Party Hearty
THAI Spring Rolls
Ingredients:
1/2 Package rice flour wrappers
1/2 Package dried rice vermicelli noodles (or angel hair pasta)
Leaf lettuce or 1/4 cabbage, shredded
3 carrots, shredded
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 Euro cucumber, unpeeled; sliced into matchsticks
1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced or grated
3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup ground, roasted unsalted peanuts
Fresh herbs- cilantro, mint and basil
Purchased sauces for dipping; sweet chili sauce & peanut sauce
Gather Equipment:
Small pot for boiling water, strainer, medium bowl for noodles
Cutting board and knife
Grater for veggies
Shallow bowl for soaking wrappers
Assembly tray for prepped veggies
Serving tray...small dipping dishes
Procedure:
Bring large pot of water to boil. Drop in noodles and boil for 1 minute. Drain in
strainer and rinse well with cold water. Add more water to pot and boil.
Prep all veggies and arrange on tray for assembly.
Pour boiling water into shallow bowl. Quickly dip one rice paper in it to soften.
Carefully remove and lay flat on counter. Do as many as 4 at a time.
Sprinkle a teaspoon or two of chopped peanuts across the papers. Spread small handfuls
of the noodles & fresh veggies on top. Add a few whole herbs Starting from the
other end, roll the paper tightly around the filling. Fold the sides toward the
center and continue to roll snugly. Eat immediately with dipping sauces or wrap
in plastic to keep soft.
Party Hearty!! Dips, Spreads, Slathers
Smoky Baba Ganouj (Makes about 2c.)
Ingredients:
1 whole, uncut eggplant
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
2T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T. sesame tahini (sesame
butter)
Directions:
- Place metal grate directly over the burner of a gas stove. You
can use a cookie sheet or a grill grate designed for the outdoor grill.
- Place
whole eggplant on the grate and turn the flame to medium low.
- CAREFULLY with
tongs, turn the eggplant every few minutes as it cooks being careful not to pierce
the skin. The eggplant skin will become black and crunchy and the "flesh" on the
inside will become soft and squishy. Perfect!
- Place the fire roasted eggplant
on a plate to allow it become cool enough to handle.
- With a sharp knife, carve
a slit the length of the eggplant.
- With slit side down, empty the eggplant guts
into a medium size bowl, scraping as needed to remove all the flesh. A few blackened
flecks will be o.k.... it adds a smoky flavor
- Stir in the garlic, lemon juice and
tahini until evenly mixed
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill in fridge and allow
time for flavors to "marry".
- Bring to room temperature before serving for best
flavor. Great served with pita bread or crisp raw veggies.
Tomato Bruschetta "Bru-SKETT -ta" (makes about 2 cups)
This makes a wonderful topping for crostini breads or
fresh pasta
Ingredients:
Fresh tomatoes
Fresh basil, leaves torn into bits
Fresh garlic, thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper
to taste
Directions:
Find the ripest tomatoes you can....summertime is the perfect time
to make this topping!
Chop 3 or 4 medium tomatoes into 1/2 inch chunks, saving all
the juices you can in a bowl
Add garlic and basil, evoo and salt & pepper to
bowl w/ tomatoes
Let stand at room temperature for about 30 min to allow flavors
to develop
Serve atop grilled bread, on a green salad or as a fresh pasta sauce
Pistachio Pesto (Makes about 2 cups)
Ingredients:
1 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 c fresh
Italian (flat leaved) parsley, chopped
1/2 c. fresh mint, chopped
2 cloves garlic,
minced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
- In food processor, place pistachios and grind briefly.
- Add garlic,
lemon zest and juice and herbs. Pulse a few times to mix
- With food processor
on, slowly pour in olive oil. The dip should be chunky
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Basil Pesto (makes about 2 cups)
Ingredients:
1 large bunch of fresh basil
3 cloves of garlic
2T. pine nuts
1/4 t. salt
2T. grated Parmeggiano or Pecorino Romano
cheese
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
- In food processor, place everything
but the olive oil and grind together
- With food processor on, slowly pour in olive
oil. The pesto should be thick and smooth.
