Fiery Jalapeño Salsa

About a month ago I posted my roasted vegetable salsa recipe where I made a promise to publish my variation of Tacodeli’s famous Doña salsa. It is an Austin staple that should be included in every Austin guidebook. Words can't describe how good it is. It has a pale green color and creamy texture that will make you think that it's some sort of avocado salsa. But when you taste it you will first feel a subtle hint of roasted garlic and then instantly the heat of the jalapeños will take over your senses. It feels like a heatwave just blew through your mouth.

The good part about the recipe that you're about to read is that you can dictate the heat level by controlling the quantity of the seeds and the white membrane inside the jalapeños. If it still comes out too spicy for your taste you can cut the heat by using sour cream or heavy cream. I know Tacodeli doesn't use any of that (theirs is vegan), but if you have no problems with dairy, feel free to add a bit anyway. It will make the salsa's texture even smoother.

I personally like spicy food. My dad always had fresh, dried or pickled hot peppers at home and he would use them in every dish he ate. He would cut a few slices into his chicken noodle soup, which I found pretty weird at first, but over time I started to copy him, trying to build up to his amount of peppers.

In about a month I will be taking a trip to Hungary for a conference. My sister still lives there and, although my parents live in Romania, we usually all meet in Budapest. When I asked my dad what to bring him, the first request he had was jalapeños. My dad is at the age where he finds relaxation in gardening, watching cooking, fishing and hunting TV shows. He doesn't want to get all pumped up by watching news about corruption, politics, scandals and all that jazz, so he switched over to more pleasant activities. He now spends his evening growing vegetables in my grandmother's garden. 

My dad has an impressive collection of hot peppers from all over the world. He just loves to grow them and gets really serious about it. He nurses the seeds indoors, then takes the seedlings out in the garden. He even drilled a water well and build an irrigation system for his garden. He sometimes even Skypes me in the middle of the night asking me to explain why his water pump doesn't work, like I am some sort of a water pump expert. 

This Doña salsa variation of mine is pretty similar in taste to the Tacodeli one. The texture is slightly different, but mostly because I didn't emulsify the sauce for long enough and with as much oil and because I like my salsas on the chunkier side, and not on the completely smooth side.

I'm sure that Tacodeli's salsa doesn't have as much lime juice and cumin as mine, and no cilantro and sour cream at all, but these are twists that make it more to my liking. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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Fiery Jalapeño Salsa

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Yields 1 cup
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 pound jalapeño
• 1 bulb garlic
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 medium lime, juiced
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 cup olive oil (or peanut or mix of both)
• 2 TBS sour cream, optional
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash jalapeño peppers, pat them dry and then put them in a medium bowl. Break up bulb of garlic by hitting the top of it with the heel of your hand. Toss the garlic cloves into the bowl of jalapeños and lightly sprinkle with olive oil and a pinch of salt.
2. Heat up your grill to medium. If using a stove-top cast iron grill, you need not worry about the garlic falling in between the racks. In case you're using an outdoors grill, use a layer of tin foil to prevent that from happening. Place the garlic on the colder side of the grill to avoid them from burning. Burned garlic tastes bitter.
3. Grill jalapeños until they are blistered and charred, about 15-20 minutes, turning them occasionally. The grilling time will vary based on the size of the peppers. Same rule applies for the garlic cloves- the smaller ones will cook faster.
4. Remove the vegetables from the grill starting with the garlic. The garlic should be soft when pierced with a knife. Set the garlic aside. Place the jalapeños in a container and cover for about 10 minutes. This will make your life easier when peeling them.
5. In the meantime, peel the grilled garlic and place the cloves into a food processor.
6. Start peeling the jalapeños, removing the skins with a knife. Use gloves. Trust me, you don't want to touch any part of your body after peeling jalapeños with your barehands. I learned it the hard way.
7. Remove the seeds and the white membrane that holds the seeds (placental tissue). If you like it really spicy leave a few in the mix.
8. Toss the peppers into the food processor along with the garlic. Add water, lime juice, salt, pepper and cumin and pulse. Slowly add oil to emulsify until the salsa becomes creamy and smooth. 
9. Add sour cream for extra creaminess. I use more sour cream when the salsa comes out really hot and I want to cut the heat a bit. Sprinkle cilantro on top, or mix it in the salsa. 
10. Store the salsa in a jar in the fridge. The texture will change a bit when cooled, but you can fix that by adding a tablespoon of warm water and shaking

Creamy Leeks with Pan Roasted Chicken

When I started this blog I made a calendar where I mapped out the posts for the next few months. Although I'm not quite a planner, I really wanted to make this blog happen, so I had to set myself up for success.

I knew that cooking would not be a problem- that's how I relax after a long day at work and I'd do it anyway. What was scary was the commitment itself- the commitment of taking pictures while cooking, writing down the recipes and following them (instead of just winging it like I usually do), processing the pictures and last but not least, the scariest of all, writing. No matter how confident you feel about understanding and speaking a foreign language, the idea that you're committing to writing in it is intimidating.

Fortunately, I've always loved challenges and I'm adventurous and stubborn enough to think that it is indeed a good idea. Truth to be told, I do have an amazing editor/taste tester to help me.

I post two recipes a week: a simple one, like a breakfast, a brunch or a quick bite, and a second one that's more elaborate and time-consuming. There is a logic to the order in which I post as well, but the problem is that, more often than not, I derail from my own masterplan. I always find good reasons to- let it be my mood, the weather or the delivered veggie box from my the local CSA. 

The ice cubes are homemade chicken stock that I freeze in an ice maker tray. Whenever I need some stock I just pop a few out.

This week was the weather. Initially, I wanted to transition to less hearty meals and more seasonal, lighter dishes like pastas, salads and such. Then the weather started playing tricks on me. Usually May in Austin is already unbearably hot, but for some reason this year it's been very mild and rainy. It’s been raining seemingly nonstop for weeks now. The flash flood alerts on my phone won't stop giving me a heart attack when they go off at random times.

The weather, combined with the leeks that I found in the weekly delivery, made me choose this recipe. I've done this dish several times before, but somehow it always manages to surprise me with its taste. 

When you're roasting the chicken you can go with different aromatic herbs if rosemary doesn't cut it for you. I personally would have used tarragon had my neighbor grown that instead of rosemary. Sometimes I take my dog on a walk with the intention of picking a few branches just to keep the otherwise invasive rosemary population under control. I may be renting, but I care about our neighborhood!

The situation with the green couscous was completely different, though. I had parsley from the CSA and my little herb garden started producing herbs to my surprise. They have to survive the weather and hurricane Popsi (a.k.a. the dog). The mint, sage, oregano and chives all came from there.

The inspiration for this side dish was Jacques Pepin's green couscous. Roni did the mistake of getting me the full edition DVD of Essential Pepin as a birthday gift last year. Ever since, I don't cook with 90's Euro techno music blasting in the background, but with Pepin telling stories with his cute French accent. Aww, I guess I'm getting softer as I grow older.

If you won't be able to get a hold of the same herbs as mentioned in the recipe, worry not! Replace them with what you like or what you have on hand. Whether it's thyme, basil, spinach or kale, it makes no difference. The point is to make the couscous more interesting and pleasant aesthetically by adding extra flavor to the rather bland semolina. Enjoy!

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Creamy Leeks with Pan Roasted Chicken

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Serves 4-6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients

Creamy Leeks and Pan Roasted Chicken

• 4 large leeks
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, oregano or tarragon
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 lbs chicken with skin and bones (thighs and drums)
• 1/2 black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 TBS peanut oil (or canola, or sunflower seed oil)
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, oregano or tarragon
• 1 sprigs rosemary
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 black pepper, freshly ground
• salt, to taste
• 1 cup heavy cream

Green Couscous

• 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 6 mint leaves
• 1 sprig oregano
• 3-4 sage leaves
• 1/4 cup chives
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup stock, saved from the braised leeks (or 2-3 TBS hot water)
• 1 cup instant couscous
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• salt, to taste
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 TBS butter

Instructions

Creamy Leeks and Pan Roasted Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
2. Clean each leek by cutting off the dark green woody leaves and the root end. Using a pairing knife slice the leek lengthwise starting from about 1/4 of inch from the root up to the leaves. Rotate the leek, and slice it again starting from the root. Fan the leeks open and place them under cold running water. Rinse out any dirt or sand until the leeks are clean.
3. Place leeks,  garlic cloves, thyme, oregano or tarragon, two sprigs of rosemary and chicken broth in a deep oven proof skillet. Season with freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt.
4. When the oven heated up, put the skillet in and cook for 30 minutes. Check after 15 minutes and stir leeks so that the ones that aren't completely covered by the stock don't burn.
5. In the meantime, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
6. Heat up oil in a heavy cast iron skillet at medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, place the chicken pieces in the pan with the skin side down and brown for about 6-8 minutes. Flip the chicken on the other side and repeat the browning process. 
7. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the chicken on the un-browned sides for about 5 minutes total.
8. Add butter, crushed garlic and aromatic herbs (rosemary, thyme or tarragon) and baste occasionally for 3-5 minutes on each side. Check the temperature of the chicken. At this point it should be at around 130-140F (55-60C). 
9. Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover with aluminum foil until the leeks are ready.
10. Deglaze the pan in which you roasted the chicken by pouring in white wine. Sprinkle with a pinch of fresh ground pepper an cook for about 3 minutes. Add the cream and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
11. Remove pan of leeks from the oven. Remove half of the stock that is left. Make sure you're not discarding it as you're going to use it for the couscous.
12. Mix in the chicken with its juices and the cream sauce. Stir well until the meat is covered in leeks and the white sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
13. Put the chicken back in the oven for about 10 minutes. 
14. While the chicken is in the oven prepare the couscous. 

Green Couscous

1. Put herbs, garlic and the stock you saved from the braised leeks in a food processor. If you don't have it just, add 2-3 TBS hot water. Puree the herbs until the paste becomes smooth.
2. Pour the herb paste into a medium bowl then add couscous, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix well until the couscous is well coated. 
3. Add hot water, mix and cover for about 10 minutes. 
4. Remove cover and add in butter while the couscous is still hot, mixing it thoroughly. Season with more salt to your liking.
5. Serve couscous with the leeks, chicken and french baguette (for dipping). 

Notes

• Do not overload the skillet with chicken. You risk reducing the heat in the pan to the point where the chicken will not brown and will become greasy. Instead, work in batches if you have to.

Grilled Carrots and Parsnips with Orange Yogurt

A few weeks ago I felt like I desperately needed a full day for myself to decompress and do only what I wanted to do, which was absolutely nothing. On days like this I sleep in, prepare a quick breakfast, play a bit with my dog, then get cozy on the couch with a book or Netflix and Popsi snoring at my feet until it's my own nap time.

To the amusement of my friends, I still take naps. They constantly remind me that they quit taking naps when they were 7. I'm 31, but I still do it and get excited about it just like I did when I was a kid. Probably even a little bit more because it’s much harder to find time to do so now than when I was young.

I feel like in this fast paced world that we are living in, we barely have time to allow ourselves a little downtime. When was the last time you didn't have plans on a given weekend?

I used to think that I was wasting my day by doing nothing and even felt guilty for doing so. Not anymore though. Nowadays I just embrace these lazy days and enjoy them while they last.

On my days off, I rarely want to cook at home and prefer to go out and look for new ideas and recipes that inspire. I'm not pretentious when it comes to food, but I have certain expectations. I want simple dishes cooked with fresh ingredients.

The inspiration for this recipe came on one of these days at a local Italian food truck called Patrizi's. Although I almost always go with their roasted garlic bruschetta for the appetizer, this time I decided to try one of their specials- Roasted Carrots with Orange Yogurt. It sounded so light and refreshing that I couldn't pass on it.

