Shrimp Summer Rolls with Sweet and Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce

It's been a while since I last blogged. In the last few weeks I started my new internship at IKEA and have been adjusting to my new schedule. It's been pretty hectic but I love my job and I am learning so much. It's also been gorgeous out so I have been running more and more outside which makes me so happy. I love to go on Kelly Drive and run by the water. It is so calming and therapeutic. It also gives me some time to think and relax.

Unfortunately this week hasn't been as warm as the last few weeks. I had to put out my winter jacket this morning to go in to work. Not one of my favorite things to do. Even though it's been cooler, I still am craving foods that remind me of summer. I went to the grocery store yesterday and was so tempted to buy a huge watermelon but I refrained. I also can't wait until it's consistently warm out so I can walk around the city without a jacket and eat comfortably outside.

Tonight I wanted to make a dish that reminded me of summer but is also good for any time of the year. I decided to make Shrimp Summer Rolls. What I love about these rolls is that you can replace all of the ingredients to what you like. If shrimp isn't your favorite you can replace it with scallops, fish, chicken or turkey. You also can add your favorite fruits and vegetables. It's all up to you.

Here is how I did it:

Shrimp Summer Rolls with Sweet and Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce 

Shrimp Summer Rolls
- 12 shrimp (peeled, deveined and sliced in half)
 - 1/2 package of rice noodles
- 1 tbs rice wine vinegar
- 8 rice paper wrappers
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 1 avocado (sliced)
- 1/2 thinly slices yellow pepper
- 1/4 cup of cilantro

Sweet and Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce 
- 2 tbs soy sauce
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup blue agave syrup
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp sriracha

Bring two pots of water to a boil. In one pot, place the shrimp in the water and cook until they are light pink (3-5 minutes). Drain and place in the fridge to cool. In the other pot, once the water is boiling, take it off the heat and place the rice noodles in the hot water. Let the noodles sit for 5 minutes until the noodles are al dente. Drain the noodles and add 1 tbs of rice wine vinegar. Place in the fridge.

Make an assembly line with the shrimp, noodles, cabbage, sliced avocado, pepper and cilantro. Spread a clean damp paper towel on a work surface. Fill a large bowl with warm water. Finally, place plastic wrap overtop of a baking sheet.

When everything is prepared, immerse each rice paper wrapper in the warm water until the wrapper is flexible. Do this step one at a time. Place the flexible wrapper on the damp paper towel and add three slices of shrimp. Then place the cabbage, noodles, pepper, avocado and cilantro on top. Fold burrito-style and roll closed. Make sure that that filling is tightly packed. Place rolls on baking dish. Repeat with the other wrappers.

For the dipping sauce, place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until the ingredients are mixed. Place in a a dipping bowl. If you want the sauce to have some extra heat, add more sriracha. 

This dish is great to have as a snack, a light lunch or as an appetizer. Make it for parties or small get togethers. 

Anne 

Cauliflower Pizza with Roasted Eggplant Purée

I have been on a major health kick for the past couple of weeks. I have always eaten very healthy but lately I have been really conscious of what I am eating. I noticed that I have had double the amount of energy ever since I changed a few things in my diet. It is unreal how what you eat really affects the way you feel. I also recently got a juicer for my birthday from my mom and I have been juicing non-stop. I love it!!! It is so easy to do and you literally can put any type of fruit or vegetable that you desire. I have been really into beets, carrots, celery and apples. If you are looking to get a little bit of energy without drinking caffeine, juices will do the trick.

Tonight I decided to try out a new recipe that is not only healthy, but also vegetarian. I made cauliflower pizza with roasted eggplant purée and roasted fennel. The final result was an absolute success. The cauliflower crust paired perfectly with the creamy eggplant purée and the fennel added that extra depth of flavor to the dish. This is a great dish for two, or if you had a killer workout beforehand, you can make it personally for yourself. (That is what I did).

