vietnamese fresh spring rolls with 2 dipping sauces

the best thing about a vietnamese pho restaurant, in my opinion, is the fresh spring rolls they serve with the yummy dipping sauces...my FAVE!  since i no longer live close to any decent vietnamese restaurants, i started making them at home.  here is a super authentic recipe that delivers spring rolls that taste as good as golden deli (at least that's what i tell myself!).  enjoy!

ingredients:

- 2 ounces rice vermicelli

- 8 rice wrappers (8.5 inch diameter)

- 1/2 pound pork tenderloin

- 8 large cooked shrimp - peeled, deveined and cut in half

- handful of fresh thai basil, mint leaves and cilantro, thinly shredded 

- 1 small carrot, thinly shredded

- 2 lettuce leaves, thinly shredded

dipping sauce #1 (nuoc cham)

- 4 teaspoons fish sauce

- 1/4 cup warm water

- juice of half a lime

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 tablespoon brown sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

dipping sauce #2 (peanut hoisin sauce)

- 1/2 cup water

- 4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

- 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce

- 2 tablespoons sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

directions:

- marinate pork with salt and pepper; cook in frying pan then set aside

- once pork is cool, slice into thin pieces and set aside

- prepare rice vermicelli noodles according to directions on the package; run the noodles under cool water, drain then set aside

- create a mini assembly line with the following: a large bowl of lukewarm water, a couple clean kitchen towels, a plate of cooked shrimp halves, a bowl of vermicelli, a bowl of chopped fresh herbs, a bowl of shredded lettuce and carrots mixed, a plate of pork slices, and an empty plate with a damp paper towel on top

- to assemble the rolls, soak a rice wrapper in the lukewarm water for a second, transfer to a kitchen towel, add a couple halves of shrimp to the center of the wrapper in a horizontal line, followed by some vermicelli noodles, herbs, lettuce, and a couple thin slices of pork all in the center of the wrapper in a horizontal line

- at the bottom of the horizontal line of ingredients, quickly fold the wrapper up, then fold in either side.  lastly, carefully fold the top of the wrapper in to complete the spring roll

- quickly place the spring roll on the empty plate and cover with damp paper towel; make the rest of the spring rolls following each step above

- i highly recommend serving the spring rolls ASAP with the dipping sauces (directions below)

- to make dipping sauce #1, dissolve sugar in warm water, then mix the rest of the ingredients in and set aside

- to make dipping sauce #2, puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth; refrigerate

- enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

seafood and chicken paella

i fell in love with paella when i was 14 years old at a friend's backyard paella party.  as soon as i had my first bite of the toasted rice with chorizo, chicken and shrimp, i was head over heels...and i was determined to one day create an amazing paella recipe of my own.  after trying various recipes and making a number of batches over the years, here is my super delicious, easy-to-make paella recipe that will wow any crowd, trust me :) 

ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 chicken thighs, cut into chunks
- 2 chorizo links, cut into chunks
- 1 medium onion, chopped/cubed
- 1 green pepper, chopped/cubed
- 1 red pepper, chopped/cubed
- 2 celery stalks, chopped/cubed
- bunch of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- 12 cloves of garlic (or 3 tablespoons), minced
- 3 tablespoons saffron
- s&p
- 3 cups chicken broth (add more if needed)
- 3 cups paella rice
- 3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3/4 pound tilapia
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 2 lemons, cut into wedges

directions:
- heat olive oil in a paella pan or a le creuset wide pan over high heat until the oil is very hot
- saute and caramelize chicken thigh for 7 minutes or so; remove from pan and reserve
- saute chorizo chunks for 5 minutes or so; remove from pan and reserve
- lower the heat to medium and saute onion, carrot, green & red pepper, celery, parsley and garlic in the pan for 3 minutes
- fold in the rice and stir to coat each grain
- add chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes, gently stirring so the rice absorbs the stock evenly
- add saffron, some s&p, chicken and chorizo into the pan and mix
- cover the pan, give it a good shake, lower the heat, let everything simmer for about 15 minutes until the rice has a bite to them (aka al dente...do not overcook!)
- tuck in the shrimp, tilapia and peas into the rice.  add more chicken broth if needed
- cover and cook for an additional 5 more minutes until the shrimp is pink, rice is fluffy and the peas are cooked through
- serve with lemon wedges.  enjoy!

