Vietnamese summer rolls...

I've seen two recipes for Vietnamese summer rolls recently and thought about tackling them-- they seemed intimidating somehow, but as soon as Mark Bittman (The Minimalist column in the NY Times) described their preparation as basically like rolling up a burrito, I thought I could handle it. We have an Asian grocery store close to our house, and they had all the ingredients I'd never bought before-- including rice paper rolls (burrito-sized, comes in a round plastic box), rice vermicelli, and fish sauce... All much cheaper than in a regular grocery store.

I've made them several times now, along with a peanut sate dipping sauce I like (Bittman has another dipping sauce, included here, which is also good-- but I prefer peanut-y flavors). These are not difficult to make at all-- the recipe makes enough for a small dinner party (he says 4 servings), but you could also reduce it and just basically throw some things in a roll and it will be a delicious snack.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Two Dipping Sauces

16 6 inch rounds rice paper
8 leaves lettuce, washed, dried & torn
2 cups cooked rice vermicelli, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded peeled carrots
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
32 poached shrimp, split lengthwise (or slices pork)

Dip a rice paper round halfway into a bowl of very hot water for 2 seconds. Turn it and dip remaining section, then lay on DAMP TOWEL (important, or else it sticks). Put a little lettuce, rice, carrots, mint, basil, cilantro, and shrimp in the bottom third of the round. Roll up as if rolling a burrito, fold ends over before reaching the top, then roll up all the way.

Peanut Sauce:

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. red chili paste (also available at Asian groceries)
1 Tblsp. brown sugar
juice from one lime
1/4 cup hot water

Mix in food processor or blender, scraping down sides.

Bittman's dipping suace:

1/2 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
1 Tblsp. sugar
1 Tblsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. red chili paste
salt & pepper

Mix in a bowl with a fork...

Dip and enjoy!

Chipotle-lime Black bean hummus

I invented this recipe for Fourth of July and am feeling proud of myself...

Chipotle-lime Black Bean Hummus

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 generous tablespoons of tahini paste
Juice of one lime
1 tsp. cumin
3-4 canned chipotle peppers (use less if you like them less spicy)
salt & pepper to taste

In a food processor or blender, mix together all ingredients, and adjust seasonings. Take to a party and serve with tortilla chips. Divide recipe in half if it's just for two or three people.

My favorite place to get Middle Eastern ingredients here in Orlando is Abu Maher International Foods, on Hanging Moss Road off Forsyth, between Forsyth and 436. I've recommended them to a number of people. You can always buy tahini paste at Whole Foods or Publix, but it's somewhat more expensive, and Abu Maher also has other fun stuff like pita bread, dried apricots, full-fat yogurt, and spices...

Fettucine Alfredo (lowfat)

Here's one I make all the time-- a good standby when you can't think of anything else.

Fettucine Alfredo

1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 1/4 cups grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons lowfat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (8 ounces uncooked pasta)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cracked black pepper


Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 6 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup Parmesan, cream cheese, and salt, stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt. Toss sauce with hot pasta. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chopped parsley. Salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4, supposedly, but I'd double it to REALLY serve four.

Bulgur Wheat Salad

I had this at a lunch party a few weeks ago, and the recipe comes from the classic Silver Palate Cookbook. Good to take to summer barbecues or to have on hand for a weekday lunch. Make half the amount for 4 people.

4 cups water
2 cups bulgur wheat
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried currants
4 Tblsp. chopped parsley
1 Tblsp. olive oil
grated zest of one orange
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook bulgur in water, bringing to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes, until water is absorbed and wheat is tender. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate. When cool, add pecans, currants, parsley, olive oil orange zest, salt and pepper. Add a dash of orange juice for extra flavor. Mix well and serve at room temperature or chilled. Serves 8.