Here is how I did it:

Ingredients:
- 1 head of cauliflower (cooked and finely diced)
- 3.5 ounces garlic and herb goat cheese at room temperature
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 eggplant
- 1/2 fennel
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 5 kalamata olives
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
- salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the top of the eggplant and cut in half, long ways. Place on a baking sheet and rub 2 tbs of olive oil, salt and pepper and a 1/2 tsp of oregano. Bake for 45 minutes until the eggplant is tender. Set aside to cool. (I roasted 2 eggplants to have extra spread for another dish later on). Once the eggplant is cooled, scoop out the inside, discard the skin and place the "meat" in a blender. Blend until completely smooth and add salt and pepper to taste.

Place a pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Take your cauliflower and cut into bite size pieces. Place the cauliflower in the boiling water and cook for 15-18 minutes until the cauliflower is tender. Drain and set aside. Once the cauliflower is cooled, dice into fine pieces. Place the chopped cauliflower in a bowl and mix in the goat cheese, beaten egg, salt and pepper and 1 tsp of oregano. Spread the "crust" on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and form it in any shape you like. The "crust" should be about a 1/4 of an inch thick. 

Place the "crust" in the 400 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes. Crank up the oven to broil after and broil for 5-10 minutes until the "crust" is lightly brown. For the roasted fennel, cut half of a fennel into thin strips and place on a baking sheet and drizzle 1 tbs of olive oil, chopped garlic, and salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.

To assemble your pizza, spread the eggplant purée like you would tomato sauce on a pizza. Then, evenly spread your roasted fennel overtop of the purée as well as your olives. Finally, sprinkle 1/2 tsp of oregano and 1/4 tsp of hot chili pepper. Place the pizza back in the oven and bake for 5 minutes.

Cut into 1/4 slices and serve. This pizza is meant to be eaten with a fork and a knife so don't try to pick it up with your hands. This pizza is a great alternative to your typical Italian style pizza. Make this on a Sunday evening when your in your PJ's and watching TV and sit back and enjoy yourself. You won't feel bad about eating this kind of pizza. 

Anne 

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is meant to be spent with your loved ones. Whether it be your boyfriend/girlfriend, family or friends, it is an excuse to spend time with them and show them that you love them. I got to spend time with a few very special people in my life, my best friends. I decided to make an elaborate dinner for a few of my girlfriends.

Valentine's Day is the only day where there is an excuse to indulge in chocolate and anything decadent. When I think of decadent, I think of cheese, truffles and wine. I decided that for Valentine's Day, I would make crostini topped chocolate & black truffle tapenade with sun dried tomatoes and cocoa pasta with creamy goat cheese and truffle oil with seared scallops on top. I found the chocolate and truffle tapenade and cocoa pasta at one of my favorite stores in Boston, Hotel Chocolate. They have the most diverse chocolate products from boxed chocolates all the way to cocoa honey & mustard dressing. 

What I loved about this dinner was that it was super easy and super special. As long as you have good ingredients and good products, you don't have to make your dish complicated to make it delicious. 

Here is how I did it: 

Crostini topped Chocolate & Black Truffle Tapenade: 

- 6 slices of baguette 

- 1 tbs olive oil

- Chocolate & Black Truffle Tapenade 

- 6 sun dried tomato 

- salt and pepper

Cocoa Pasta with Creamy Goat Cheese and Truffle Oil with Seared Scallops: 

- 1 bag of Cocoa Pasta

- 3.5 ounces of room temperature goat cheese 

- 1 tbs truffle oil 

- 6 fresh scallops 

- 1 tsp olive oil

- salt and pepper 

Set your oven to broil. Place 6 slices of baguette on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper overtop. Place in the oven for 4-6 minutes until the bread is toasted. Take the tapenade and spread in on the baguettes. Place a sun dried tomato on top. Sprinkle salt and pepper to finish. If you have basil, place on top of the sun dried tomato as garnish.

