Summer Salad Rolls

After two weeks of sweltering heat, the last thing I feel like doing is turning on the stove or oven.  In fact, doing so seems almost criminal at this point.  Luckily, this recipe does not require cooking at all.  I'll be honest, the first time I ever made these, they did not turn out.  They were soggy and wet and tasted like water.  Fortunately, I've worked out all the kinks so that your salad rolls will work out perfectly!  These really are a nice light but filling summer treat.

Makes about 12 rolls.

Ingredients:

12 round rice paper wrappers
75 grams vermicelli rice noodles
1 English cucumber, seeded and julienned
1 carrot, julienned
18 medium sized cooked shrimp
fresh cilantro and/or mint
greens (lettuce or spinach)
chopped peanuts

Sauce:
2 Tbsp natural nut butter of your choice
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or hot sauce
1 Tbsp water
salt

Directions:

1. Break the rice noodles in half and place them in a large bowl.  Boil a kettle of water and pour the water on top of the noodles.  Let them soak for about 3 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cold water.  Set aside.

2. Cut the shrimp in half along their backs so that it looks like there are two.

3. Fill a pie plate with more boiling water from the kettle.  Place a rice wrapper in the water for 3 - 5 seconds.  It will still be hard when you take it out, that is okay.  It will continue to soften.  Place the wrapper on a plate.  It is now ready to be filled.  If you find it sticking to the plate, just put a small amount of water on the plate before you put the wrapper on it.

4. At the bottom of the wrapper, place three shrimp halves.  Top with some greens, then the herbs, then the carrot and cucumber, then the vermicelli noodles, and then the chopped peanuts.

5. Roll the two sides over the mixture and then roll it up from the bottom to the top.  When you are finished rolling, the shrimp should be showing through the bottom.

6. Whisk all the dipping sauce ingredients together and place in a serving dish.

 7. Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Vermicelli rice noodles and rice wrappers can be found in the Asian aisle of most major grocery stores.  The wrappers are dry, they are not the same as wonton wrappers.

2. Cooked shrimp are the pink ones, not the grey ones.

Ravishing Radishes

What is the most under-rated spring vegetable? The radish!  Radishes are detoxifying and great for digestion, they are high in vitamin C and low in calories, and they can even help with bug bites.  Why then are they so ignored?  In most homes, radishes show up on veggie trays or on top of green salads, and they are almost never on restaurant menus, but there are so many wonderful ways to eat them!  Did you know that radishes can be cooked or even roasted?  They can! In fact, cooking them reduces their pungency and gives them a more subtle flavour.  Although at this time of year, they are usually a little milder already.  What's even better is that you can even eat the radish greens.  They are tender like spinach and taste a bit like watercress.

Since I will not be posting next week, here are two ravishing radish recipes to hold you over.

Fennel and Radish Shrimp

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 large leek, washed, quartered, and sliced
1 large fennel bulb, chopped
1 bunch radishes, quartered and sliced

1 lb frozen shrimp, thawed and peeled
1 clove garlic, minced

juice of half a lemon
1 Tbsp light miso
1 tsp honey
salt pepper

fresh dill, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large pan, sauté the oil, butter, leek, salt, and pepper for 4 - 5 minutes.

2. Add the radishes and sauté for another 2 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and shrimp and sauté for 2 minutes.

4. Combine the lemon juice, honey, and miso into a paste.  Add to the pan and sauté for approximately 2 minutes or until the shrimp curl and turn pink.

5. Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and top with fresh dill.

Options:

1. This can be eaten on its own or is great when tossed with a short pasta like bow tie.


Radishes on Rye

Spread a fresh piece of rye bread with butter, add sliced raw radishes, and top with flaked salt such as Maldon.  Even if you have very pungent radishes, this combination will remove some of the heat. As an alternative, add sliced raw radishes to your avocado toast from this previously posted recipe. Enjoy!

 

Holiday Mini Quiche

I'm not sure how this particular combination of ingredients came about, but it really works and is always a hit.  I always seem to make these around the holidays, and because they are great to make ahead and freeze, they can be kept on hand for busy nights, unexpected company, or potlucks.

If you have time to make your own dough, obviously that would be better, but since the purpose of these is to make them as a time-saver, I use frozen ready-made tart shells.

I will be taking a break for the holidays, so I will see you again in the new year.

Ingredients:

24 tart shells
1 head broccoli, chopped finely
3 green onions, sliced finely
6 large shrimp, diced
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
8 eggs
1/4 cup cream or milk
salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Separate the tart shells and put them on a baking sheet to thaw while you prepare the other ingredients.

