Thai Spring Rolls

Last week I had the opportunity to join a Thai cooking class held at the Kempinski Hotel by the master chef who is from Thailand.   I was thrilled to be in the professional kitchens of such a luxurious hotel and instructed step by step on the secrets of preparing delicate, fresh and tasty Thai food!  The specially presented apron I got to keep was a bonus.  I tied it on with relish and balanced the tall white chef hat on my head.  I was ready to go.  Bring on the spring rolls, beef and lamb satay, papaya salad, red beef curry and steamed sea bass.  I will follow this post with further recipes for these dishes.  As long as you have the right ingredients, preparing Thai dishes was not so daunting as I had imagined.

This version of spring rolls was made at home following instructions. The above photos are my final product.  The photos below were taken at the Kempinski kitchens. And the results were wonderful! Crispy and fragrant with a punch of flavor when you dip into chili sauce.

Ingredients:

1 package spring roll dough
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup cabbage
1/2 cup onions sliced thin
1/2 cup vermicelli
1/2 cup cup spring onion
1/2 cup cilantro
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon flour
about 1 tablespoon water

oil for frying

sweet chili sauce

Soak the vermicelli in hot water for a few minutes until soft.  Drain well.  Cut carrots, mushrooms, onions, and cabbage into thin julienne.

Saute the veggies briefly in a pan, a couple of minutes until crisp-tender.  Take off of the heat and throw in the remaining ingredients: vermicelli, spring onion and cilantro, salt and pepper.

Let cool for a bit, and meanwhile prepare the flour paste by mixing four and water in small bowl.  This will be the glue to keep the spring roll from opening when its fried.  Undo a few pieces of the spring roll wrappers in preparation.  Keep the stack covered while you work so as not to dry out.

 

You are ready to begin.  Center the spring roll wrap with one corner pointing towards you.  Put a spoonful of the filling in the center, fold the tip closer to you over the filling, fold the side tips over the center, and roll.  Use the flour paste brushed on the tip to glue it shut.

Heat oil, about 1 inch deep, in a wok or pot.  Drop 4 or 5 spring rolls at a time carefully into the hot oil and fry until golden brown.  Be careful not to over-brown.

Serve with Thai sweet chili sauce.

Saj Bread

Saj bread is a Middle Eastern bread rolled and stretched as thin as paper and cooked over a burning hot iron.  I realized how much I missed my thin Lebanese bread when I moved to China.  I did find a version of pita bread at a large chain wholesale store that sold some import products and it really is not bad.  It is a bit thick for my taste and can only be used to make pita pocket sandwiches.  But what about  shawarma, falafel, zaatar and zeit, and labne sandwiches rolled in thin flat bread?  Not possible, until I went on a quest to make it myself!

I've seen flat bread made by hand in the countryside of Lebanon, usually outside, hand stretched to an amazing thinness.  Where I lived previously in Michigan, large Middle Eastern bakeries provided a multitude of varieties of breads, saj bread was a favorite.   I began with  my basic bread dough recipe, rolled out the dough and laid it in a large flat pan.  That experiment worked but it was difficult to transfer the dough without having it fold onto itself.

From what I remembered, the cooking tool used traditionally is dome shaped.   Hmmm... what could I use that is dome shaped and can withstand a high gas flame?  Thats it!  One cooking tool that is plentiful in China- a wok.  An iron wok turned upside down makes a perfect dome shape!  I found the perfect wok and ran home to experiment.  And to my delight (and extreme enjoyment from household members) the result was a stack of soft, pliable and exceptionally thin sheets of saj bread!

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup canola oil
3 cups warm water

Measure the yeast and sugar and mix in a small bowl with warm water.  Set aside for 5 minutes to ferment.  Meanwhile, place the flours and salt in bowl, mix lightly and create a well in the center.  Pour the yeast mixture and the oil in the center of the well, add the milk.  I like to mix the dough by hand: roll up your sleeves and get in there!  Add as much of the water as needed to create a soft dough.  Keep kneading until well mixed and the dough becomes less sticky and hold together.

