Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls

How’s the weather where you live? Its been a little moody here in Ohio. Just this week there was frost warning at night and a day later the high was 92. In this spring weather, some days are perfect for soup and some are perfect for this spring roll recipe. I hate using the oven and stove a lot on those really hot days because it really heats up the house. This recipe is almost raw! Minimal cooking required. All you need to do is cook the rice. For this, I love my rice maker. It just sits on the counter and cooks the rice to the perfect doneness and doesn’t heat up the house. Keep this recipe up your sleeve for those hot summer days. And remember when I made Portobello Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers? The left over sauce from the burgers makes a delicious dipping sauce for these fresh spring rolls. Make both of these recipes in the same week, grill the Portobello's outside, and you will have two delicious meals for hot weather that wont heat up your house.
PRINTABLE RECIPE
Ingredients:

• 1 C. uncooked rice (you will notice that I used black “Forbidden Rice” from Whole Foods. It is delicious, but you can use any kind of rice. I suggest some sort of short grained rice)
• Veggies cut into matchsticks (I used carrots, cucumbers, red bell pepper, snow peas, and mushrooms)
• Avocado, sliced
• spinach
• 1 package of rice spring roll wrappers
• sweet Thai chili sauce (find this in the Asian section at any grocery store)
• Dipping sauce (you can just dip these in the same sweet chili sauce that is inside the wraps or you can use my ginger teriyaki sauce found here)

Ingredients:
1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Let it cool. Left over rice from the fridge would be great for this recipe, too.
2. Slice up your veggies. You could add what ever veggies you want to your spring rolls, but I recommend at least having carrots and cucumbers.

3. Fill a shallow dish that is big enough to fit a whole spring roll wrapper inside with water. Set up a rolling and filling assembly line. Soak one wrapper in the water for about 30 –60 minutes.


4.  Lay the wrapper on a plate. Lay down a layer of rice.

5. Add the veggies. Squirt on a drizzle of sweet Thai chili sauce on top of the veggies.

6. Roll the spring roll like a burrito. Repeat until you have the desired amount of spring rolls.  Dip in sauce and eat fresh.

Recipe by Edible Experiments

Portobello Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers

When ever I get hamburger at a restaurant, I always end up getting some sort of pineapple burger. I always tell myself I am going to try something new, but I always end up falling back to my favorite. My mouth is watering as I write this. While I do like a good hamburger at a restaurant every once in a while, I find myself cooking less and less with meat. I don’t really enjoy eating meat and I really don’t enjoy cooking with it. This burger completely satisfied my craving for a pineapple teriyaki burger, but I didn’t have to wash my hands twenty times before I felt like they were rid of raw meat germs.

I found this recipe at Whole Foods Market. I love Whole Foods. It is such a huge, fancy store and I love it. I always admire their beautiful produce, but it is quite expensive. Maybe someday I could afford to do all my grocery shopping there, but not for a long time. But I do like to go there occasionally and get things like “Forbidden Rice” and “Pink Madagascar Rice”. I found this recipe when I  went there the other day to get some bulk chia seeds and this delectable Black current apple cider drink (because I was craving apple cider in the spring):

This recipe is so easy! It’s a breeze to prepare and even meat lovers would enjoy this. The flavor from the sauce is sweet and tangy and I think I could drink it. If you like mushrooms and you just don’t want to deal with touching ground beef, give this recipe a try!

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 4 Portobello mushrooms
• 1 can pineapple rings in pineapple juice
• 3 TBSP. soy sauce
• 2 TBSP. brown sugar
• 1 TBSP. minced garlic
• 1 TBSP. grated ginger
• 1 TBSP. toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 C. cold water
• 1 TBSP cornstarch
• 4 hamburger buns
• toppings (cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, mayo, etc.)

Directions:

1. Pop the stem off of the mushrooms and scrape off the brown “gills” with a spoon. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Set the mushrooms in a 9x13 baking dish. Put the pineapples in the dish too, but save the juice for the sauce.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together 3/4 C. of the extra pineapple juice, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and sesame oil. Pour sauce over the mushrooms and pineapples. Cover and put in the fridge to marinade for 1 or 2 hours. Turn the mushrooms and pineapple half way through.

3. After the mushrooms are done marinating, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch. Drain the marinade from the mushrooms and add it to the cornstarch mix. Heat to a boil, stirring occasionally. Let it boil for a minute or two more. Remove from heat.