For the cocoa pasta, cook as you would normally do for regular pasta. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before you drain. Once the pasta has been drained, place back in the pot and add the room temperature goat cheese. (The goat cheese will melt quicker if it isn't cold). Drizzle the truffle oil and add salt and pepper. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta water. 

For the scallops, heat up a skillet. Pat the scallops dry and put olive oil, salt and pepper. Once the skillet is hot, sear the scallops for about a minute and a half on each side. Place the pasta on a serving dish and add the scallops on top. Drizzle a little more truffle oil on top at the end. 

These two dishes are probably the easiest things to make. I wasn't stressing over the stove and worried about making it perfect. As long as you have good wine and good products, you are sure to make your meal a hit! 

Hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day!!

XOXOXO

Anne

Apple and Cranberry Crisp

When I was growing up, I had a huge garden in my old home. My mom was always planting new things and growing fruits and vegetables that were in season. We had a cherry tree, apple tree and a peach tree. She also grew tomatoes, fresh herbs and a variety of other produce. In the fall, I would help my mom pick all of the apples that we got from our tree and we would make apple sauce, apple tarts and apple crisps. That is when my obsession with crisps came to be.

My favorite dessert is a crisp. They are so easy to make and you can add any type of fruit that you want. In the spring/summer you can make a crisp with berries or peaches and in the fall/winter you can make it with pears or apples. I love the balance of sweet and salty and the crunch from the oats.

Here is how I did it:

Apple and Cranberry Crisp 

Ingredients: 

- 1 cup of oats 

- 3/4 cup of flour 

- 1/4 cup plus 1 tbs of sugar 

- 1 tbs brown sugar 

- 1/2 tsp salt 

- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 1 stick of soften butter 

- 5 large tart apples 

- 1/4 cup of cranberries 

- 1 tbs cranberry juice 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the oats, flour, 1/4 cup sugar, brown sugar, salt and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Add the butter and mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is flakey. Place in the fridge. 

Peel and cut the apples in quarters and then slice them thinly. In a small bowl, add the dried cranberries and cranberry juice and microwave for 1 minute to reconstitute the cranberries. Mix the sliced apples and cranberries in a bowl and add 1 tbs sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. 

Place the apples in a 9 inch round baking dish and crumble the oat mixture overtop. Place in the oven and bake for 55 minutes until the apples are soft. 

You can also make this dessert ahead of time and just place it back in the oven before you want to serve it to your guests. I also recommend adding a dollop of ice cream or cool whip to balance some of the richness of the crisp.

Anne 

Philadelphia Restaurant Week 2013

One thing that I love most about Philadelphia is Restaurant Week. Every year a handful of restaurants in Philadelphia participate with a fixed 3 course meal that costs $20 for lunch and $35 for dinner. It is a great way to be able to try new restaurants that you might have been hesitant to choose before. I took full advantage of Restaurant Week this year and tried four new restaurants. For the first week, I went to Table 31 with my girlfriends and Garces Trading Company with my dad. Both restaurants were unbelievable!

I was pleasantly surprised with Table 31. Their service was exceptional and the food was even better. For my first course, I had the wild arugula salad and for my second course I had the wild black cod with celery root puree, rainbow swiss chard and scalop vermouth sauce. The fish was perfectly cooked and had great texture. The celery root puree paired very well with the dish, giving the fish some added richness without being too heavy. I finished my meal with the mixed berry semifreddo which was light and refreshing.

I also really enjoyed Garces Trading Company. When you first walk into the restaurant, you immediately feel like you are in Europe. It is a mix between a restaurant and a market. You can go to one counter and order your cheeses and dry meats and you can walk to another counter and order specialty desserts. On the other side of the restaurant is where people sit and order their meals. I started off with their roasted beets with tarragon aioli, candied pepitas and pumpkin seed oil. For my second course I had the sautéed chatham cod with roasted lemon brown butter and pine nuts. For the dessert course, my dad and I split dessert and ordered a red velvet cake and a smoked chocolate tart. I am more of a chocolate lover so I preferred the tart. It was such a pleasant and relaxing lunch and I felt like I could spend all afternoon there.

For the last week of Restaurant Week,  I went to Pumpkin BYOB and R2L. Pumpkin is a tiny restaurant that serves farm-to-table kind of food. I went with one of my best friends Danielle. She also took full advantage of Restaurant Week and went to several restaurants. When we first arrived at the restaurant, we were taken aback at how tiny the restaurant actually was and how romantic it was. This restaurant is definitely a place to take a person out on a date.

However, once we started eating, it didn't matter anymore. The food was out of this world. We started off with an amuse bouche which was a mushroom toast with hollandaise sauce. I then ordered the escargot for my first course and the pocono trout for my second course. The trout was probably my favorite thing out of all of the restaurants. It was paired with cauliflower and violet mustard. The chefs did a fantastic job on focusing on texture throughout all of the dishes. I noticed that they deconstructed most of their dishes and highlighted each specific ingredient on their own. This is the style of food I really enjoy eating. I finished my meal with butterscotch pudding which was the perfect mix of sweet and salty.

My final stop for Restaurant Week was R2L. R2L is located on 16th street and is on the 37th floor. The restaurant is so amazing because the view is unbelievable. You can see all of Philadelphia which is great. I was lucky to go on a day where it was sunny and the sky was clear. I had the winter vegetable minestrone with basil and kale pistou for my first course and for my second course, I had the flounder with almonds. I would normally never think of ordering flounder but I really enjoyed the taste of the fish. I finished my meal with the caramel apple tart. The apple tart was my favorite desserts out of all of the restaurants. I ended up eating it all.

In all, I really enjoyed all of the restaurants that I went to. I am glad that I went to new places around the city. Trying new restaurants is a great way to explore where you live and taste new cuisines. I recommend that everyone get out there and try a new restaurant soon. 

Anne 

Homemade "Chinese" Food

One of my favorite things to do on a cold night is to order Chinese food and watch movies with my friends. It's so easy to order and delivery literally comes in minutes. My weakness is the Wanton Soup and Moo Shu Tofu. Moo Shu is a dish of stir fried vegetables with egg and either meat, chicken, seafood or soy. It is then served with thin pancakes that you can wrap the mixture in. It is delicious! My only issue with Chinese food is that I don't always feel that great after I eat it. It might be because of all the added sauces and oils that they use that spike my sugar and sodium levels. Because of this fact, I try to rarely order Chinese and if I do, I tend to order steamed Shrimp with mixed vegetables with no sauce and a side of brown rice.

The other night, it was exceptionally cold out and I was craving Chinese. I decided that instead of ordering in, that I would make my own version. This way I could control what I put in the dish. I decided to make Vegetarian Fried Rice and Panko and Sesame crusted Chicken. This isn't what you would typically find at a Chinese Restaurant but the flavors are there and it tastes just as good. On top of that, it's healthy!

Here is how I did it:

Homemade "Chinese" Food 

Panko and Sesame Crusted Chicken:

- 3 Chicken breasts

- 2 tbs sesame oil 

- 1 tbs rice wine vinegar 

- 1/2 tbs sriracha 

- 1/2 cup of flour 

- 1 large egg beaten 

- 1 cup of panko bread crumbs 

- 1/4 cup of sesame seeds 

Vegetarian Fried Rice: 

- 2 cups cooked brown rice 

- 1 cup frozen corn 

- 1 cup frozen edamame 

- 1 cup shredded carrot 

- 2 tbs canola oil

- 1/4 cup shredded onion 

- 1 tsp minced garlic 

- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 

- 1 tbs rice wine vinegar

- 1 large egg

The night before or the morning of making this dish, cook your brown rice. You can cook it in a rice cooker or over the stove. Follow the directions on the box to make your rice. Brown rice typically takes longer to cook than white rice does. Once your rice is fully cooked, let it cool completely. 

