Spring Rolls

I usually have spring rolls that are cooked; the insides all warm and delicious and the outsides crispy and fried. Well these are the opposite. The vegetables are uncooked and they are served cold.

But trust me in this, they are surprisingly refreshing and extremely tasty. The perfect appetizer to an asian meal.

I made these off a memory of eating them 6 months ago AND three different recipes. I don't even know who to give credit to. My friend Fiona probably deserves all the credit actually because I ate them at her house. Regardless of how they made their way into my kitchen, they were super delicious.


The rolls are filled with vegetables, but also with rice sticks. This pasta sits for a few minutes in hot water until soft. I tossed the veggies and pasta with a little soy before wrapping them. 

I made a garlicky, asian sauce to dip the rolls in. We also dipped them in (store bought) sweet chili sauce. Either way was tasty.

So next time you're making asian food, pick up some ingredients for these rolls. It's a little time consuming, but way worth it!

Spring Rolls

Ingredients:
1/4-1/2 small cabbage, sliced into eatable size portions
3 medium carrots, julienned or shredded
1-2 tbs fresh minced ginger
4 oz rice sticks (a little over half a package)
Cilantro (amount to preference)
4 tbs soy sauce
1 package rice paper

Directions:
Cook the rice sticks according to the directions on the package. In a large bowl combine the first six ingredients.

The best way to make these rolls is to set up an assembly line. You'll need a large plate filled with warm water, a dry plate, and a serving plate. One roll at a time, dip the rice paper in the warm water and let soak for about 30 seconds, until it is pliable but not completely soft. Move it to the dry plate and let it sit for another 30 seconds or until it is completely soft. Place a couple spoonfuls of the veggie/rice mixture in the top third of the paper. Starting at the top, roll the mixture one turn. Turn the sides in and then finish the roll. Repeat until you are completely out of the mixture. 

This process was a little time consuming, and I didn't perfect it till the last plate of spring rolls. It takes some time to get the best technique for creating a tight roll. It really doesn't matter if they are perfect, it only really matters that they're delicious.

I found that the rolls were best served after being chilled for an hour or two.

You need to make these sometime in your life.

Asian Ground Beef

I'm always looking for different recipes that use ground beef. I feel like ground beef is often times so...blah. Spaghetti, hamburgers, tacos...blah blah blah.


Those meals are normal -- thoughtless even. Don't get me wrong...those meals are on my dinner table more often than not. But sometimes I want my ground beef to be different.

Give me some variety!

Well here it is. I found a ground beef recipe that isn't your everyday meal.

I found this recipe on pinterest, but didn't have every ingredient on hand. So I just adapted it to my tastes. It turned out really good!

Just brown some beef (with lots of garlic of course.) Sauté the beef with the sauce. Serve over rice. (I kind of stink at making rice so I buy those "steam in the microwave" bags. So worth it.)

And hey, why not toss some cilantro on top. Who says you can't have it all? 

Asian Ground Beef

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 tsp crushed red pepper

salt and pepper

cilantro (optional)

Directions:

In a large skillet, brown hamburger with garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the fat and then add brown sugar, teriyaki, ginger, and red pepper. (I mixed up the sauce before adding it to the beef.) Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over rice and top with cilantro.

Adapted from: Lizzy Writes

This should be your new everyday meal.