4. Heat a small drizzle of oil in skillet (or use a grill) until sizzling. Cook the mushrooms and pineapple in the hot pan, flipping once. Toast the buns (here is a yummy bun recipe) and stack the mushrooms, pineapple, and what ever other topping you like. Use the thickened sauce as a dipping sauce. Save left over sauce for a spring roll dip (spring roll’s coming to this blog soon!) or as a stir-fry sauce.

Note: If you put the Portobello's stem side up, it makes a nice little bowl for toppings. I topped mine with a very thin spread of mayo, sliced cherry tomatoes (I ran out of big tomatoes), yellow bell pepper, two pineapple rings (I think two is the magic number here), and lettuce fresh from my garden.

Recipe adapted from Whole Foods Market

Stamped Sugar Cookies (Polka Dots and Goodbye’s)

I am so excited about a little trick I figured out last week! I was looking for an excuse to make some sugar cookies with royal icing. I decided to make some for my neighbors who are moving next week. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what kind of sugar cookie I was going to make. I realized I was out of meringue powder for my royal icing and headed over to Michael’s craft store to buy some more because I had a 40% off coupon. While I was there, I was perusing the $1 rubber stamp bin when I had the idea to use food coloring as ink and stamp the royal icing! I was even more excited to find a couple stamps with “goodbye” phrases on them. I also found an awesome little set of lower case alphabet stamps.

I didn’t really have a clear sense of what I wanted to do with the cookies other than stamp them, so I started by making some basic circles and squares. I experimented with the cookie dough a bit and came up with a yummy coconut sugar cookie dough:

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1 C. white sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla (or lime juice)
• 1/2 tsp. coconut extract
• 1 TBSP fine lime zest
• 3 C. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

1. Cream together butter and sugar. Add in the egg, vanilla (or lime juice), coconut extract, and lime zest. Mix until combined.

2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add slowly to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. The dough will be very crumbly.

3. Turn out the crumby dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Squish the dough together and wrap with the plastic wrap to form a ball. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

4. Roll out dough and use cookie cutters to cut out the shapes. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lay out cookies onto cookie sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Freeze the cookies on the pan for 10 minutes. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

To learn more about making a sugar cookie, visit my full tutorial here.

Next, trace the stamps by flipping them upside down and using a clean push pin to scratch a faint outline into baked and cooled cookies. Like this:

Now, if you have never decorated cookies using royal icing, visit my tutorial and learn how to make royal icing and how to use it. I am not going to explain it in detail here. Outline the stamp area with a piping consistency royal icing.

Then flood the stamp area with whatever color you would like. Let it dry 24 hours before attempting to stamp. At this point, you may also, outline and flood the remainder of the cookie. Note: if the rest of the cookie is the same color as the stamp area, you may want to pipe an outline in another color to differentiate between the “text box” and the rest of the cookie. It is easier to add this after you stamp the cookie. Like in these cookies with arrows pointing at them:

Add the polka dots. If you want a smooth polka dot look, drop in flooding icing in the colors of your choice with a squeeze bottle. Drop dots straight into the still wet, newly flooded background color. It should look like this:

If you want raised dots, use royal icing that is somewhere between piping and flooding consistency. I call it 20 second icing. I learned how to make and use this consistency of icing from The Adventures of Sweet Sugar Belle. Click here to learn how to make this 20-second icing. I like it because it makes a more smooth, puffy dot than stiff outlining icing. It looks something like this cookie:

Now for the stamping. I am cheap. I have heard you can buy a foam or felt un-inked stamp pad and dilute gel food coloring with a little bit of alcohol or water (click here to see it done that way in action), but I just didn’t want to spend the money to buy the stamp pad and deal with that mess. I tried saturating a couple folded up paper towels with food coloring diluted with water and it worked ok, but I struggled a little bit to get every part of the design onto the cookie.

I used an edible marker to fill in the spots that didn’t transfer well. I also tried just using the marker to ink the stamp and I found that worked the best. It made for a perfect transfer. So, if you don’t have an edible marker, you can probably make it work with food coloring, but it was much easier and less messy to just use the marker. Click here, here, and here to see some marker options.

To transfer the image, roll the stamp down onto the cookie. Start by pressing one end down and rolling the rest of the stamp down. Make sure it transfers over by holding the stamp in place and pressing hard and rocking back and forth a little to make sure all the corners and sides get a chance to touch the icing. Try it a couple of times on a paper or paper towel to get the hang of it before stamping the cookie.