xoxo,
kara

cioppino seafood stew

i love seafood, especially when it's served raw (sushi, ceviche, poke) or in velvety stews (cioppino, bouillabaisse, chilpachole).  since it's still super cold everywhere else in the country, i thought i would share another cold-weather recipe this week (and one of my personal faves), my amazingly delicious cioppino.  although purchasing all the ingredients might be a bit pricey, trust me, this recipe is well worth it!

ingredients:

- 1/2 cup butter

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 large onion, chopped

- 2 shallots, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

- 1 bunch fresh flat parsley, chopped

- 1 small bunch basil, chopped

- 1 32oz can diced or crushed tomatoes in juice

- 4 cups of organic chicken broth (a box)

- 2 cups dry white wine

- 2 bay leaves

- 1 pound clams, scrubbed

- 1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded

- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

- 1 1/2 pounds scallops

- 2 pounds cod, sea bass or halibut fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes

- 1 sourdough baguette, cut into thick slices and toasted

- s&p

directions:

- melt butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat

- add onion and shallots. saute slowly, stirring until both are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes

- add garlic and red pepper flakes, stir gently for 3 minutes

- add parsley, basil, can of tomatoes with juice, chicken stock, white wine and bay leaves; stir well

- cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes

- add clams and mussels, and cook for 5 minutes until they slightly open

- then gently stir in shrimp, scallops and fish; cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until shrimp and fish are just cooked through (shrimp should be pale pink; fish should be slightly firm)

- remove bay leaves and any clams or mussels that have not opened yet (just in case!)

- season with some s&p, ladle into soup bowls, and enjoy with some toasted sourdough bread

xoxo, 

kara

amazing cabbage pork shrimp dumplings

these super juicy, delicious dumplings might take an extra hour to make, but they're super yummy and worth the wait (and work)!  plus - it's really fun making dumplings with friends and family.  throw a dumpling party!

 

ingredients:

- 1 package of refrigerated dumpling skins

- 3/4 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

- 3/4 pound ground pork (not the super lean stuff!)

- 2 cups of finely chopped napa cabbage (approx. 1/2 head of cabbage)

- 2 teaspoons kosher salt

- 3 stalks green onions, thinly sliced

- 3 large cloves of garlic, minced

- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

- 1 tablespoon soy sauce

- 2 tablespoons rice wine (or dry sherry)

- 1 teaspoon toasted asian sesame oil

- ½ teaspoon sugar

- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

dipping sauce (just combine together!)

- 1 teaspoon asian chili sauce

- 1/4 cup soy sauce

- 2 teaspoon toasted asian sesame oil

- ½ teaspoon sugar

- ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar

directions for the filling:

- in a medium bowl, toss the cabbage and kosher salt together and set aside for 30 minutes

- put cabbage into a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and wring out as much liquid as possible

- coarsely chop the raw shrimp

- in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, pork, shrimp, green onion, garlic, ginger, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and pepper

- cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes

directions for making dumplings:

- spoon 1 teaspoon of filling onto dumpling skin

- brush some water around the edge of the dumpling skin and fold in half

- pinch the corners, then pleat one side of the dumpling skin toward the center (see picture)

- to ensure the dumpling pleats stay intact, use a tiny bit of additional water if necessary

- place finished dumplings on a lined baking sheet, in a single layer so they don't touch each other

directions for pan-searing/frying dumplings:

- heat vegetable oil in a skillet until hot

- place the dumplings flat side down on the skillet over medium-high heat

- cook until the bottoms are lightly golden, about 1-2 minutes

- add 1/4 cup water, cover with a lid, and steam dumplings, 3-4 minutes

- remove lid and cook off any liquid, 1 minute

- serve with the amazing dipping sauce!  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara