Chicken Spring Rolls
Pictured in background of photo above. From From Kitchen on the Green cooking teacher Marilu Hirschinger, this recipe makes 10 rolls.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add garlic, ginger, cabbage, carrot and bean sprouts. Cook 2 minutes or until cabbage is just limp. Add noodles and chicken; continue to cook until heated through. Stir in hoisin and oyster sauces, toss to coat mixture. Filling should be moist but not wet. Remove from heat, allow to cool. Toss in chopped cilantro.
Lay a spring roll wrapper on a flat surface on an angle so it looks like a diamond. Spoon 2 tablespoons filling near bottom corner of wrapper and fold up to enclose filling. Fold in 2 sides. Paint top seam of wrapper with beaten egg. Continue rolling up to form a tight cylinder.
Pour about 1 inch oil in a skillet and heat to 350 degrees. Fry spring rolls 2 minutes, turning to cook all sides. Drain on paper towels before serving. Serve with bowls of mustard and sweet and sour sauce for dipping.
Drink ideas: Refresh your palate after the hot mustard and sweet/sour sauce with iced green tea or homemade lemonade.
Spicy Mustard
Ingredients
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together mustards, water and sugar until a smooth paste is formed.
Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Combine cornstarch and brown sugar in a small bowl. Mix in 1/2 cup cold water and pineapple juice, soy sauce and vinegar mixture. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until just lightly browned. Add juice mixture and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
From Kitchen on the Green teacher Thesala Jones, this recipe makes 10 servings.
Ingredients
Directions
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Dip whole strawberries using the crown, 3/4 of the way into ganache and place on parchment. Repeat as necessary. Allow to set in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until chocolate has hardened.
Ganache
Ingredients
Directions
Place heavy cream and butter in a saucepan and scald (heat just to the boiling point, then remove from burner). Chop the dark couverture very fine. Add couverture to scalded cream. Stir until smooth and uniform in consistency. Cool to room temperature.
Fresh Berry Bismarck
From “The Family Kitchen,” by Debra Ponzek, this recipe serves 2.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Put butter in 10-inch ovenproof sauté pan and heat in oven until butter melts and begins to bubble. Watch carefully so that butter does not burn.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using a wire whisk or hand-held electric mixer, whisk flour, milk, eggs and salt until smooth.
Pour batter into sauté pan and return to oven for 12 minutes, or until batter is puffy and golden brown.
Slide bismarck onto a serving plate. Sprinkle with fresh berries and powdered sugar. Drizzle with maple syrup. Cut in half and serve immediately.
Drink ideas: Got milk?
Tomato Bruschetta
From “Cooking up a Storm: The Teen Survival Cookbook,” by Sam Stern, this recipe serves 1.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat broiler or toaster oven.
In a bowl, mix tomatoes, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper and a drizzle of oil.
Toast bread. Drizzle oil on the toast. Pile tomato mixture on toast. Eat immediately.
Drink ideas: 7-Up’s new all-natural formula matches well with the simplicity of this snack. Another option: Perrier or Pellegrino water.
Kung Pao Beef
From Marilu Hirschinger, this recipe serves 8-10.
Ingredients
Meat marinade:
Sauce:
Stir-fry:
Directions
Trim fat from steak and cut into 1-inch cubes. Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, wine, egg white and salt in a glass bowl. Add beef, stir to coat. Marinate 1 hour, covered in refrigerator.
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons rice wine, Chinese vinegar, sugar and chicken broth. Set aside.
Place oil in wok, swirling to coat sides, and place over high heat. Add chiles and cook until they begin to darken. Add garlic, ginger and Szechwan pepper; continue to cook to infuse oil. Add green onions and bell pepper. Remove steak from marinade and add to wok. Stir-fry about 5 minutes until brown. Blend in sauce. Stir cornstarch and water and add it to the pan, stirring, to thicken. Sprinkle in the peanuts and stir to coat. Serve over rice.
Drink ideas: Boulder-made Izze Sparkling Grapefruit juice or any ginger ale will play off the garlic and ginger.
Pork-Filled Buns
Pictured in foreground of photo at left. From Marilu Hirschinger. Makes 12 buns.
Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast
Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water; blend in sugar, oil and salt. Let stand in a warm place until bubbly (about 15 minutes.) Add a scant 3 cups flour and mix until dough holds together. If dough is too sticky, add remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Place dough on a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour and 15 minutes).
Prepare pork filling; let cool and set aside.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead for 1 minute. Shape into a rectangle. With a floured knife, cut rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise 6 times to make 12 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a round about 4K inches in diameter. Press outside edges of dough to make them slightly thinner than the rest of the round. Place 2 tablespoons filling in center of each round. Pull edges of dough up and around filling and twist to seal.
For steamed buns, place each bun, sealed side down, on a 3-inch square of foil. Cover and let rise in a warm place until puffy and light (about 30 minutes). Set in steamer over boiling water. Cover and steam 12-15 minutes. (When done, tops of buns should be glazed and smooth.) Serve warm; or let cool, wrap and freeze. To reheat, steam frozen buns until hot (about 10 minutes).
For baked buns, place buns about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until puffy and light (about 30 minutes). Brush tops with melted butter and bake in a 350 degree oven until golden brown (about 15 minutes).
Pork Filling
Ingredients
Directions
Put pork cubes in a medium bowl. Add garlic, ginger, 2 teaspoons sugar and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Stir to combine.
In a small bowl, combine remaining sugar, cornstarch, remaining soy sauce, dry sherry and water, stir and reserve.
Heat oil in a wok or wide frying pan over high heat. When oil is hot, add pork and stir-fry until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion and continue stir-frying until the onion is limp, about 2 minutes longer. Stir cornstarch mixture, add to pork, and cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens. Cool.