3. Chop the broccoli, onions, shrimp, and dill.  Shred the cheese.  In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, salt, pepper, and cream.

4. Divide the broccoli, green onions, shrimp, and dill between the tart shells.

5. Pour the egg mixture into the shells being careful not to over fill.

6. Top each tart with a bit of shredded cheese.

7. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until golden brown.

8. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.  These are great warm or even at room temperature.  If they are frozen, they can be reheated in the oven or microwave.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. I use Tenderflake tart shells because they bake the best.

2. I also use raw shrimp as opposed to cooked.  Do not use canned.  If you can only find medium-sized shrimp, use 10 instead of 6.

Options:

1. This can also be made with asparagus instead of broccoli.  You can add the asparagus as well as the broccoli if you want.

2. Serve a few of these with a side salad for a quick meal or on their own for a satisfying snack.

Whether you are making these for your family or for guests, they are sure to become a tradition in your house as they have become in mine.

World Famous Soup

I don't have a better title for this because it is not your everyday kind of soup.  This is a soup that I invented many years ago that has withstood the test of time.  I have made it in France to rave reviews,  I have made it in England to rave reviews, and I have even made it in Edmonton to rave reviews.  It's not a chowder or a bisque, although it does have milk in it, so I'm left just calling it my "World Famous Soup".  Because it does not have a thickening agent, it is a light version of a broth - and that's what I like about it.

There are many variations to this soup, and if you don't like shrimp, you can leave it out.  I made it without shrimp for several years before thinking about adding it.  Now I add it every time.  My favourite time to eat this soup is after several days of pigging out over the Christmas holidays, but it shows up on the table at least once a month during the fall/winter, which is saying a lot because I hardly ever make the same thing twice...

This soup will serve approximately 6 as a meal.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
4 medium carrots, sliced into crescents
6 potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 cups chicken stock
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb shrimp (raw, thawed, and peeled), each shrimp cut into three pieces
2 cups milk (not skim)
salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Sauté the onion in the butter and oil with a bit of salt while you chop the celery and carrots.

2. Add the celery and carrots to the pot while you chop the potatoes.

3. Add the potatoes to the pot and sauté the lot for 3 - 4 minutes.

4. Add the chicken stock, dried dill, and garlic powder.

5. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are cooked through.

6. In the meantime, peel the shrimp and cut each one into three pieces.

7. When the vegetables are cooked, add the shrimp to the pot and cook until they are pink, about 1 - 2 minutes.

8. Add the milk and heat through, about 1 - 2 minutes.  Do not boil.

9. Add salt and pepper to taste.  You will probably have to add about 2 tsp of salt - it's a big pot of soup and the potatoes will counteract it. Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Although it is slightly more expensive, I buy the loose carrots and celery unless I have another recipe in mind that will use the leftovers.  I find I save more money that way than buying the cheaper stuff and throwing it out.

2. I use red potatoes for this recipe, but white ones or yukon gold are fine as well.  Even baby potatoes work.  Don't use russet potatoes, though, because they are baking potatoes and are too floury.

3. I have tried this recipe with fresh garlic and fresh dill, but it doesn't taste as good.  Usually, I am all about the fresh ingredients, but in soup, the rules are a bit different.  If you want to garnish it with fresh dill as well as the dried, that would be a good idea.


Options:

1. If you don't have time to thaw the shrimp, put them in a colander and run COLD water over them for five to ten minutes.

2. You can add frozen corn to this, or even substitute the corn for the shrimp if you want.

3. If you want a vegetarian soup, you could use vegetable stock instead and omit the shrimp.

4. If you want to add flour to the butter to thicken the broth, you can, but I really enjoy the lightness of it as it is.


Leftovers:
1. This will keep in the fridge for about four days, but it never lasts that long in my house!

If you try it, let me know what you think.  Don't forget the step at the beginning about sautéing the vegetables, though.  It makes a difference to the taste.

Peachy Green Salad with Shrimp on the Barbie

 The end of summer is my favourite time for peaches because that's when the freestone peaches come out.  Peaches are either clingstone (stones are hard to remove) or freestone (stones are easy to remove).  Freestone peaches are generally used for canning because you are not eating them out of hand, but they are great for salads, too, because you will not end up with mushy peaches as you try to pry the flesh away from the stone.

The peach salad and shrimp go nicely together for a light summer supper, but they can also be served separately with whatever else you have going on.  This vinaigrette will likely be more than you need, but it will store nicely in the fridge.  If the olive oil hardens in the fridge, just let it come to room temperature for a bit and it will be as good as new.

