Hot Weather Food

I find I make a great deal of Asian food. This has been especially true this summer as it has been so hot. They know hot weather and good food in Thailand.

Vegetable Pad Thai (from EveryDay Food magazine)

8 oz dried, wide, flat rice noodles
2 TBSP dark brown sugar
2 TBSP fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
3 TBSP soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil
3 scallions, finely chopped, green and white parts separated
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten (optional)
1/2 C fresh cilantro
1/4 C chopped roasted, salted peanuts

1. Soak noodles according to package instruction. Drain. In a small bowl , whisk together sugar, lime juice and soy sauce.

2. In a large, non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. About 30 seconds. Add eggs, if using, and cook, scraping skillet with a rubber spatula, until eggs are almost set, about 30 seconds. Transfer egg mixture to a plate. Add noodles and soy sauce mixture to skillet and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are soft and coated with sauce, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture and toss to coat, breaking eggs up gently. Serve noodles with lime wedges with peanuts and cilantro as garnish.

*Easy add-ins: Before adding the noodles, toss thinly sliced chicken breast or peeled, deveined shrimp into the pan.

I made this with shrimp as a main course. I found noodles at the Giant food store labeled "Pad Thai Noodles" so that was simple enough. You let them soak for 30-45 minutes in warm water and then drain them. I added one tablespoon of fish sauce to the soy sauce mixture, mostly because I like it and it seems to go well in any Thai dish. I was not disappointed. I also used the eggs. If you do all the prep while the noodles are soaking, this is a very quick meal to throw together. It would be just as tasty as a purely vegetarian dish. You want to make sure you keep tossing the noodles in the skillet or they will stick to the bottom as the sauce absorbs. I threw together a side salad to round out the meal.

It Helps to be a Boy Scout

I was very excited when my recipe magazine showed up this month because it included the recipe for something I've always wanted to try: summer rolls. I often pick these up for lunch and assumed it couldn't be too hard to make them, but I didn't know what materials I would need. But now I know.

Summer Rolls (from Everyday Food magazine)

4 oz vermicelli rice noodles
8-inch spring-roll wrappers
1/2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled, cooked, deveined and halved lengthwise
1/2 C fresh mint leaves
1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks (1 1/2 C)
1 bunch chives

1. Pour boiling water over vermicelli rice noodles and soak 15 minutes. Drain and rinse. Divide into 8 equal portions. Fill a wide, shallow bowl with cool water. Working with one spring roll wrapper at a time, soak until pliable, about 20 seconds. Transfer to a flat surface and smooth.

2. Place a layer of shrimp, carrots and mint on the bottom third of the wrapper, leaving 1/2 inch border. Top with a portion of noodles and then another layer of fillings.

3. Fold bottom of wrapper tightly over fillings.

4. Roll over once, tuck in sides, and place 3 chives along the leading edge. Continue rolling until all fillings are completely enclosed. Transfer to a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Repeat, making 8 summer rolls. Serve immediately with dipping sauces (see below) or refrigerate up to 2 hours.

So, the key here is preparation. You need to get all of your fillings prepped before you begin. There were two alternate filling recipes (I'll include them below) but you can basically use anything you like in these. I bought vermicelli noodles, but I somehow ended up with wheat ones instead of rice ones. Ask your grocer. I was only able to find the noodles and wrappers at Whole Foods. You may need to hit an Asian Grocery store to stock up. I did the shrimp, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, basil, mint and chives. I alternated the mint and basil as fillers. (I used herbs and lettuce from my garden. I'm so fancy.) Once you soak the wrappers for a few seconds, they become pliable and you need to fill and roll them immediately. So do all of your slicing and chopping and have everything assembled within reach in bowls or piles. I lad the wrapper on a cutting board and it worked very well. I did not cover them with the damp paper towel as I went and we ate them right away, so they didn't dry out. I imagine the longer you need to keep them, the more important the damp towel becomes. These would be great for a party. I served them with Sesame Noodles and had minimal leftovers.

Dipping Sauces:

Creamy Peanut Dipping Sauce
1/2 C natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 C warm water
1/4 C fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 TBSP soy sauce
4 tsp sugar
1/4 C chopped roasted peanuts

In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter and water until smooth. Whisk in lime juice, soy sauce and sugar. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts just before serving.

Spicy Hoisin Dipping Sauce
1/2 C hoison sauce
3 TBSP chili sauce (they recommend sambal oelek, I used sriacha sauce, aka rooster sauce)
2 tsp white vinegar
1/4 C water

Whisk together all ingredients until smooth.

Alternate fillings:

Chicken Mango Summer Rolls
4 oz. chicken cutlets cooked and shredded
1/4 C fresh cilantro leaves
1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks (1 1/4 C)
1 small ripe mango, peeled and thinly sliced

Vegetarian Summer Rolls
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1/2 C fresh basil leaves
1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks (1 1/4 C)
1 small cucumber cut into matchsticks (3/4 C)