- Add salt and pepper to taste
Fettunta ...REAL garlic bread
(Latin for "greasy slice")
It's best to use rustic bread with
big holes and a thick chewy crust for this garlic bread. Slice bread. Toast under
the broiler or in the toaster Take a whole peeled garlic clove and cut it in half
Scrape the cut edge of the garlic on the toasted bread. Use as much garlic as you
like! Dribble with the very best extra virgin olive oil you can get your hands on.
Top with a dash of salt and pepper.
"I'm Stuffed!"
It's great to have friends over for a bite to eat. These easy to make "bites" can
be made with ingredients that you have handy around the kitchen.
Here are a few ideas:
Stuffed Cucumber Wheels
Cut a seedless European Cucumber into 1" pieces. With a small spoon or melon baller,
carefully scoop out a hole (Don't go all the way through!) Fill with hummus and
decorate with alfalfa sprouts
Stuffed Potato Bites
Boil small ping pong sized red skinned potatoes just till tender. Trim off a bit
of the bottom so it sits up straight. Trim about 1/2 inch off the top and scoop
out a hole to fill with any kind of dip or spread. Garnish with something colorful
and edible, of course!
Stuffed Celery
Delicious crunchy veggie that lends itself to something smooth and creamy like a
nut butter or a cream cheese filling. Have fun with the garnishes keeping in mind
that we also eat with our eyes!
Stuffed Deviled Eggs
To hard cook an egg... place in a pot of cool salted water to cover by one inch.
Place over medium flame and bring JUST to a simmer. Cover, remove from the heat
and let sit exactly 10 minutes. Rinse under running water till cool enough to peel.
Perfect! Slice lenghtwise and remove yolk to a bowl. Mash with a fork and add mayo
and a dash of mustard. Add chopped veggies or any kind of herb you like. Stuff back
into the egg. Garnish pretty!
Stuffed Apple Treats
Take a whole apple and core it with a knife or apple corer till you have all the
seeds and hard stuff out of it. Ask for help if need be. Try not to go all the way
through to the bottom. Make a mixture of peanut butter, raisins, granola ,maple
syrup (nice and gooey!) and using a small spoon, stuff into the hole you have carved
out. Refrigerate to allow the filling to firm up. Eat it whole (surprise inside!)
or slice it into rings.
Almond Stuffed Dates
Take a whole dried date and carefully cut a slit into one side. Ease open the space
and fill with a whole almond or any kind of nut or maybe even a chunk of cheddar
cheese. Pinch the date closed, enclosing your tasty treat inside
Let your imagination be your guide!!
Trailfoods
Date Rolls
This is a very easy and tasty treat to prepare for an outing. Take 1 cup of date
pieces and cover them with warm water for about 10 minutes to soften them. Drain
out extra water and mush them up with your fingers or a spoon till wicked gooey.
Take pecan or walnut halves and "wrap" the date goo around it to cover it completely.
Now roll it in shredded coconut till coated. (This should help take away the stickies)
A great munchie for the trail!!
Rice Crispy Bars (Not the typical one at all!)
9x9 inch pan
MIX together in large bowl:
2c. crispy cereal
1/3 c. raisins or currants
1/3 c. cranberries
LIGHTLY TOAST and set aside to cool
1/4 c. finely chopped walnuts or almonds
1/4 c pumpkin seeds
1/4 c sunflower seeds.....add to large bowl with cereal and dried fruit
COOK OVER LOW HEAT 1-2 min till warm and bubbly:
1/2 c almond butter
1/2 c brown rice syrup...remove from heat. STIR IN: 1/2 t. vanilla.
POUR this wet mixture OVER dry mixture till coated. Dampen hands* and press into
oiled pans. Chill for at least 30 min. Cut into bars.
Note: One of the best parts about this recipe is that you can use ANY crispy cereal,
ANY dried fruit, ANY nuts and seeds and ANY nut butter to switch it up and create
a tasty treat with what's on hand in your kitchen! *Gooey madness!
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