You can either make the salad in one large bowl for everyone to share, or you can make individual salads.  I like to make individual ones because there are only two of us (fewer dishes to wash!), and it also ensures that everyone gets equal amounts of each ingredient.  Call me anal if you want . . .

This is a freestyle recipe - the amount of each ingredient you need depends on how many you are serving and how much of each ingredient you like. Use more or less depending on your own personal preference.  Mom, I know this idea scares you, but I promise, you can't screw it up!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp honey (or less to taste)
salt, pepper

lettuce greens or spinach (not iceberg)
ripe peaches (about 1/2 a large peach per person)
feta cheese (I use goat's feta and serve about 25 grams per person)
dried cranberries (about 1 Tbsp per person)
fresh basil, torn into small pieces
red onions, diced
toasted almonds, slivered or sliced

1 pound of raw shrimp
long skinny skewers
garlic powder
salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Soak the skewers in cold water so that they do not burn on the barbecue.  Do this as soon as you think of it.  I try to soak them for a couple of hours, but if you forget, it's no big deal.

2. Preheat the barbeque to medium and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. If you don't like the bite of raw onion, put the diced onion in a bit of salted cold water for about 10-15 minutes. Drain before using.  If you do like raw onion, skip this step.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.  If you have a jar with a lid, it is a great vessel to make vinaigrette because you can just shake it up immediately before you use it, and then store it in the same container.

4. Put the slivered almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 6 minutes.  Watch them carefully so that they do not burn.  If you are using sliced almonds, it will probably only take about 3 - 4 minutes.  If you accidentally overcook them, but they are not burned, take them off the tray immediately so that they do not continue to cook - I'm speaking from experience on this one.  I always burn the nuts!

5. Put the shrimp on the soaked skewers, making sure to leave room between each one.  You want the air to circulate, and you also need to leave room for them to curl as they roast.   Sprinkle them with a bit of garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  At this point, either put them aside until you have the salad put together or nicely call for your partner (who is probably in the living room watching TV) to come and throw the shrimp on the barbie.

6. Now, layer your salad with greens on the bottom, then peaches sliced into crescents (I cut the peach into 6 sections and then slice), torn basil, red onions, feta, cranberries, and toasted almonds.  Drizzle the vinaigrette overtop just before you are ready to serve it.

7. If you haven't put the shrimp on the barbeque yet, do it now.  If your shrimp do not have shells, you might want to oil the grates on the grill to prevent them from sticking.  You can also use a barbeque pan overtop of the grill, but that will prevent them from getting a bit charred.  If the shells are still on, they should be okay to put right on the grill.  After a minute or two, turn them over.  When they are pink, curled, and opaque, they are done.  It won't take long, so watch them carefully.  It is easier to overcook them than to undercook them, so if you think they are done, they are.  If you leave them on too long, they will be tough and rubbery.

8. To serve, I just put all the skewers on one plate for people to take what they want and eat with their hands, especially if the shrimp still have the shells on them.  Enjoy!

Options:

1. You could easily add raspberries or blueberries to this salad.

Leftovers:

1. If you have leftover salad, don't put vinaigrette on it, and it will probably save for one day in the fridge.

2. If you have leftover shrimp, they would be great to add at the last minute to a pasta dish.  You can also eat them cold from the fridge.  Don't try reheat them, though, or they will be seriously overcooked.

Shopping Tips:

When you buy shrimp, you will have several options.  First of all, some are grey and some are pink.  The ones that are pink are cooked already, so don't buy those.  There are also different sizes, and they are marked by the count number on the front.  This is marked as # of shrimp / pound.  The smaller the number, the bigger the shrimp.  For barbequing, I like larger shrimp and buy the 16-20 count ones, but they are more expensive, too.  If you buy smaller ones, that's fine, you just need to be more careful when you are barbequing so that they do not overcook.

Also, you will have a choice of shell on or off.  I like shell-on for this dish because it helps keep the shrimp juicier (you can also use the shells afterwards to make a stock, if you are so inclined).  However, when you have the shell on, the seasoning sits on top of the shell and does not really penetrate the shrimp.  I find, though, that the seasoning gets on your fingers when you are de-shelling them and then gets on the shrimp from your fingers - is that gross?  I don't think so...  Anyway, you also want to make sure that they are deveined, which means that the poop line has been taken out of their backs - that IS gross.  If they are not deveined, you will have to do it yourself, and it is a very tedious process.

Good luck, and have fun.  Summer is almost over, so make the most of it with this summer celebration. Hmm... celebration, that makes me think, this would be great with a peach bellini, or even a crisp glass of white wine...