Transfer the ball of dough to a large bowl that has been lightly brushed with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and set in a warm place to rise for about an hour.

Now the dough is ready to be worked with.  Punch it down and knead well.  Flour your working surface and knead the dough until it no longer sticks to the countertop and becomes firm.  At this point you can place in the fridge for over 24 hours until you are ready to use it, or work with the dough right away.

Begin by inverting the wok over the stove top over a low to medium flame and let it heat up.  Section the dough into baseball sized balls and with a well floured surface and rolling pin, roll it out until it gets very thin.  Keep moving the dough in a circle while rolling and flouring your surface.   You're not done yet, lift the dough and stretch at the corners until it becomes paper thin!  Then drop onto the hot dome.

Let the bread cool, then you can use as a wrap and fill with any filling you please!  I like to brush it with a mixture of olive oil and zaatar, which is a mix of dried oregano, sumac and sesame seeds.  Also, spread with labne- a thick yogurt cheese and olives is light and satisfying.  

Fattoush Salad

Fattoush salad is a colorful combination of chopped vegetables, a mix of common fresh mediterranean ingredients like romaine lettuce, vine ripened tomatoes, cucumbers and more.  You can pretty much add any fresh salad veggie you have on hand.  Sumac and crushed garlic in the dressing makes the flavors pop.

When making the dressing use the best extra virgin olive oil you can find; the ingredients are simple so the quality and freshness is key.  When purchasing sumac, the spice that gives you the tanginess in the salad, look for more of a deep reddish brown color.  The brighter the red the more pure the sumac.  Crunchy pita bread bits add texture to the salad.

If you cannot find sumac where you live, you can substitute with chili powder and increase the lemon juice by 2 tablespoons.  I certainly cannot get it here in Chongqing but I'm fortunate enough to have a stash of spices brought from home with me.  Its really a pleasure to buy vegetables in the area I live now.  The Chinese thrive on fresh picked vegetables, which makes it very convenient for my mediterranean cooking.  Ahhhh, here I have found some similarities...

Before I prepare the salad, I head over to the vegetable carts down the street from my villa compound.  The farmers spread their produce of all varieties, picked early each morning.

Ingredients:

3 cups lettuce shredded

3/4 cup tomato diced

3/4 cup cucumber diced

1/2 cup broccoli chopped

1/2 cup green or red bell pepper diced

1/2 cup carrots shredded

1/4 cup green onion diced

1/4 cup red onion sliced

1/4 cup parsley chopped

1 pita bread cut into small cubes (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Fattoush Dressing:

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

21/2  tablespoons sumac

1 teaspoon dried oregano 

salt and cracked black pepper  to taste

Wash, shred, dice and chop the veggies.

Slice the pita in half length-wise and cut into cubes.   Heat the oil in a pan saute pita cubes until just browned.  Keep stirring so as not to over brown.

Drain in a plate lined with a paper towel.

in a jar or bowl, mix the dressing ingredients.  Shake or stir well and your dressing is ready to go!  Set aside until you are ready to serve the salad.  

Mix the veggies together in a large bowl, toss with as much of the dressing as you want and add the crunchy pita chips on top just before eating so it stays crisp, and does not get soggy from the dressing.

Berry Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping

Blackberry and strawberry season in Chongqing is welcomed by small shopkeepers and individual sellers who market their delicious fruit on street corners and along any busy side walks.  The perfect deep purple blackberry is lined in neat rows and strawberries are mounded in shallow baskets for show.  The berries are always fresh picked, and tempting.

I wanted to take advantage of the plentifulness by starting with a basic sour cream coffee cake and combining the berries to get the contrast in color and tangy sweetness.  Now, living in mid-west China has a few difficulties.  At times I cannot get the ingredients I need to make some recipes; sour cream being one of them.  Not to worry, I have found plain yogurt to be a great substitute and did use my homemade yogurt to make this cake.

My favorite fruit and veggie store just outside FG gates displays the daily pick of berries.

