Shrimp and Veggie Rice Paper Wraps

These rice paper wraps are a lot of fun to make and eat. Allow 20 minutes or so to actually make the wraps because the rice paper needs to soak a little in hot water to soften, and the water cools quickly, so it needs to be changed often. But, they are well worth the effort.

Ingredients:
  • Shrimp (15-20 medium sized shrimp)
  • Chopped Garlic
  • Sliced Pepper
  • Chopped Lettuce
  • Peanut Oil
Coat the shrimp in peanut oil and chopped garlic. Grill them until they are just done. Let them cool and then coarsely chop into bite sized pieces. Thinly slice the pepper and lettuce (any lettuce except iceberg will work well). In a bowl, mix the shrimp into the veggies. This is the filling.
For the rice paper wraps:
I use a Pyrex pie dish with 1/2 inch of hot water to soak each paper disk. One at a time, place the rice paper disks into the water to soften. Move them around a bit with your fingers for a couple minutes. Carefully lift the disk out of the water, allowing the extra water to drip off, and place on a plate. Spoon some shrimp and veggie mix onto one side the rice paper and start to roll the disk. Start with the side closest to the filling and roll like a burrito, folding up the edges and rolling them tightly. The paper will stick to itself. Keep making these until all of the filling is used.
Serve with a dipping sauce. I prefer a hoisin-based sauce, which I prepare with hoisin sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, and freshly chopped chives.

Whole Wheat Oat Blueberry Pancakes

What can I say? Blueberry pancakes are delicious.

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cut oats, coarsely ground in food processor
  • 1 tsp evaporated cane juice
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/4 cup rice milk
  • 1 TB walnut oil
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet in another. Mix together, add blueberries, and cook on 350 degree skillet. Don’t forget the pure Vermont maple syrup.

Garlic, Lemon, Ginger Baked Tofu

Let’s review rule #1 for baked tofu- Freeze firm or extra firm tofu, thaw, drain, press for 15 minutes, and slice. This must be obeyed, or else you won’t be making very good tofu.

Marinade Ingredients:
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 TB honey
  • 2 TB soy sauce
  • fish sauce (just a few splashes)
  • 1 TB peanut oil
  • 1 TB seasoned rice vinegar (unseasoned will be fine)
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 TB ground ginger (1 TB fresh, grated, if you have it)
Whisk the marinade together. Add 1 cup of water and mix well. Pour a little into a Pyrex baking dish. Add the tofu and pour the rest of the marinade on top. Bake, uncovered, and 375 for 45 minutes-one hour. Flip each piece over after 20 minutes or so. It will be done when all of the liquid is absorbed.

Sweet Potato Salad

I prefer to eat sweet potatoes (the actual true, white ones) or yams instead of most other potatoes. I hardly ever touch Russet potatoes, which is a long, arduous story, and sometimes use Yukon Gold, Red, Blue, or even Fingerling potatoes. But, yams are so healthy and delicious, I usually have them in the kitchen. Here’s a summer salad.

Main Ingredients:
  • 1 large yam
  • 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
Ingredients for Dressing
  • 2 TB olive oil
  • 1 TB cider vinegar
  • 1 TB honey
  • 1 TB stone ground mustard (or honey mustard…or whatever mustard you have)
  • 1/2 TB Worcestershire sauce
  • pinch of sea salt
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp tumeric
  • 1 TB freshly chopped chives
  • 1 TB freshly chopped parsley
Peel, cube, and boil the yams until a fork easily pierces them. Drain and rinse with cold water. While the yams are boiling, sauté the onion in olive oil until soft. Combine the yams, rinsed kidney beans, onion, and corn.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together and mix into the sweet potato salad. Fast, easy, and healthy.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Patties

I’ve really gotten into making patties. They are so easy, healthy, and fun to eat. Almost anything can become a patty. Here’s a new version: Sweet potato black bean. I served these with grilled red pepper, carrot, and yellow squash, as well as homemade guacamole.
Ingredients for the patties:
  • 1 can black beans
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 large garnet yam, peeled and finely grated
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 TB cumin
  • sea salt
  • pepper
  • 1 tsp dried cilantro (use fresh if you have it)
  • 1/2 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
Sauté the onion in a little olive oil until it starts to soften and turn golden brown. Remove from heat. Rinse and drain the black beans. Put them in a large mixing bowl and mash some of the beans with a fork. Add the garlic, grated yam, onions, and mix well. Then add the cumin, a little salt, pepper, cilantro, and jalapeño. Mix this well so all of the ingredients appear to be evenly distributed. Mix in the egg. Finally, add the cornmeal to thicken the batter up a little.
Cook these patties like pancakes.

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A Bolder Table is a place where I bookmark my favorite recipes for later along with some occasional musings. It's my personal digital recipe compilation... Let's say it's my cookbook. Thanks for stopping by! -Megan
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