Just so you know, I use stamps that have only ever had food coloring on them and I wash them thoroughly with  hot soap and water before and after I use them.

Go make some cookies, buy some stamps, and create! Oh, and goodbye to the Martindale’s. We will miss you!

By Edible Experiments

Roasted Vegetable Stacked Enchiladas

 My sweet 2 month old daughter loves to “help me cook”. In other words, she is content to sit in her bouncy chair in the kitchen and stare at me while I cook. She has just started making spit bubbles. I love to look over at her while I’m cooking and see her smiling face, spit bubbles and all. Its fun to have a little friend who I can talk to while I cook. However, it’s not always that easy. A lot of the time I am running back and forth between her and the stove. Give her the binky, run back and stir the sauce, run back and hand her the toy she dropped, run back and add the seasonings, etc. And sometimes she just wants more attention than I am giving her so she will start to fuss, so I will go to her and she will immediately stop her crying act and smile. And sometimes I just have to drop everything and feed her. Caring for a sweet little spirit is so rewarding, but I have learned to appreciate recipes that are either fast or that can be divided into stages. I love this recipe for the later reason. You can prepare all the veggies the day before, roast the veggies the next morning and assemble the enchiladas, and bake the whole thing in the evening. I love recipes I can work on for a short amount of time, leave and come back to later. I haven’t tried it yet, but I bet you could easily freeze this meal after assembling it.
Another great thing about this recipe is that it is full of veggies and variety, full of protein, and you don’t miss the meat at all. It is filling and satisfying without loading it full of saturated fat. It does have a couple sprinkles of cheese though. In all my attempts to eat mostly plant based whole foods, I just can’t quite ditch the cheese (or the ice cream). And I don’t think that’s ever going to change. This recipe makes a lot. We have been eating it all week for lunch. You really could customize this recipe how ever you want, throwing in what ever veggies you have on hand. My next goal is to make it with homemade tortillas. Enjoy!
PRINTABLE RECIPE
Directions:

• 1 poblano chili, cut into inch long strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into inch long strips
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced into dice sized cubes
• 1/2 of a medium onion, sliced into small strips
• 1 can (15.25 oz.) of corn (fresh or frozen corn works, too)
• 1 can (15 oz.) black or red beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 TBSP. olive oil (or any kind of oil)
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• a sprinkle of chipotle seasoning, to taste (optional)
• 1 TBSP. lime juice
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 C. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 2 C. salsa (any kind, homemade or store bought)
• 8-10 corn tortillas, ripped in half
• 1 to 2 cups of shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)
• sour cream and avocados for garnish

Directions:
1. Chop up all your veggies and put them all together in a big bowl. Using salad tongs or your hands, toss in the olive oil, cumin, garlic, and lime juice. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Lay all the veggies out evenly on a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, parchment paper, or lightly greased tin foil. Spread them out evenly. Sprinkle generously with salt and cracked pepper. Lightly sprinkle on some chipotle seasoning if you choose to use it (it’s a little spicy).
3. Roast the vegetables for 40 minutes, or until they are tender and starting to brown. Use tongs to turn the veggies every 10 minutes. While it is cooking, mix together the cilantro and salsa. Rinse and drain the beans.
4. Reduce heat to 350 F. and assemble the stacked enchiladas. First, lay down a thin layer of salsa in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Tear the tortilla’s in half and place one layer on top of the salsa. Add a layer of vegetables, followed by a layer of beans, another layer of salsa, and a layer of cheese. Repeat until all the veggies are gone. Sprinkle with cheese.
5. Cover with tin foil and bake the stacked enchiladas for 30 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes. Let it sit for a couple minutes before cutting. Serve with sour cream and avocados.
Recipe adapted from Perry’s Plate

Brown Rice with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

If I had to pick my favorite dinner, it would be something Italian with a super unhealthy creamy white sauce. Alfredo something or other. Something with lots of butter, cream, and cheese. Sadly if I ate that as much as I wanted (every day) I would probably dead in 5 years. Luckily I have found a healthy substitute to satisfy my need for something thick and creamy. This sauce is made almost entirely of cauliflower! It has great flavor, it’s creamy, it’s thick, it’s just what I need in my life.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 C. short grain brown rice
• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/2 C. –3/4 C. vegetable broth ( you could really use any liquid as long as you adjust the salt level)
• salt to taste (probably at least 1 tsp.)
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tsp. Italian herb blend (I used an Italian Pasta Sprinkle from Penzy’s Spices)
• 2 TBSP. olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 C. Mozzarella cheese
• fresh parsley roughly chopped, for topping.

