Be sure not to stand between anyone and the plate of fresh spring rolls, you don’t wanna get run over!
Bright, fresh, and packed with raw veggies, these Rainbow Spring Rolls are a refreshing way to bring some color to your mealtime. They’re light but satisfying, perfect for cold prep meals, and an easy way to use up any colorful produce you have on hand. Rainbow Spring Rolls packed with colorful, crisp veggies and paired with a sweet dipping sauce.
Ingredients
½ red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
½ yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 small-medium carrot, peeled/cut into thin batons
1 cup butter lettuce leaves, cut into 1-inch strips
2 Persian cucumbers, cut lengthwise into thin strips
¼ cup mint leaves
¼ cup cilantro leaves
1 cup red cabbage, cut into thin shreds
8 rice paper wrappers (plus a few more if some break)
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
¼ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup sesame oil
Sugar or honey to taste
Squeeze of lime juice
Dash toasted sesame oil
Directions
Dipping Sauce
Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, mix hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, lime juice and toasted sesame oil. Add desired amount of sugar/honey.
Rolls
Boil carrots in water 1-2 minutes and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Let cool for 3 minutes, drain.
Get a pie plate or bowl that’s big enough to lay rice paper wrappers in and have hot water on hand for re-hydrating.
Gather veggies and sesame seeds to assemble rolls.
Add hot water to pie plate and submerge a rice paper wrapper. Once softened, remove from water and lay on a plate or other flat surface.
Add a rainbow of veggies in a compact pile at the center of the wrapper and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Fold sides snugly towards the center without veggies piercing wrapper. Fold bottom flap over the center and roll tightly with a gentle hand in the direction of the top wrapper flap until you have a fully encased roll. Place on a plate lightly oiled with sesame oil to prevent sticking. Repeat with other wrappers.
Once all rolls are complete, cut in half and serve with hoisin dipping sauce.
Open-Faced Avocado and Smoked Tinned Fish Sandwiches
4 servings
Smorrebrod are open-faced sandwiches usually served on a hearty Danish bread full of rye and whole grains.
Here’s a smorrebrod-inspired recipe that uses simple ingredients but comes off as a deluxe nosh, perfect accompaniment to a glass of your favorite summer beverage. Grab your knife and fork and dig in! You’ll need more than your two hands to eat this one.
Ingredients
4 large slices of artisan bread
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tins smoked mackerel or sardines – about 4 oz each
1-2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced
4 scallions, green parts sliced into thin rings
1 lime, thinly sliced
Several pinches Maldon Sea Salt
Several grinds fresh black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Toast bread for several minutes, flipping over after about 4 minutes and toasting for about 4 minutes more.
Put toasted bread on a plate to cool slightly. Holding each piece on one end, rub the garlic cloves over the bread so the toasty edges act like a grater and each gets a nice layer of garlic. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over each slice.
Spread cream cheese on the same side of each slice as the rubbed garlic. Top with sliced avocado and tinned fish, followed by lime slices and sprinkles of scallions. Optional: Drizzle the oil from the tinned fish over each slice.
You know how it goes, you take a look in the fridge for something to eat and there’s a big jar with one lonely pickle spear floating and bobbing in a sea of pickle juice. You eat that pickle and are just about to pour the juice out…what do you do when faced with this “dill-ema?”
Here’s a dippable, spreadable, all-around great recipe to get you started on your pickle juice journey.
Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 ¼ cup dill pickles, finely chopped
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup dill pickle juice
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp fresh dill
½ tsp garlic granules
¼ tsp ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional: ¼ – ½ cup diced green chilis – we like Los Roast New Mexican Green Chile
Directions
Set aside ¼ cup chopped dill pickles and 1 tsp dill for garnish.
Using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese, sour cream and pickle juice until smooth in a small bowl. (You can also combine by hand but the mixer will give you a smoother texture.) Still in other ingredients and refrigerate ½ – 2 hours for flavors to meld.
Garnish with reserved dill pickles and dill and serve with chips, stuffed in celery, on baked potatoes, with chicken wings, fill your bathtub so you can do the backstroke in it…
Marinated veggies are delicious as part of a cheese board, served on their own with crackers, or piled onto a piece of toast smeared with creamy ricotta. You can also use the flavored oil as a dressing on your salads. For a heartier meal, you can spoon it onto a warm bowl of polenta or quinoa.
Here’s a great recipe that needs your attention for a few minutes of prep, and then the ingredients do all the work as you kick back and wait for the delicious fun to begin!
Ingredients
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflowerets
2-3 Persian cucumbers, sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup chopped sweet onion
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried basil
1 garlic clove, pressed
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Optional: ½ cup halved black or green olives
Directions
In a small bowl or lidded jar, add vinegar, Dijon, dried herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk (or shake jar) to combine.
Slowly whisk olive oil into bowl, or add to jar and shake again. Set aside.
Add other ingredients to a large bowl. Toss with dressing to coat. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours – overnight.
Coleslaw is one of those dishes that’s like a good backup singer. It makes sweet harmony with the rest of your meal but it’s not the star of the show. When it’s just so-so, it kind of fades into the background. And, when it’s really great, it brings everything to another level…like this one!
Learn more about this summer staple in our The Union article.
Ingredients
6 cups shredded cabbage – mix of red and green
½ cup green onions, sliced diagonally
¼ cup fresh herb leaves – mint, cilantro or combo
1 cup shredded carrots
Roasted peanuts (or almonds)
¼ cup creamy peanut (or almond) butter
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey (or agave)
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Coconut milk, to thin dressing as needed
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together nut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). If dressing is too thick, think with coconut milk, 1 tsp at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine veggies and fresh herbs – reserving a few to top the dish before serving – in a large bowl and add the amount of dressing to your taste. Top with roasted nuts and remaining fresh herbs and serve.
Here’s a recipe for lasagna, with a twist. Instead of flat layers of noodles, the fillings are placed on one noodle at a time and then rolled up and snuggled into a baking dish lying side by side. It uses a garlicky cream sauce with Parmesan, which makes for a comforting blanket of goodness.
Learn more about lasagna and pasta in our The Union article.
1 lb fresh spinach, or 1 10-oz box frozen, thawed/drained/chopped
¼ cup unsalted butter
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp onion granules
1/3 tsp dried basil
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh basil and parsley for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°.
Add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. Once warm, add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until browned and cooked through, set aside. Clean out the pan and add remaining olive oil. Once hot, add fresh spinach and a few pinches salt. Cook until fully wilted, remove from pan to cool. Once cooled, squeeze out liquid and coarsely chop. Set aside.
To make the sauce, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring occasionally – about 1-2 minutes. Add flour and whisk until lightly browned, one minute more.
Slowly whisk in vegetable broth, thyme, onion granules, basil and nutmeg until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes more.
Add heavy cream and ½ cup Parmesan and stir until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. If too thick, add more heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 cup sauce evenly into a 9” x 13” baking dish.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain well and lay out flat on parchment paper or foil to prepare for rolling.
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, pesto sauce, 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan. Combine well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Lay out lasagna noodles on a flat work surface. Spread ¼ cup of ricotta mixture onto each noodle. Add spinach and then some of the mushrooms. Roll up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles and filling. Top all with remaining cream sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Bake 25-30 minutes, until lasagna rolls are heated through and cheese is beginning to brown.
Top with chopped fresh herbs and serve immediately.
