Thai Summer Shrimp Rolls with Plum Peanut Sauce

                             

Thai Summer Rolls with Plum Peanut Sauce:

3 TBS peanut butter, creamy
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp rice vinegar
2 TBS plum sauce
3 TBS honey
2 TBS sweet chili sauce
2 TBS tamari (soy sauce)
1/4 cup crushed peanuts, for garnish

Directions:
1.  Whisk all ingredients (except peanuts) together in a bowl.  Add peanuts to top, as a garnish
Note:  I like making a double batch for extra if needed.

Thai Summer Roll Ingredients:
10 Rice paper wraps, large

1- jumbo shrimp, cooked (tails off)

1/4 cup Thai basil leaves

8 ozs rice noodles, thin and cooked
20 cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 cup lettuce, chopped fine

Directions for Rolls:

1.  Add hot water to a heat-safe bowl.  (water temperature should be as hot as your hands can handle).

Have a cutting board or large dinner plate handy.  Place one rice wrap into hot water.  Make sure to emerge completely into the water.  Swish around for approx. 30 seconds to 1 min until rice paper becomes soft.  Remove from water and place on cutting board or plate.  Gently pat dry the top of rice paper with a dry paper towel.  (This step helps prevent ingredients from sliding around).

2.  Build the layers of your rolls by placing approx.  one shrimp on softened rice paper 3 inches from the edge closest to you.  Then add basil.  Add approx. 1/2 cup of noodles on top of the shrimp, then add cucumber slices and then lettuce.

3.  From the edge closest to you fold over rice paper over ingredients, tucking underneath to hold.  Fold in edges and secure.  Tightly roll up to the end of rice paper.  

Notes:  It will take a few times until you get the hang of it.  I find if I keep a small bowl of water handy it helps to wet my hands while rolling.  Also, a bit of water helps to separate noodles while dividing.

Ginger Lemongrass Seafood Soup

My inspiration for this dish comes from my Asian Market, which I visit often.  Since I have had to go gluten free, due to health reasons, I find it so comforting to know I can still create, cook and eat many dishes.  This, is my version of Asian Seafood Soup I used from ingredients, I usually keep in stock.

This broth is so exceptionally good and so easy to make.  This does not require a lot of expensive seafood.  The hardest part of this dish is having to ask the Seafood Market Guy to weigh and package small amounts of each seafood.  So take a walk through your Asian Market and see what you can come up with!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups sweet onion, chopped

2 cups celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

12 cups water

1/3 cup carrots, slivered

1 TBS ginger paste

1 TBS lemongrass paste

1 tsp chili paste

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1 dozen little neck clams, brushed clean

1/2 lb each of peeled, deveined large shrimp and sea scallops

1/2 cup scallions, sliced

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, thin

10 sprigs cilantro or picked leaves

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Add onions, celery and garlic to large pot with water.  Season with salt and pepper.  Simmer on medium heat until veggies are soft.  Approx. 30 mins.  Drain liquid well from veggies, reserving the liquid.  Return liquid to pot. (use veggies or part, or discard)

2.  Add carrots, ginger, lemongrass, chili and oyster sauce.  Stir.  Simmer on medium heat for additional 15 mins.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste (If needed)

3.  Add clams to pot.  Cook until clams open.  Approx. 10 mins

4.  Add shrimp and scallops.  Cook for additional 5-10 mins depending on size.

5.  Put in serving bowls.  Top with scallions, mushrooms and cilantro.







Creamy Lemongrass Ginger Soup

Picture is garnished with Black Forbidden Rice.

Prepared Forbidden Rice, (optional)

1 quart vegetable broth, (chicken broth, opt)
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 each red bell and yellow bell peppers, chopped
2 TBS lemongrass, grated
1 TBS ginger root, grated
1/3 cup vegetarian oyster sauce (regular oyster sauce, optional)
16 ozs Tofu, (firm) pureed
cilantro, handful, reserve some for garnish
baby spinach, (bag) fresh/rinsed.
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In large sauce pan add broth, celery, onions, garlic, peppers, lemongrass, ginger and oyster sauce.  Simmer until all ingredients are soft (approx. 30 mins).  Add pureed tofu, cilantro and spinach.  Season with salt and pepper.  Simmer for an additional 30 mins.  Garnish with cilantro.  Serve hot.

Note:  Soup may be pureed with a hand blender before adding the spinach.  Giving soup a more creamy texture.