Summer Rolls - Three Ways

by Irene Lindvall

We had dinner plans this evening so I opted for a very fun lunch. I thought it was fun until I started working on a time crunch and realized that I was making five different things - three different types of rolls and two different sauces to accompany. I did well with the prep and separating each dish out it just took longer than I expected. Overall, all three of these rolls are great and the sauces are delicious. 

Crunchy Cucumber Summer Rolls

These were the simplest out of the three and had the least amount of taste except for the fresh mint.

Things I learned from this recipe:

There is definitely a trick to rolling. I didn't quite figure it out, but I know that you have to lift the filled edge up and over the fillings a little further than you think. After doing this a few of the times it made for folding the sides in easier without anything falling out.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Yes

 

The recipe

Sauce recipe

 

Turkey, Bacon, and Avocado Summer Rolls

This one was definitely the best out of the three. Of course it was the one that contained crispy turkey bacon, but it was also the one that had the most spice which we both really liked. Also, this sauce with almond butter was amazing. It outshines most of the peanut sauces I've had at Vietnamese restaurants. 

Things I learned from this recipe:

I used fresh almond butter from Whole Foods and it was amazing for the sauce.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Definitely

The recipe

 

Sauce recipe

 

Tofu, Shiitake, and Spinach Summer Rolls

I bought a package of spicy lemongrass tofu to save time and not have to cook up my own tofu for this roll. I liked the little zest it added to this roll. 

Things I learned form this recipe:

Watercress doesn't do a lot for me.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Yes

The recipe

Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad

by Irene Lindvall

I love a good Caprese salad and I realized it has been since late last summer that I've made one. This is another one of those dishes where I don't have an actual recipe, but I will share with you what I love to put in it.

Heirloom tomatoes: Unfortunately they are not ready yet in WA, but these beauties came from CA.

Mozzarella cheese: Fresh from the local farmer's market. The freshest only lasts a week, and a tip I learned from the producer is a good one. Never actually touch the cheese you don't want to immediately eat - no matter how clean you think your hands are the bacteria on your fingers will leech onto the cheese and cause it to go bad faster.

Basil: Fresh from my plant on my kitchen counter.

Red onions: I love to add a very thinly sliced red onion for a little extra kick.

Basil olive oil & balsamic vinegar: I like the flavor of basil olive oil a lot and it really works well with this dish. You can see much of the oil or balsamic because I put it on the tomatoes, and in retrospect, I should've added another layer on top of the cheese.

Things I learned from this recipe:

Only the freshest ingredients work for this dish.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Definitely

The recipe: 

Please see above.

Smoky Cod w/Sweet Potatoes

by Irene Lindvall

I need to start with a word to the wise - this is not a dish that is fun to cook in the kitchen in the summer when you don't have air conditioning. Other than that, I have nothing bad to say about this recipe. It was extremely tasty and all of the ingredients worked so well together. After doing some reading, I found out there are different varieties of sweet potatoes and they don't have to be orange on the inside. This one was light yellow and not quite as sweet as a orange variety, but still rather flavorful. I think Eric would prefer this type so he got lucky this time. Finally, the downside to wanting to make this in the fall or winter is that corn won't be fresh, but I think it's a small tradeoff to not overheating in the kitchen. 

Things I learned from this recipe:

Not all sweet potatoes look alike.

The brown crispy flakes scratched off from the pan were delicious. 

Frozen cod is just fine.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Definitely 

The recipe

Bacon Grilled Cheese

by Irene Lindvall

I'm definitely a sucker for grilled cheese recipes. I specifically liked this one because it wanted me to cook it in a pan which, as you may remember, is not how I make mine. I was also interested in the combination of mayonnaise & honey. It turns out it tastes more like honey than mayo and definitely make this dish a lot sweeter. Overall, the dish was pretty tasty. I used turkey bacon, Pepper Jack cheese, avocado and tomato. 

Things I learned from this recipe:

Grilled cheese is not healthy for you. I already knew this, but my goodness this one is definitely not. 

Would I make this recipe again?:

Maybe

The recipe

Chocolate Orange Cookie Cups and Fruit Salad

by Irene Lindvall

Happy Fourth of July! I decided to share my recipe for Cowboy Hotdogs with the rest of my family today so I went with a dessert for my new dish today. I also made a fruit salad which isn't technically a recipe, but I wanted to share it none the less.

Chocolate Orange Cookie Cups

This recipe is super easy and quick to make, but other than that nothing to write home about. I waited a little over an hour to serve them after taking them out of the oven so they might've tasted a little bitter served warmer, but overall the taste was just okay to me. The addition of the melted chocolate at the end was a nice touch. 

Things I learned from this recipe:

The dessert must be served with vanilla ice cream. It is too dry on it's own.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Probably not

The recipe

 

Fruit Salad

I've been eating fruit salad for as long as I can remember, and have been making it for as long as I could use a knife. The key I learned from my mom, as with many dishes she makes, is that  the right color combination makes it more desirable. You must not have too many reds and oranges or too much green. I always like to use kiwi and blueberries as a surefire way to get a blue and a green in and those two in particular provide a different texture and are cut differently which add dimension to the dish. Other than that, I go with whatever else is in season.