Asian Entertaining

Delicious

Thai Fresh Rolls
Rice paper wrappers
cucumber seeded and in matchsticks
red pepper
shredded carrot
sliced jicama
mint leaves
optional or other additions
cilantro
alfalfa or bean sprouts
pea shoots
avocado
tofu

Fill a low dish or pan that a rice paper wrap will fit in with hot tap water. Place wrapper in hot water for 20 seconds until soft. Place on a clean dish towel to soak up water and fill with a little of each veggie. Wrap and place in fridge until ready to serve. I topped mine with wasabi flavored sesame seeds.
This is really more of a technique than a recipe. Thai rolls often have shrimp and lots of veggies in them and are dipped in peanut or sweet chile sauce. Use your imagination and creat lots of different kinds!
Sesame Noodles
1 red pepper sliced into matchsticks
1/2 cup sliced jicama
1 cup shredded cabbage or cole slaw mix
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1-2 scallions sliced
1 TBS fresh ginger
1/4 cup peanut sauce
2 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS rice vinegar
1 TBS toasted sesame oil
8 oz noodles (I used Thai rice noodles but whole wheat spaghetti or a vegan asian noodle would work. The rice noodles actually got a little hard the next day so I think I will use a different noodle next time)

Combine all liquids and oils in a bowl, add ginger and stir. Add vegetables and toss to coat while you cook noodles. Drain noodles and toss with veggies. Let marinate for an hour and eat cold. This recipe was adapted from cook yourself thin a tv show on lifetime. You can make the dressing with peanut butter but I had some peanut sauce already in the fridge. Here is the original recipe.
Mooshoo Vegetable Rolls
Traditional mooshoo vegetables have eggs and shredded cabbages in them but these have the addition of shitake mushrooms and no egg. Rather than making wraps with traditional pancakes I wrapped them in wonton wrappers so they are easier to eat at a party.
1-2 cups shredded cabbage white and red
1 cup shredded carrots
10-15 shitake mushrooms sliced
1 Teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 scallions sliced
1 TBS low sodium soy sauce
clove crushed garlic
1 Teaspoon fresh ginger
1 teaspoon hoisen sauce
6-8 wonton wrappers

Pre-heat oven to 350. Saute mushrooms in oil, add ginger and garlic and cook for a minute. Add soy sauce, and hoisen sauce as well as cabbage and carrots. Cook until slightly wilted about 5 minutes. Add scallion and let mixture cool for 10-15 minutes. Wrap 2-3 TBS of mixture in wrappers and place on a spraed cookie sheet. Line up rolls and spray the tops with cooking spray so they crisp up but aren't greasy. Serve with extra hoisin sauce for dipping
Pomegranate Mojito
Muddle 4-5 mint leaves at the bottom of a tall glass. Squueze and drop in half a lime. Add one shot clear rum. Fill glass rest of the way with Trader Joe's sparkling pomegranate juice or use a combination of sparkling water and juice.

Thai Stir Fry

Delicious

This is an easy meal to do with different veggie combos or any veggies you have left in the fridge after the week. I have done the one above with Green beans, squash, peppers, and strips of carrots. But below I have a picture with red onion, eggplant, peppers, mushrooms, and pineapple. To me pineapple is a must in this dish and blends wonderfully with the spices.
Star by sauteing vegetables in order of how long they take to cook. Onions, then eggplant mushrooms and peppers.
Once vegetable are softened add garlic and lemon grass to mixture and cook lightly.
Add soy sauce, ginger and a little brown sugar or you can use Trader Joe's Soyaki which has all of these ingredients.
Add Saricha sauce based on how hot you like it.
Then add green beans or pea pods so they cook but stay crunchy (bamboo shoots are good too).
Add fresh pineapple chunks and a TBS or so of their juice.
Once sauce is cooked down and veggies tender, add chopped Thai basil and mint and grate some lime zest over the top.
Serve with brown rice and any sides you would like. I served the above one with pan fried tofu and peanut sauce for wrapping in lettuce leaves.

Tofu Lettuce Wraps

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I received my first issue of Vegetarian Times from my sister-in-law last week and was inspired by these lettuce wraps. The original recipe calls for water chestnuts but I used shitake mushrooms instead. Other good additions would be bamboo shoots sliced up. The recipe below is from the magazine with my addition of the mushrooms and a little substitution I made. Make it with what you like!

Filling:
2 TBS olive oil or vegetable oil
1 red onion
1 package shitake mushrooms
1 can water chestnuts or bamboo shoots (optional)
1 TBS ginger*
1 TBS lemon grass
2 cloves minced or crushed garlic
1lb Xtra firm tofu
4 TBS soy sauce*
4TBS hoisen sauce*
1-2 squirts vegan chile sauce
Shredded carrot
2-3 chopped scallions (white and green parts)
Chopped mint and Thai basil

* I cheated and found a sauce at Trader Joe's called Soyaki which had all of these ingredients in it already and used that instead.

Saute mush rooms and diced onion in oil. When cooked add lemon grass ginger and garlic and cook for 3-4min. Next crumble in tofu and add sauces. Cook for an additional 5min until warmed through. At the end add shredded carrot and chopped scallions as well as mint and basil.

Optional toppings:
crushed peanuts
lime wedges
peanut sauce
chille sauce
additional mint or scallions

Serve with Boston lettuce leaves and any additional toppings so people can make their own wraps. This would be a fun and easy entertaining menu if you rounded it out with some good Asian inspired appetizers like vegetable pot-stickers or veggie sushi.