Tag: appetizer
Green Curry Spring Rolls
Green Curry Spring Rolls
This recipe combines 2 of the most popular Thai foods: spring rolls and green curry. They are a great appetizer that you can make in large batches and freeze down for later use. You can use either ground chicken or pork for the protein. The meat cooks down with the curry sauce, absorbing all of the liquid. Veggies are thrown in the last 2 minutes of cooking. A slurry is poured over the filling to help it thicken. Once cooled, place 3 tbsp of the filling across the bottom of the wrapper. Wet the top of the wrapper with warm water to seal the spring roll once rolled. Crimp the spring roll in the middle and cut in half. While my spring roll recipe yields 24 spring rolls, they are twice as big as traditional sized ones. It’s really your call on the size.You can either shallow fry or deep fry the spring rolls. I always prefer shallow frying. You use significantly less oil. I would only deep fry these if I was cooking for a large gathering. They will take about 3 minutes a side when shallow frying. 3-4 minutes total if deep frying. Drain the grease on paper towel. Serve with your favorite sweet chili sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 3 tbsp green curry paste
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 1 lb ground chicken thigh or lean ground pork
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 cup carrots grated
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper finely chopped
- 6 kaffir lime leaves finely julienned
- 1/2 cup Thai basil finely chopped
- 2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved into 4 tbsp of cold water
- 12 spring roll sheets 8”
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Over medium heat, reduce the coconut milk down for 5 minutes in a sauté pan or wok. Add in the green curry paste and palm sugar. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until thick.
- Add in the ground chicken and fish sauce. Break up all of the lumps. Cook down for 10-12 minutes until all the liquid from the curry paste has cooked up. The meat should be almost dry.
- Add in the basil, carrots, peppers, corn, and lime leaves. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1 more minute. Let the filling cool before spring rolling.
- Place 3 tbsp worth of the filling across the bottom of a spring roll wrapper like so.
- Wet the top of the wrapper with warm water. This will seal the spring roll. Roll it up tight.
- Crimp the center of the spring roll.
- Cut it in half.
- You should yield 24 spring rolls.
- Heat up 1/2” of vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Fry the spring rolls in batches, making sure to not overcrowd the pan.
- Fry for 3 minutes a side until nice and crispy. Drain the grease on paper towel.
Okonomiyaki Waffle Fries
Okonomiyaki Waffle Fries
Yes, I was under the influence when this creation happened. I had a bag of waffle fries and wanted to do more then dunk them in ketchup or cover them with cheese. While I was staring at the condiments in my refrigerator, I came across my Japanese mayo and okonomiyaki sauce. Ding! Ding! Ding! A light went off.(Yes, my light in my head goes ding ding ding.) I had all of the other ingredient toppings that would go on top of an okonomiyaki. All I have to say is Best Fries Ever!!!
Ingredients
- 1 lb waffle fries baked or fried
Toppings
- 1 large egg fried sunny side up
- 2 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
- Japanese kewpie mayo
- okonomyaki sauce
- bonito flakes
- nori flakes crumbled
- green onions chopped
Instructions
- Top your waffle fries with the fried egg and bacon first. Then squeeze the mayo and okonomiyaki sauce over the fries. Then top it with green onions, bonito flakes, and crushed nori flakes.
Spam Musubi
Spam Musubi
Hawaiian’s love Spam. Spam found it’s way to Hawaii after WW2. All Spam really is is ground pork shoulder with hotdog seasoning. This recipe has it’s roots in Japan, where sushi rice is rolled into balls and wrapped in nori; called omusubi. It is said that Japanese soldiers in interment camps created the recipe. Today, you can find musubi everywhere in Hawaii; even at gas stations in plastic containers ready to eat.There are many different variations of Spam musubi. Some have the Spam slices cooked in the soy/sugar sauce, almost making the slices candied. Others will have the sauce brushed on the rice block, then placing the Spam on top. Some recipes will have the Spam rice block wrapped in only an inch of the nori. This particular recipe has the block completely covered in the nori. If you don’t have a musubi press, cut the top and bottoms out of the Spam can and use that as your mold for the rice.
Ingredients
- 2 cups steamed rice steamed with 6 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 can Spam sliced into 6-8 slices
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3-4 sheets nori
Instructions
- Mix together the soy sauce and sugar. Set aside.
- Slice the Spam into either 6 or 8 slices.
- Heat up the cooking oil on a griddle over medium high heat. Add the spam slices. Cook for 3 minutes a side.
- Pour in the soy/sugar sauce. Cook the spam slices for another 2 minutes a side, making sure the spam is coated in the sauce. Remove from the pan.
- Portion out the rice into 6 or 8 portions, depending on how many spam slices you have. Using a musubi press, press down one portion of the rice.
- The rice block should be firm and hold shape. This will only work if the rice is freshly steamed.
- Add a slice of the spam on top of a rice block.
- Slice a sheet of nori in half.
- Put a slab of rice/spam on the center of the sheet. Fold up each side up, sealing with water.
- Keep them whole if eating as a main course or slice in half if eating as an appetizer.