Directions:

1. Prep the short grain brown rice. I like to soak my brown rice because I feel like it makes it softer. If you want to soak your rice, just follow the instructions on the package, but before you cook it, just leave it to sit in the water while you prep your veggies.

2. Wash and cut your cauliflower in to smaller florets. Try to make them roughly the same size so they cook through at the same rate. While you have the knife out, chop up the zucchini, garlic, and tomato and set aside. Boil the cauliflower in salted water until it is tender. Start cooking the rice according to the package now.

3. After the cauliflower is soft, drain out the water and transfer the cauliflower to a blender, food processor, or use a stick blender. Blend with 1/2 cup of vegetable broth it until it is smooth. If you would like it a little thinner or smoother, add a little more veggie broth. Add the Italian herb blend. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you used used veggie broth, you wont need quite as much salt as you would if you used milk or water ( I have used milk before and it works fine). Set sauce aside.

4. In a large skillet, sauté the garlic in the olive oil on low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and increase the heat to medium. Stir occasionally, cooking until the zucchini is tender, but not mushy. If the garlic is starting to burn or stick, add a little bit of veggie broth or water to deglaze the pan.

5. Add the rice and cauliflower sauce to the skillet and stir until everything is all mixed together. Add the cheese and tomato and stir again until the cheese is melted. Taste one last time and add more salt, pepper, and Italian herbs as needed. Top with parsley.

Recipe by Edible Experiments, idea from Pinch of Yum

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

I am so excited! I am so excited about lots of things. For starters, life in general and the new life that’s joined my little family. I am excited that I have finally recovered from having a baby. I am excited for summer. I am excited to start going on walks and jogs. I am excited to explore the farmer’s markets and start my own small garden.  I am still figuring out how to cook while taking care of a baby at the same time, but I’m starting to get the hang of it.  I have lots of ideas up my sleeve and I am exited to be back in the kitchen experimenting again!
As I browsed through some of my past posts, I realized that there are lot of recipes for goodies. I love goodies, but I do eat pretty healthy most of the time. I am going to focus on some main meals and side dishes in the next little bit to give you a taste of how I actually eat. I don’t just eat dessert, you know. This salad is quick, easy, fresh, and reminds me of summer. If you don’t like raw onions, just give them one more chance in this dish. The acidity of the lemon juice and feta cheese really mellows out the onion. Just make sure you don’t put too many in and make sure you chop them very fine.
Ingredients:

• 1/2 C. uncooked quinoa
• 1 C. water
• 2 tomatoes (Roma)
• 1 C. fresh spinach, shredded
• 1/4 of a red onion, chopped very finely
• 1/2 of a medium cucumber
• 2 TBSP. lemon juice
• 2 TBSP. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 1/3 C. crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
1. Cook the quinoa just like you would cook rice. I like to use my rice maker, but you can do it on the stove top by boiling the water and quinoa in a saucepan, reduce heat, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed. You will know its done when the little curly “tails” pop out of the grain.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, chop up all the veggies. Mix them together in a mixing bowl. Add the quinoa.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Add this mixture to the veggies and quinoa. Stir to evenly coat everything.
4. Top with avocados and feta.
Recipe by Edible Experiments, inspiration from Fitness Magazine.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

I made these cookies pre-baby, ate a few, took some to the neighbors, and froze the rest for post-baby. You would think that with a sweet little baby girl and no more pregnancy cravings I wouldn’t need any more sweetness in this house. Not true. I am going to go pop some in the oven right now!

I tweaked my chocolate chip cookie recipe a little to make these cookies. I also tried adding a little cornstarch because I heard that it prevents cookies from flattening out too much. I don’t usually have a problem with flattening with these cookies, but I think it did make them a little thicker and fuller. I think it was a good addition. I also think these would be yummy with some pistachios thrown in the mix.

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp. cornstarch

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup  granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 C. dried cranberries

3/4 C. white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Mix together flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. In an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until combined. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

4. Place balls of cookie dough on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Bake for 14-17 minutes. With my oven, I always cook them for 14 minutes. Do not over cook these. Take them out just when the edges start to firm up and then let them cool on the pan. If they are still too gooey after a few minutes, just pop them back in, but don’t over cook them. I do cook them a minute or two longer when cooking them from frozen, however.

Recipe by Edible Experiments