I was so blown away by the sweet and tart combination of the carrots and orange that I knew I wanted to try to make something similar at home sometime soon. That time came earlier than expected when we received our CSA box of veggies from Johnson's Backyard Garden that week. It was loaded with gorgeous, fresh organic carrots and parsnips. 

In my recipe, I'm using both carrots and parsnips, and instead of roasting them I decided to grill them for that added charred flavor that develops while grilling. I also added fresh oregano and orange zest to the yogurt sauce, and mint and orange juice to the grilled vegetables. The idea of adding fresh herbs came mostly out of convenience as not long ago I started to grown my own herbs in small pots outside on the patio. 

I served this appetizer with a side of arugula salad sprinkled with olive oil and topped with sour cherries, walnuts and goat cheese, but it stands well served on its own. It's delicious, healthy and flavorful. Enjoy!

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Grilled Carrots and Parsnips with Orange Yogurt

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Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

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Ingredients

Grilled Carrots and Parsnips

• 2 bunches carrots (10-12 whole), scrubbed or peeled
• 1 bunch parsnips (4-6 whole), scrubbed or peeled
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 8 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 TBS olive oil

Orange Yogurt

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 TBS orange zest
• 1 TBS fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 1 tsp caraway seeds, ground
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• kosher salt, to taste 

Instructions

1. In a medium-large mixing bowl combine cleaned carrots, parsnips, 2 TBS olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well until the root vegetables are evenly coated.
2. Fire up the grill to medium-high heat, around 425-475F (220-245C). If using a stovetop cast iron grill, set burners to medium-high heat.
3. Place carrots and parsnips on the grilling grate. Cover (use aluminum foil if grilling on stove top) and grill for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables develop sear marks. Flip them over and continue grilling them until the crunch is gone but the resistance remains, about 20-25 more minutes. Make sure you're flipping them every 10 minutes so they don't get burned.
4. In the meantime, prepare the orange yoghurt by combining all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir them together and let it sit in the refrigerator until the carrots are cooked. This way the flavors will blend and the sauce will taste better.
5. Once cooked, remove the vegetables from the grill and toss them in a mixing bowl with the orange juice, chopped mint leaves and the rest of the olive oil.
6. Serve the carrots and parsnips at room temperature over 2-3 tablespoons of yoghurt and sprinkle more mint on top.

Cauliflower Risotto with Chicken Schnitzel and Pangrattato

Roni and I got really hooked on MasterChef, specifically season 6. I love cooking shows, but for some reason this competitive cooking shows were never my cup of tea. I generally go for shows like Pepin's Essentials. In the competitive shows,zz drama out-shadows the essence of the show- the cooking itself. It should be about food and preparing interesting dishes and not about how a contestant passes out during cooking and another one cries her heart out because she's being sent home. 

Drama aside, I started watching it and turned Roni into a MasterChef junkie for a week. I found inspiration for a couple of new recipes and overall it was really entertaining up until the Final Five. That is when Roni decided that she needed to find out if a contestant had a food blog or not. Needless to say that when she Googled the name, the first search result was about that person winning the competition.

Her reaction spoiled it for me too, so from then on we just pretended to be thrilled when that cook was in the elimination challenges. After this incident I'm thinking about introducing a house rule where neither of us is allowed to google anything while watching this type of show. 

The inspiration to cook risotto came from the show. One contestant cooked a green apple risotto, and when I saw it I was immediately intrigued. I mean seriously? How did that idea even crossed her mind?

I was set on making risotto but since we didn't have green apples at home I started to think about alternatives. Whenever we go to the grocery store Roni has a funny habit of putting a cauliflower in the cart regardless of if the plan is to cook cauliflower or not. And that's how a great recipe was born! (Roni says, "You're welcome.")

I have cooked risotto several times before, but never with cauliflower. I started searching for recipes and oddly enough not too many of them popped up. The top one was Jamie Oliver's, so I looked there for inspiration and found his idea of using pangrattato (flavored, toasted breadcrumbs) to sprinkle over the risotto to be really smart and creative. For the breadcrumbs, instead of going the spicy route with red chili, I chose to make it more Italian by using basil, oregano, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese.