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Take your three chicken breasts and cut them in half. If it is a larger chicken breast, cut it in thirds. Place the pieces of chicken in a plastic bag. Pour in the sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and sriracha and marinate in the fridge for a half hour. 

Take out two plates and one bowl. On one of the plates, put 1/2 cup of flour and season with salt and pepper. On the other plate, put the panko bread crumbs and sesame seeds. In the bowl, add the egg and beat it. Make an assembly line with all 3 dishes. 

First, dip the chicken in the flour, then the egg and finally, the panko. Place the chicken strips on a baking sheet once you have dipped them in all three ingredients. Place 3 pieces of chicken on each baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the chicken is firm. 

To prep for the fried rice, first, defrost the corn and edamame. Peel and shred your carrot until you have a cup and shred your onion until you have a 1/4 a cup. In a large skillet or a wok, heat 2 tbs of canola oil and add your minced garlic and onion. Lightly saute your onions and then add your carrots. Cook for about 2 minutes and finally add the corn and edamame. Cook until the vegetables are completely warmed through and slightly crispy. Add 2 cups of cooled brown rice and mix completely. Pour 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 1 tbs rice wine vinegar. Feel free to add more soy sauce if the rice looks dry. Taste to see if it needs salt and pepper. Finally, beat your egg and add it to the rice. Keep over heat and stir frequently until the egg is fully cooked. 

I like to add sriracha to the fried rice at the end but you don't have to if you don't like spicy food. Also, I put it in a takeout container that Chinese restaurants typically put your meal in to make it look "Authentic". 

Anne 

Lemon Infused Brussel Sprouts with Sweet Potatoes

Its been while since I last blogged. I have been very busy in the past couple of weeks preparing for finals, going to visit my family in Europe and coming back to a tough semester. I also have been sick with a head cold for a few weeks now which has made me not very inspired to come up with any new recipes or cook anything elaborate.

Last night I finally felt a little better to make myself something I have never tried before. As you know by now, my staple diet consists of a lot of fruits and vegetables and grains. When I was in Europe, I ate a lot of fish, potatoes and rice. I wasn't eating as many vegetables and I wasn't getting as much sleep as I normally do. Also, the only kind of exercise that I was doing was skiing. I think with all of the traveling and not taking proper care of myself that I got sick (which is the first time in years) and it has really worn on me.

I am finally back home and getting back to my old routine again so that is why last night I decided to make a very healthy and simple side dish that you can pair with fish, chicken or even grains. I made myself roasted brussel sprouts with sweet potatoes. I didn't just roast them in olive oil and salt and pepper, I decided to add a bit of lemon juice and lemon pepper seasoning to it as well. The hint of lemon tones down the harsh flavor that brussel sprouts tend to have and makes the dish seem very light and clean.

Here is how I did it:

Lemon Infused Brussel Sprouts with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients: 
- 1 pound shaved brussel sprouts
- 2 pound sweet potatoes
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 tbs olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbs lemon juice
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon pepper
- 1/2 tsp rosemary

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel and cut your sweet potatoes into 1 inch round pieces. Thinly slice your onions into half inch round pieces. You can do this by cutting the onion in half and then thinly slicing them. If you cannot find shaved brussel sprouts, use regular brussel sprouts and cut then in quarters. Place all of the vegetables in a bowl and add your last four ingredients. Mix until all of the vegetables are coated evenly.

Place the vegetable mixture on two baking sheets and roast for 35-45 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender and the brussel sprouts are crispy.

I ate this as my main dish but you can pair this with a great piece of white fish and a crisp Chardonnay.   It is a great recipe for when you are trying to watch your weight or take better care of yourself. I personally believe that what you eat really affects your health and mood. I know that when I eat garbage, I feel like garbage and when I eat clean and fresh, I feel great!

Anne