Rainbow Spring Rolls - Vegetarian

I have to confess to not eating so well lately, all the packing is cutting into my kitchen time.  What I have been truly craving was something quick and healthy.  Have you ever sat there staring at something you made and thought, "What the heck am I going to call it?"  If it hadn't been for the rainbow of veggies staring back at me on the plate, I may have had to call these Rolled Up Veggie Whatchamacallits or Whatchamwhosits.

In between packing boxes I tossed a few of these tasty rolls back for fuel.  Hot Dog Dude willingly ate them with me, but I could tell he would have preferred something else.  He's a hard core meat kinda guy.  I admit it; I'm kind of a mean wife sometimes.  I'm always nagging him about what he eats and nudging him towards healthier choices.  I thought he was going to lose it when I lectured him on the lunch meat he was stuffing down his face the other day.  He snapped back, "What else am I supposed to eat?"

He tends to be the kinda guy who wants to eat the same thing all the time.  I only nag him so he can add a little variety to his diet.  One can't live by lunch meat alone, well actually Hot Dog Dude could - hence the name.

Gather the following:
Leaf lettuce
Asparagus, washed, ends trimmed and blanched
Carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
Red bell pepper, thinly sliced
Blueberries
Rice paper spring roll wrappers

Prepare Sushi Rice:
For rice maker:  2 scoops medium grain rice and water filled to the second line
Or saucepan:  1 1/2 cups rice and 3 cups water

Seasoned rice vinegar mixture
3 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Would you still love me if I told you I'm terrible at making rice?  If it wasn't for one of my favorite kitchen appliances the rice maker, we would probably still be eating burned rice.

I love throwing the water and rice in, pushing the button and walking away.

When the rice is finished steaming, open the lid and let it cool down for 5 minutes or so.  Combine the seasoned rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and microwave for 40 seconds or so until the sugar is melted.  Place the rice in a baking dish, pour the vinegar mixture over it and gently stir the rice with your paddle to coat the rice, you want to be careful not to break up the rice. Leave it on the counter until its cool enough to work with.

To soften the spring roll wrappers use a squirt bottle.  Spray both sides and shake of the excess water.  Place the wrapper on a plate and put a piece of lettuce in the middle.  Place a row of rice on top of that; add some carrot, bell pepper and asparagus.  Drizzle with fresh lemon juice or I used a special Meyer Lemon Olive Oil I picked up last time I was in San Francisco.

Before I rolled them up, I placed a row of blueberries in a strategic location:

Grab the wrapper side that is in front of you and start rolling tucking in the sides as you go.  I threw the blueberries in for a little extra crunch and anti-oxidants, plus I had seen Kim's Blueberry Waffles and Sandra's Blueberry Mousse that really put me in the mood for some blueberries.

Before you go thinking I'm the worst wife ever for making her husband go meatless for an afternoon, I actually made him something special the next day that was right up his alley.  I'll share his idea of an ideal lunch with you in a couple days.

p.s.  Hot Dog Dude doesn't know about his nickname, should I clue him in or just keep giggling about it behind his back.  So wrong, huh?

Enjoy,

Gina

Pho Ga, Pho Bo & Vietnamese Spring Rolls from Heidi with Love!

I couldn't decide what to make, I was criss-crossing the globe in my mind when it hit me; the perfect dish was right down the street.  A couple of weeks ago I got a terrible cold, and one evening there was a knock on my door, it was Heidi, her daughter Amanda and mine are friends.  She had heard I was sick and brought me a huge pot of Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup), with all the condiments and all the fixings to make spring rolls.  I was overwhelmed by her thoughtful and kind gesture.  When I was well, I couldn't wait to return the favor.  I asked Amanda what her favorite dessert was, and set about making a cheesecake to bring her.  We started talking about food and I mentioned how much I had loved the soup, and she wanted to teach me how to make it.  She even offered to take me to the Asian grocery store to get the right ingredients.  The more we talked, the more I realized how much we had in common.  Heidi came to American as a young woman for a better life, but she enjoys nothing more than cooking her homelands cuisine.  She confided in me, she was worried her daughter was starting to like American food more than Vietnamese.  This really struck me, because growing up my mom was always encouraged to be American and fit in and here Heidi was fighting to not lose her heritage.

I came to her house prepared to take notes and she started cooking for me, she said it is easier for me to show you than tell you.  She thinks her English is bad, but I didn't think so at all.

Pho Bo Broth:
2-3 lbs. beef with bones
1 lb. beef, sliced paper thin
6-7 qts. water
1/4 cup star anise, whole
3 sticks cinnamon
3-4 tbsp. fish sauce
1 whole yellow onion
a couple inches of fresh ginger root
1 large piece crystal rock sugar
salt



As she was giving me directions, she kept getting this look on her face and finally I asked, "What gives"?  She was too embarrassed to correct me, but I kept saying fo, when it's actually pronounced fuh.  After we had our giggle and broke the ice, things went a lot easier.

She shared her favorite fish sauce with me:

On a baking sheet she placed the onion and ginger and baked them in a 400 F degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.  Peeled the outside skin off and put them aside.

She had a pot of boiling water on the stove, put the beef in it and cooked it for about 5-10 minutes; to get out the impurities like blood.  Then she emptied the water and put fresh on to boil, added the beef, onion, ginger, rock sugar, fish sauce and a tablespoon or so of salt.  I loved the way she measured; she used an Asian soup spoon.  Turned it down to simmer and left it on for about 2 1/2 hours.  Skimming off the scum, she said, the fat is okay to leave in the broth. 

In a another pot, she put a couple pieces of ginger, a handful of the star anise, cinnamon sticks and about 2 cups of water.  Let it boil, then turn down to simmer.  You skim the top off this spice mixture and add it to the finished stock.  Do not boil the spices in the stock mixture.

After the beef is cooked she takes it out and slices it paper thin and sets it aside.

I was admiring her knife and wanted to help; she pulled out a brand new one and said, "I will sell it to you, because it is bad luck in my culture to give away knives".  "Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way", I said.

She had me slice the onions, following her paper thin ones was a challenge.  Then we washed herbs, cilantro, Thai basil and mint.  Soak in water with a little salt and rinse a minimum of three times, she told me.

The noodles she likes to use are fresh rice noodles (Bahn Pho).

To cook them, she keeps a pot of hot water on the stove, not boiling she says.  Puts the noodles in a strainer, lowers them into the water for a few seconds till soft, removes and drains them.  

I helped her put the condiment plate together, bean sprouts, fresh herbs, lemon wedges, and chilis.  On the side, she gave us plates with sriracha sauce and hoisin sauce.

She pulled some egg rolls out of her freezer too and cooked us those and showed me how to make fish sauce to dip them in.

She put some noodles on the bottom of the bowl, some onion, and herbs, then placed the raw beef and cooked beef on top, then ladled on the hot broth.

Then we got to go sit down and eat our masterpieces.

After we'd spent the day together and it was time to go, I asked Heidi, "How much do I owe you"?  She replied, "$1.00".  That was all she would take, I gladly gave her a dollar and I'm still thinking how I can I ever repay her.  She told me, she loves sharing her recipes, and she will call me next time she is making something else.

I hope I honored Heidi's gift by sharing her and this recipe with you.  I know what you are thinking, what about the Vietnamese spring rolls, I will share them with you on Monday.

Gina