Street vendor shouts to get my attention and check out her basket of blackberries.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1 teaspoon almond extract

Topping

3/4 cup strawberries sliced
3/4 cup blackberries
3/4 cup sugar coated or honey coated walnuts
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons butter melted

Set the oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit  (250 degree Celsius).  Prepare a 10 inch round cake pan by brushing with oil, or spray with cooking spray, then dust with flour.  Tap out the excess flour.  In a bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda by shaking through a sifter.

In a separate bowl mix butter and sugar together and beat well with a mixer until fluffy.

 Add eggs one at a time and mix each time.  Add the sour cream and almond extract. Beat once more.  Add dry ingredients a bit at a time and stir after each addition.

For the topping, put together flour, sugar, coconut, walnuts and melted butter and mix.

Pour the batter into the waiting pan and spread until it is even. Drop the strawberries and blackberries randomly on top of batter.  With your hand, crumble the topping all over.

 Pop the pan into the heated oven and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes.  Check to see when done by inserting a toothpick in the center.

Combine the reserved berries with 1 tablespoon of sugar and set aside.  When the cake cools down to room temp, and just before serving, garnish the center with the berries.

Mujadara

Mujadara is cracked bulgar wheat cooked until fragrant with boiled lentils.  When buying bulgar pay attention to the size of the wheat grain.  Selecting the medium to large grain will give you the best results with this dish.  Loaded with iron, fiber and protein, I can't stress the health benefits of mujadara enough.  Caramelize sliced onions and pile on top of your plate to add a sweet and savory flavor.  My girls prefer to accompany it with greek yogurt; I personally have to have some fattoush salad with every bite!

Ingredients:

1cup brown lentils
2 cups bulgar wheat
4 cups water
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Caramelized Onion

2 cups thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola or any cooking oil
2 tablespoons olive oil



Rinse lentils, place in pot with about 3 cups of water, bring to a boil and cook until the lentil is just tender, but still has a bite to it, approximately 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the onions paper thin and set aside.

Measure out the bulgar wheat in a bowl, submerge in water and let sit for a few minutes.  Pour off the water and rinse.  When the lentils are done, pour the water remaining in the pot into a measuring cup.  We want to add this water back to the pot.

Throw the bulgar in with the lentils and pour in a total of 4 cups of water, including the remaining lentil water.  Add the spices, and bring to a boil.  Set the heat to low, cover and cook until the bulgar is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

While the bulgar is cooking, heat up the oil in a pan for the onions.  Slide the sliced onion into the pan and cook until they begin to brown, stirring every once in awhile.  Continue to cook and stir with a wooden spoon until the onions turn a deep brown color.

 Drain on a plate lined with a paper towel, but remember to save the oil.

When the bulgar is finished steaming, uncover the pot and fluff with a fork.  Pour the reserved onion oil over the bulgar wheat and stir.  Serve the mujadara and garnish generously with the caramelized onion.

Barbeque Chicken in the Oven

This is my first attempt at posting, and so, I have chosen a recipe I've used for years, that has been popular with both guests and family alike.  I mix up my own barbeque sauce and pour over pieces of chicken legs, thighs or wings.  The poultry is left to marinate for hours or overnight to soak up as much of the sauce as possible, then baked in the oven on high heat until the meat is tender, falling off the bone, yet slightly crisped on the outside.

Barbeque Chicken

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion diced

4 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup cider vinegar

4 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

5 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon celery seed

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

cracked black pepper to taste

a pinch of pepper flakes to taste

Place the diced onion and crushed garlic in a bowl, measure out the dry ingredients: chili powder, brown sugar, celery seed, salt and peppers.

Pour in the ketchup, worcestershire sauce,vinegar, lemon juice olive oil and liquid smoke.

Begin by lining any deep edged pan you like with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier and to avoid burning the bottom of the pan.  Pour the prepared barbeque sauce over the chicken, mix well, cover with another piece of aluminum foil and let marinate in the fridge for a few hours.  You can even make the day ahead and keep in the fridge until the next day.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes covered.  Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes or until browned on the outside.  Don't forget to baste the chicken with the barbeque sauce in the bottom of the pan every 5 to 10 minutes after uncovering.

Serve immediately and enjoy.