, remaining 6 Tbps. room-temperature butter, and vanilla in another medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating batter just until incorporated.
Using clean beaters, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1 Tbps. sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Drop batter by large spoonfuls atop orange slices in skillet, then spread evenly.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 32-35 minutes. Cool cake in skillet 10 minutes. Run small knife around cake to loosen. Place platter atop skillet. Using oven mitts, hold platter and skillet firmly together and invert, allowing cake to settle onto platter. Rearrange any oranges slices that may have become dislodged. Cool cake completely at room temperature.
For whipped crème fraiche:
Using electric mixer, beat chilled crème fraiche and 2 Tbsp sugar in medium bowl until mixture thickens.
Original recipe tweaked from Epicurious.