Schnitzel on the other hand, didn't require much research for this Eastern European. It may not be the healthiest food, but it's definitely one of the tastiest. Who doesn't like meat fried in a crispy and flavorful crust? When cooking chicken breast, I learned from my mom to season the flour with paprika and black pepper to add that extra flavor to the otherwise bland and boring meat. In the breadcrumbs, I like to mix in a bit of crushed nuts--almonds, walnuts or even hazelnuts--and some parmesan for an extra nutty aroma. 

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Cauliflower Risotto with Chicken Schnitzel and Pangrattato

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Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients

Cauliflower Risotto

• 1 small cauliflower
• 5 cups stock (vegetarian or chicken)
• 4 TBS olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 5 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup parmesan, freshly grated
• 4 TBS unsalted butter
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• salt, to taste

Pangrattato

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 5 anchovy fillets and 1 TBS anchovy oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 5 fresh oregano leaves, chopped
• 1 TBS parmesan, freshly grated
• 1/2 black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp olive oil

Chicken Schnitzel

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 TBS paprika
• 2 large eggs, pasture raised
• 3 TBS whole milk or heavy cream
• 1/4 cup parmesan, freshly grated
• 1 cup breadcrumbs 
• 1/4 cup almonds, crushed
• salt, to taste
• 1 cup oil, sunflower seed or peanut

Instructions

Pangrattato

1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the breadcrumbs are evenly coated. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and toast the breadcrumbs until they become golden brown, about 5-7 minuets. Stir and toss often so they don't burn.

Cauliflower Risotto

1. Trim the leaves off the cauliflower and remove the stalk. The cauliflower will naturally fall apart into large florets. Cut these into small florets and save the tender stems. Finely chop the stems into small pieces.
2. Bring stock to a boil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the florets and continue boiling for about 5 minutes. Remove pot from the heat. Do not discard the stock.
3. In a large saucepan sauté the shallots with olive oil over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes and then add the chopped cauliflower stems and continue to sauté for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently until soft. The vegetables should become translucent, not browned.
4. Add rice and turn up the heat to high. Cook for a minute or two until the rice becomes translucent. Add white wine and cook until absorbed, stirring frequently.
5. Reduce the heat to low. Using the stock in which you boiled the cauliflower, add stock to the rice one ladle at a time. Stir until the stock is absorbed to make sure the rice releases the creamy starch. Allow each ladle of stock to be absorbed before adding another one.
6. When the rice is al dente add cauliflower florets with each ladle of stock crushing them into the risotto. Continue until rice is cooked. Taste as you go and adjust seasoning to your preference, but be careful with the salt. You will add parmesan next which will make it saltier. 
7. When the risotto is done, remove from the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley, basil, parmesan cheese and butter. Mix well, taste again and adjust the seasoning. 
8. Cover with a lid and let it rest until you finish the schnitzel.

Chicken Schnitzel

1. Cut the chicken breast into 1/4 inch thick cutlets. Place them between two strips of plastic wrap. Pound the breasts with a meat tenderizer until the breasts become slightly thinner. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. Mix flour, pepper and paprika and place mixture on a plate. Beat eggs and add milk or heavy cream in a shallow and wide bowl. On a third plate mix the breadcrumbs, almond crumbs and parmesan.
3. Working with one chicken breast at a time, dredge meat in flour, shaking off excess, then dip into egg mixture, turning to coat evenly and then carefully coat with breadcrumb mixture. Transfer the breaded chicken to a plate.
4. Pour oil into a large skillet and heat over medium flame. When the oil is shimmering- the temperature should be around 400F (200C) if using sunflower seed oil- add the coated chicken breast and fry in a single layer. 2 or 3 breasts should fit into your skillet depending on the size of the schnitzel and skillet.
5. Fry for about 5-6 minutes on each side until the breading becomes golden brown. If you used thicker breasts make sure that the inside temperature is over 155F (65C), but not more than 160F (70C). 
6. Remove schnitzel from the skillet and place them over a paper towel patting off the excess grease.
7. Serve with risotto sprinkled with pangrattato and a lemon wedge. 

