Vietnamese Salad Rolls (Goi Cuon) Recipe

SND Note: Poached shrimp and pork are the traditional proteins used in goi cuon, but can be substituted with grilled meats or tofu. Different herbs can be added, such as basil and Vietnamese coriander (rau ram), choose your favorite ones. The rolls are best when served within a couple hours after rolling. Don't wait too long or refrigerate them as the rice paper will dry out and become tough.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound pork tenderloin
8 ounces thin rice vermicelli noodles
1 head butter lettuce, washed and ribs removed
1 bunch fresh mint leaves
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, removed from stems
1 English cucumber or seeded regular cucumber, thinly sliced 
16-20 garlic chives or Chinese chives
1 package rice paper (banh trang)

Directions:
1) Fill a small saucepan half full of water, add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp, reduce heat to simmer for 2-3 minutes or until cooked through. Do not discard water. Remove the shrimp with slotted spoon and set aside to cool.

2) Trim fat from pork and return water to a boil. Reduce heat and poach pork in water at a low simmer, about 15-18 minutes or until cooked through. Remove pork and set aside to cool. Reserve light stock to make peanut Hoisin sauce.

3) Follow package directions and cook rice vermicelli noodles.

4) Lay shrimp flat and cut in half horizontally. Cut tenderloin in half lengthwise. Then cut across the grain to create thin slices of pork. Set shrimp and pork aside.

5) Fill a medium bowl with warm water and quickly dip and spin a piece of rice paper into water; make sure to wet the entire piece. Lay it down on a cutting board. Place a lettuce leaf at the lower end of the rice paper. Add rice noodles, pork, mint, cucumber and cilantro evenly across the rice paper. [See the slideshow for pictures of the rolling process.]

6) Roll the rice paper over the filling and tuck it underneath. Add shrimp with the sliced side facing up. Fold the sides inwards and add a chive over shrimp with 1 inch sticking outside of a folded side. Continue rolling while keeping tension on the rice paper for a tight roll. The roll will seal itself.

7) Repeat steps 5 and 6 until shrimp and pork are finished off. Serve with peanut Hoisin dipping sauce.

Makes 16-18 rolls to serve 6 to 8 as an appetizer

Spicy Peanut Hoisin Dipping Sauce Recipe (Nuoc Leo)

SND Note: This sauce is not the traditional Vietnamese peanut sauce (nuoc leo) made with liver. It's a simplified version using peanut butter. Whole soybean sauce is intact soybeans fermented in salt, water and sugar. It has a salty, sour taste. If you can't find it, substitute a little salt to taste. The sauce is on the thick side with a consistency of a dense Dijon mustard when cooled.

Ingredients:
1 cup light shrimp and pork stock (from step 2 of goi cuon recipe) or water
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon thick soy sauce
1 teaspoon whole soybean sauce, crushed
3 tablespoons of Hoisin sauce
4-6 tablespoons crunchy or creamy peanut butter (natural or organic)
2-3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or diced chilies to taste 
1 ounce dry roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions:
1) In a small sauce pan, add light stock and garlic. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.

2) Add thick soy sauce, crushed soybean sauce, Hoisin sauce, 4 tablespoons peanut butter and chili garlic sauce. Stir until peanut butter is dissolved and the sauce thickens. Add additional peanut butter until desired thickness is obtained. Adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish sauce with chopped peanuts.

Makes almost 2 cups of sauce

Spicy Crab Cakes Recipe

SND Note: To prevent the crab cakes from falling apart while cooking, make sure to refrigerate the cakes for at least an hour before frying. For more traditional Maryland crab cakes, replace the cilantro with flat leaf parsley and omit the chili sauce.

Ingredients:
1 pound cooked crab meat, remove any shells or cartilage
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
6 green onions, trimmed and minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or to taste (optional)
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
3 cups mixed greens
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, combine crab meat, panko, milk, mayonnaise, cilantro, green onions, salt, pepper and chili sauce. Moisten hands with water and form crab mixture into 8 cakes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2) Lightly coat each cake on both sides with flour. Heat olive oil or butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the crab cakes until crispy and golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve crab cakes on a bed of mixed greens with lemon wedges.

