See-Through Food, Part 2: Easy Rice Paper Wraps

You can put just about anything (that is not wet or soggy) in a rice paper wrap. My favorite things to wrap are salad ingredients, blanched or roasted vegetables, fresh herbs and pieces of cooked seafood or chicken. I've had rice paper wraps in Seattle that contained glass noodles and ones that contained rice noodles. Both were wonderful, but because I tend to use these as a salad substitute, I have never made them with a noodle filling.

For today's wraps, I used baby lettuce greens, finely shredded cabbage, basil leaves, blanched snow peas, and poached and chilled 16-20 count shrimp.

Rice paper is made from rice starch, tapioca starch, water and salt. They come in several sizes, but I prefer the big ones that are 8 1/2 inches across and easier to handle than the smaller ones.

The sheets are very thin and brittle, so when you are buying them, check the package carefully so that you do not end up with a package of shattered sheets, which are almost impossible to work with.

To make the sheets pliable enough to bend and manipulate, you will need to dip them in water. The following directions for using rice paper are a little different than the other directions I've seen, including the ones on the rice paper package. I'll explain as I go along.

 

Half fill a pie plate or quiche pan (large enough hold a rice paper sheet) with room-temperature water. (I do not use hot water because I find that the sheets become too soggy too quickly.)

Place a sheet of rice paper in the water and push it down to the bottom of the plate or pan, then lift it out immediately. (I do not leave the rice paper in the water for any real time because, once again, it will become too water-logged and tear more easily while I'm working with it.)

Lay the water-dipped sheet on a clean, dry work surface, like a cutting board or counter top. (I don't use a dish cloth, as some people suggest, because one time I ended up with bits of cotton lint stuck to the outsides of my wraps...ugh!) A wooden work surface, I find, works best.

 

 

 

Keeping in mind that this is a see-through food, start layering your ingredients across the near edge of the rice paper sheet, leaving room at the sides so that you can later fold the ends in. I put the shrimp (split in half the long way with their pink side out) on the bottom of the pile or on the top, so that they will be easily seen once the wrap is done.

When you first start working, the sheet will still be a bit stiff, but don't worry about it. Within a minute or two--about the time it takes for you to layer on your wrap's filling ingredients--the sheet will become very pliable and a bit stretchy.

Wrap the rice paper around your ingredients as you would a burrito or egg roll. Wrap as tightly as you can without tearing the paper.

Wipe the moisture off your work surface before starting to construct your next wrap.

I like a very light Thai-style dipping sauce for these, although I have also enjoyed them with a simple vinaigrette. These wraps were served (to me by me) with a dipping sauce made of equal parts lime juice, fish sauce and water, with a splash of Thai Sriracha hot sauce. Yum!

Blackened Salmon on My Salad (an easy meal for one)

We had a streak of brutally hot and humid weather this past week. When it gets muggy like that, the last place I want to be is in my kitchen. Fortunately, I have a few summer tricks for keeping cool and eating well, one of which I indulged in last Thursday after work:

Blackened Salmon on My Salad

First, I tossed together romaine lettuce, green onions and ripe roma tomatoes for a simple salad that I topped with my favorite salad dressing (chunky blue cheese).

Next, I took a skinless salmon fillet (this one was wild Copper River salmon from Alaska, but I have also used frozen salmon [thawed, of course] with great results), rinsed it in running water and patted it dry. Then I sprinkled both sides with blackening spices (cayenne, smoked paprika, thyme, white pepper, cracked black pepper, salt) and fried it in a bit of canola oil; about 2 minutes per side.

Last, I plopped that beauty right on top of my salad, poured myself an icy drink, and relaxed in front of the oscillating fan. It was an all-around "win": the stove was on for less than 5 minutes; I was in the kitchen for less than 15; and I still ended up with a great meal!

This is cool food for hot weather.

Chive Blossom Slaw

Mix together 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves (or fresh ones, if you have them), 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar and 1/2 cup of good mayonnaise. Pour this dressing over 1/2 small head of cabbage, finely shredded. Add a bunch (1/3 cup or so) of snipped fresh green chives from your friend's yard, along with the pulled-apart sections of 6 to 8 blooms. Mix will.

Garnish with more chive blossoms:

Fun with Beta Vulgaris: Orange and Beet Salad & Easy Beet Raita

Beta vulgaris, cooked and sliced

A box filled with dirt-caked beets appeared in my kitchen one day not too long ago. Obviously, these dusty orbs did not come from a grocery store. They seemed to have leaped directly from their garden bed onto my kitchen counter without a thought of washing up before dinner. As it turned out, they came from White House Fruit Farm in Canfield, Ohio, courtesy of my upstairs housemates.

I eat beets very rarely. The truth is, I never think of them or seek them out. They usually come to me as these beets came to me: out of the clear blue sky. But whenever I do encounter them, I'm struck by their sweet, tender flesh and their wild, wild color.

[This babble continues...]