oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
4 oz. medium raw shrimp, shelled, deveined and cut in half, lengthwise
1/2 cup carrots, finely julienned
2 green onions, finely julienned
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Procedure:
Place a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Carefully remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, keeping the leaves whole. Have a large bowl of ice water ready to cool the cabbage leaves. While the water comes to a boil, prepare the dipping sauce. Whisk the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons of the garlic, sugar and red chilies together. Set aside.
When the water has come to a boil, add 2 of the cabbage leaves and cook just for 20 seconds. Immediately remove the leaves from the water and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Repeat this procedure with 4 more of the cabbage leaves.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil in a large skillet or wok. When it is very hot, add the onion and remaining 1 teaspoon of garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Toss in the chicken and the shrimp, and sauté another 4-5 minutes. Remove all the ingredients from the pan and set aside. Place the remaining 1-tablespoon oil in the pan and heat it till very hot. Put the carrots in the pan and sauté for 1 minute. Add in the green onions and sauté for another minute. Return the chicken and shrimp mixture to the pan. Pour in the oyster sauce and sauté for about 1-2 minutes. Add in the pepper and then remove the pan from the heat.
Assemble the wraps. Drain the cabbage leaves on paper towels. Divide the chicken and shrimp filling between the cabbage leaves. Roll the leaves up as you would an egg roll. To do this, roll the leaf for about 1-inch to enclose the filling. Then fold up each side just enough so that the filling doesn’t slip out. Then, continue rolling the leaf up to form a cylindrically shaped log. Serve the wraps with the dipping sauce.
Note: The reason that the filling is sautéed in 2 batches is that liquid is released from the chicken and shrimp when they are cooked, and if the carrots and green onions were just added in, they would steam as opposed to being sautéed.
Julienne cut simply means cutting the vegetables to look like thin matchsticks.
Crunchy Almond Squid
My husband Dave loves squid, especially this almond squid. The nuts make it very crunchy and the flavor is fantastic. I don’t eat a lot of fried food, but this squid is one dish I do enjoy occasionally. I made this appetizer as part of a class that featured Spanish foods. The saffron mayonnaise can be made ahead of time and kept chilled until you are ready to serve the squid.
Makes six servings
Ingredients:
One pound cleaned squid, washed and patted dry.
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 cups almonds, finely chopped
8 egg whites
Oil for deep-frying
Procedure:
Make the Saffron Mayonnaise first. Separate the squid bodies from the tentacles. Cut the bodies into rings that are 1/2 inch thick.
Heat up your fryer oil to 350 degrees.
In one bowl, place 3 cups of the flour. In another bowl combine the remaining flour, almonds, salt and pepper.
Whip the egg whites until they are very foamy.
Dip the squid first into the unseasoned flour, then into the egg whites and then into the almond flour mixture. Place on a sheet pan when breaded. This will have to be done in batches.
When all the squid has been breaded, fry in the deep fat fryer until golden brown. Serve at once with the Saffron Mayonnaise.
Saffron Mayonnaise:
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Dash salt and white pepper
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 and 1/2 cups olive oil
1 tablespoon saffron threads mixed in 1 tablespoon hot water
Procedure:
Place all of the ingredients except the oil and saffron in a blender, or food processor. Blend to mix.
With the machine running, start adding in the oil in a slow stream. Add all of the oil to make an emulsified sauce. Remove the mayonnaise from the machine and stir in the saffron and water. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Creamy Hummus
I probably make this dip more than any other. I always have canned garbanzo beans in the pantry so this is very easy to whip up quickly. In addition, it is a very healthy dip, as it contains a lot of fiber and vitamin C. I serve it with pita bread wedges, or fresh raw vegetables. For variation, I will sometimes puree a roasted red bell pepper or some kalamata olives and fresh herbs like basil or oregano with the beans.
Makes four cups hummus
Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup tahini
6 garlic cloves, peeled
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Two (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
Procedure:
Combine the first three ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until you have a smooth dip. Taste and season with a little salt or more lemon juice if you think the hummus needs these additions. May be served at once or chilled for a few hours.
Note: Tahini is a sesame seed paste. I have found it in the imported foods section of the grocery store or any international market will probably carry it. When I serve the hummus, I make a little indentation in the center of the dip, and pour on a little olive oil and sprinkle on some paprika or ground cumin to give it a little more color and flavor.
Jarlsberg Cheesecakes
I like savory cheesecakes more than I like the sweet variety.
