Spring Roll with Peanut Sauce

Have you ever tried Vietnamese food? OHH OHH OHHH... So fresh and so delicious. My favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Tucson has to be Miss Saigon. I love so many of their dishes but the one that is absolutely my favorite is the spring roll. I made this once with Blake but the important element that we were missing was mastering the peanut sauce. We once asked Miss Saigon for the recipe but they said that it was a secret. But after about half a year, I think I am close to unlocking the secret. ;)

Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup Peanut butter
1 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp Granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp Garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp Chili sauce (optional if you like spicy)
1 Lime, juiced
Water

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add water to thin the sauce.

Spring Roll
1 Cucumber, sliced into thin strips
1 Carrot, sliced into thin strips
Cilantro
Basil
Lettuce
Your choice of:
Shrimp (halved), Imitation crab, Deli chicken
Rice paper

1. Boil water. Remove from heat. Briefly dip the the rice paper in the hot water. Remove from water and place on a flat surface.

2. Carefully arrange the other ingredients onto the rice paper leaving an inch around to roll the paper. (It take a lot of patience and practice)

3. Dip with peanut sauce and enjoy.

Ratatouille with Tofu

Ingredients
Olive oil
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups diced eggplant
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup chopped plum tomato
1 cup parsley leaves
1 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with olive oil. Add carrots to pan; saute 6 minutes. Add onions, basil, and garlic; saute 4 minutes. Add tofu, eggplant, and zucchini; saute 4 minutes.
2. Combine parsley, basil, green onions, and olive oil in food processor.
3. Add pesto and tomato sauce to ratatouille.
4. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir salt and pepper.

Guacamole

Ingredients
3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions
In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

Rosemary Dumpling Chicken Soup

Soup:
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
1 lb chicken drumsticks, skinned
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 thyme sprigs
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced carrot
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Dumplings:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. To prepare the soup, combine first 5 ingredients in a large dutch oven over medium-high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove pan from heat. Remove chicken from broth; cool slightly. Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Remove chicken from bones. Discard bones; chop chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set chicken aside.

2. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, onion, and garlic; saute 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Add reserved broth mixture and 1/2 teaspoon salt; simmer 10 minutes. Keep warm.

3. To prepare dumplings, combine flour, rosemary, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

4. Add chicken to broth mixture; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Drop dumpling dough, 1 tablespoon per dumpling, into chicken mixture to form 12 dumplings. Cover and cook 7 minutes (do not let broth boil). Sprinkle with pepper.

Japanese Style Chicken Curry

I love food because they always have memories associated with it. My fondest memory with this dish was a night with my college boyfriend. He was 6'1" with broad frame. He had a great appetite. I was teeny tiny: 5'3" and 96lbs. But it was obvious that size had nothing to do with how much we could eat. Even though I was half his size, I ate just as much as him (if not more). We could destroy a sushi buffet's business in one sitting. Anyways, one night we decided to cook dinner at home. We made about 2 cups of uncooked rice (this is probably equivalent to 4+ cups of cooked rice) and this dish, enough to feed 6 people. We were planning to save some for his parents and brother... but by the end of the night, the rice cooker, as well as the pan of curry, was completely empty. We sat on his couch for the rest of the night rubbing each other's tummy. Haha. I wish I still had that metabolism...

Ingredients
Olive oil
2 Carrots, cut
2 Red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 Red bell peppers, cut
1/2 lb Sugar snap peas
1 Yellow onion, cut
1/2 package of Curry bricks

Directions
1. Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add the potatoes. Boil until cooked half way through. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat a large pan with olive oil. Add carrots and cook on medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add red bell peppers, sugar snap peas, onions, and potatoes. Cook vegetables halfway through. Add water to just cover the vegetables. Reduce the heat and let the vegetable simmer.
3. Bring 1/2 cup of water to boil in a small pot. Add 1/2 package of Curry brick and let it dissolve. **You can place the curry package and water in a microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute**
4. Once dissolved distribute the curry throughout vegetable broth. Let the mixture slowly simmer on medium heat until thicken.

**If you like curry to be more thin, you can add more water**

Pumpkin (and Carrot) Cream Cheese Muffins

This year, I'm working Thanksgiving. :( While everyone is getting food coma from a delicious turkey dinner, I'll be busy doing neurological assessments every 4 hours so my patients don't go into an actual coma (haha. I thought that was clever). The plus side is that my co-workers and I will be having a little Thanksgiving brunch. YAY!!! I love brunch's.

Anyhoos, I didn't want to make a my pumpkin pie for brunch (maybe next year) so I did my research on pumpkin cream cheese muffins from various sources and created these lil fellas. HAPPY THANKSGIVING. :)

Cream Cheese Filling
1 (12 ounce) package cream cheese (if desire less cream cheesy taste, use 8 ounces)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Streusel Topping
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 tablespoons butter

Muffin
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin (substitute with grated carrot for carrot cream cheese muffins)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour the pan or use muffin cups.

2. To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.

3. For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

4. For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.

5. Place pumpkin (or carrot) mixture in muffin cups about 3/4 full. With one spoon, create a deep well, then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.

6. Bake at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

**recipe equal approximately 15 muffins**

Tilapia Fish Taco

The key to maintaining a healthy mind and spirit is to take care of your body. Lately I've been accomplishing this by cooking meals everyday and daily exercise. Damn. I feel so good. :)

Tonight I had a craving for fish tacos. The salsa recipe is from my dear friend, Diana. Love you, girl.

Marinade:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
5 limes freshly juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon zesty powder blend
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12oz tilapia fillets

Salsa
1/2 onion, diced
2 jalepanos, diced
3+ tomatoes, diced
1 bunch cilantro, diced
6 limes freshly juiced
salt

Toppings
1 (10 ounce) package tortillas
1 small head cabbage, cored and shredded
2 avocados sliced
2 limes, cut in wedges

Directions

1. To make the marinade, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, honey, garlic, zesty blend, chili powder, seafood seasoning, and black pepper in a bowl until blended. Place the tilapia in a shallow dish, and pour the marinade over the fish. Cover, and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours.

2. To make the salsa, combine the onions, jalepanos, tomatoes, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt for taste.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove fish from marinade and pour in baking dish (more moisture add a few spoonfuls of marinate to fish). Bake fish in oven until it easily flakes with a fork (usually about 12-15 minutes).

4. Heat the tortilla in nonstick pan. Add shredded cabbage and flaked fish to tortilla. Top with avocado and salsa mix. Squeeze a couple more lime wedges for an extra kick.

ENJOY!!! I love Tilapia Thursdays!