Makes 4 servings

Chickpea Salad with Roasted Pepper Puree Recipe

SND Note: We used a Meyer lemon in the vinaigrette and used a 2:1 ratio of olive oil to lemon juice. With a regular lemon, we might use a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio.

Ingredients:
Zest from 1 lemon
4 tablespoons lemon juice (1 lemon)
8-12 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons shallots, minced
4 tablespoons fresh mint, minced
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
45 ounces garbanzo beans (three 15 ounce cans), drained and rinsed
6-8 ounces burrata or fresh mozzarella cheese
Kosher salt and pepper

Directions:
1) Make a lemon-mint vinaigrette by whisking together lemon juice and olive oil. Whisk in lemon zest, shallots, mint and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2) In a large bowl, add garbanzo beans and dress with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Place the cheese in the center of shallow bowl or plate with a lip. Spoon the garbanzo beans around cheese. With the roasted bell pepper puree, shape quenelles using two spoons. Place quenelles on top of the garbanzo beans. Garnish with mint and serve.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Puree Recipe

SND Note: Crushed pita chips or course homemade breadcrumbs are added to the roasted bell pepper puree for texture. Do not use fine breadcrumbs. The pita chips are crushed into course crumbs.

Ingredients:
4 red bell peppers
2 teaspoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 ounces pita chips or homemade breadcrumbs, crushed into course crumbs

Directions:
1) Slice 1/4 inch from the top and bottom of the pepper. Gently remove the stem from the top lobe. Pull core out of the pepper. Cut down one side of the pepper, then lay it flat, skin side down, in one long strip. Use a sharp knife to slide along the inside of the pepper removing all ribs and seeds. Arrange the strips of peppers and the top and bottom lobes on a baking sheet, skin-side up. Flatten the strips with the palm of your hand.

2) Adjust oven rack to top position. Turn broiler on. With oven door closed, let oven heat for 5 minutes. Oven rack should be 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches from heating element. If not, set a jelly-roll pan, turned upside down, on oven rack to elevate pan. Broil peppers, with oven door closed, until spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Reverse pan in oven; roast until skin is charred and puffed but the flesh is still firm, 3-5 minutes longer.

3) Remove pan from oven and transfer to a large heat-resistant bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and steam for 15 minutes. Peel and discard skin.

4) Using a mortar and pestle, crush the pita chips or breadcrumbs into coarse crumbs. Alternatively, place them in a zip lock bag and crush them using a rolling pin.

5) In a small saucepan, sauté garlic in olive oil until lightly browned, set aside along with oil. Puree the roasted bell peppers, garlic and oil in a food processor or blender, and transfer puree into medium bowl. Stir in crushed pita chips or breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Makes 6 servings

[Roasted red bell pepper directions (steps 1-2) via Cook's Illustrated]

Vietnamese Shrimp and Crab Crispy Spring Rolls Recipe

SND Note: Pork and shrimp cha gio can be made by using 1 pound ground pork and 1/2 pound shrimp. 1-1 1/2 ounces of thin cellophane noodles, chopped into 1/2" pieces and soaked in water until soft, is a common ingredient and can also be added to the mixture.

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, small dice
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 head small cabbage, thinly sliced
4-5 Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, diced
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined 
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound crab meat
1 egg, white and yolk separated
1 package large (8 inch) spring roll wrappers

Directions:
1) Blanch cabbage and place into ice bath. Drain and squeeze out excess water. In a large bowl, mix together garlic, carrots, green onions and cabbage.

2) Chop shrimp into small pieces. To the large bowl, add shrimp, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and black pepper and mix. Add crab meat and egg white to mixture and combine evenly.

3) Brush egg yolk on three corners of wrapper. Add 2 tablespoons of filling in center of wrapper, diagonally. Fold the two sides on the diagonal over the filling. Fold the non-egg yolk corner over and tuck snugly under filling and roll up. See the slideshow for pictures of the rolling process.

4) Deep fry the spring rolls in peanut oil at 350°F for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Work in batches. Flip half way through. Remove and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Eat wrapped in lettuce with nuoc cham.

Makes 25-30 rolls, which serves 4-6