Vegetable Hand Rolls

Over the weekend I went to a friend's river house and floated the Comal River in New Braunfels, a favorite Texas summer pastime for grown ups. You float down the river on a tube while sunbathing and boozing. It's a lot of fun!

The only problem is that the sun and alcohol combo makes you hungry. Extremely hungry. After the float we usually fire up the grill and prepare Texas staples like steaks, hot dogs and burgers. The vegetable of choice is usually the potato..potato chip. They go well with beer after all.

A trip like this takes a big toll on my body though. I like to party and indulge in meat and beer, but these days I recover slower than I did in my early twenties. When I get home all I crave is fresh vegetables. Who says men don't feel guilty for what they've eaten?

Growing up, salads weren't the appetizer of choice. In Romania people prefer soups over salads. We would eat salads every now and then, but mostly when tomatoes were in season. My grandfather Bunu, who I dearly miss, had a big beautiful garden. He was very passionate about growing vegetables, which turned into his full time job after retirement. 

I loved spending my summers at my grandparents' house. My grandmother, Buna, would cook for me whatever I wanted. All I had to do was to tell her what I was craving and the next day that's what we'd eat. It was heaven on earth for a chubster like me.

Dinners were especially fun, because I got to help Buna with the cooking. I would go in the garden, pick the vegetables I wanted, chop them up in the kitchen, and ten minutes later there it was- a big bowl of fresh tomatoes, green onions, gogosari peppers (a Romanian sweet pepper with a spicy kick similar in taste to bell peppers) and red radishes topped with home-pressed sunflower oil, coarse salt and cracked pepper. Salads were always served with a crispy loaf of freshly baked bread. So simple, yet so flavorful.

I first had this type of roll at a Korean restaurant in Austin called Koriente. Their recipe includes a few other vegetables, but I found these five (cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers and avocado) to be the ones that I have most often in my fridge. Feel free to experiment by adding fresh zucchini, white cabbage, celery, leeks of even sliced portobello mushrooms to the hand rolls. 

Also, I find that people have different opinions about the roasted seaweed, which you can find at any Asian market. Some love it, some don't. If you're in the second category wrap your veggies in green leaves like romaine, butterhead, round or looseleaf lettuce or just don't slice the cabbage leaves and use those.

The sweet and spicy gochujang dip will add that extra kick and flavor to the hand rolls. It is relatively easy to find at Asian markets, but if you can't, just go with good ol' Sriracha sauce. 

Whatever you do, you'll end up with a fresh, crisp and healthy meal that will be done within 15 minutes. Yesterday was the Kentucky Derby, so we served it up with a watermelon julep on the side. Enjoy!

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VEGETABLE HAND ROLLS

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Serves 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

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ingredients

Hand rolls

• 1/4 head red cabbage, finely sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 3-4 carrots, julienned
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 1/2 English cucumber, deseeded and finely sliced
• 2-3 sheets roasted seaweed, cut into 4x4 inch pieces

Sweet and Spicy Korean Chili Dip

• 3 TBS korean chili paste (gochujang)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 1/2 TBS soy sauce
• 1 1/2 TBS mirin 
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 TBS honey
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 TBS roasted sesame seeds
• 1 TBS cold water

Instructions

1. In a small bowl combine gochujang paste, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil and seeds. Mix them together well. Add 1 TBS cold water.
2. Keep the sauce refrigerated until serving. If you end up with leftover dip store it in the fridge. It will stay good for weeks.
3. Slice and julienne your veggies and place them on a tray or serving plate.
4. Using a pair of scissors cut the roasted seaweed sheets into 4x4 pieces.
5. Assemble hand rolls by placing vegetables on the seaweed. The proportions are up to your personal preference. 
6. Serve with dipping bowls of soy sauce and Korean chili.