Ginger Shrimp & Pork Wonton Rolls

This is a non-traditional, very fast recipe for when we crave shrimp wontons. With ginger. Lots of ginger. Serve them with a sweet chili sauce; my go-to brand is Mae Ploy (I've never made it from scratch as we don't eat it very often), which you can find at most Asian food stores but can also purchase online. This recipe serves 4-6.


Ginger Shrimp & Pork Wonton Rolls
Ingredients
2 lb shrimp
1 lb lean ground pork
1/2 head small cabbage
1/2 small red onion
1-3 inches of fresh ginger
2 T mirin or sherry
1 T soy sauce
2 T hoisin sauce (optional)
1 T sesame oil
2 t cornstarch
1 lb egg roll wraps
vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Briefly pulse the shrimp in the food processor or chop by hand.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the shrimp to the pork.
3. Shred the onion and cabbage in the food processor or chop by hand.
4. Mince or grate ginger on a microplane -- to taste. We like a lot.
5. Add all the other ingredients to the bowl and mix by hand until well combined.
6. Put a heaping tablespoon of the shrimp mix in the middle of a wonton wrapper and fold it. There should be directions on the back of the egg roll package if you don't know how and of course, there are plenty of suggestions on the internets.
7. Heat your skillet to medium. When the oil sizzles, add the rolls, folded side down, and brown them slowly, so the meats cook thoroughly and the wrappers are golden brown on all sides.
8. Drain on paper towels. Eat while warm.

You can use the smaller wrappers if  you prefer smaller portions or wish for these to be an appetizer rather than a main course.

Lemon Gluten-free Madeleines

With friends and family members going gluten-free, I'm determined to learn to bake gluten-free goodies. I went a little crazy when Costco had an aisle of GF flours and got one of everything. Then I googled gluten-free recipes and felt like I'd just opened Pandora's box.  I had no xanthum gum, no sweet rice flour, way too much garbanzo flour and a boatload of coconut flour -- but no plan.

So I'm starting with madeleines. This recipe is simple and makes a small batch (about a dozen) -- perfect for a trial recipe.

First I made a gluten-free flour mix with the flours I had on hand, based on Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix. (You can use All Purpose GF flour if you prefer.) You'll only need about 3/4 c. for the madeleines; store the extra flour in an airtight container.

• 170g brown rice flour
• 205g white rice flour
• 120g tapioca flour
• 120g sweet sorghum flour
• 25g cornstarch
• 2 t. xanthum gum

Then I (mostly) followed the directions that I found here, which was inspired by this recipe.

Gluten-free Madeleines
Ingredients
105g gluten-free flour mix
1/2 t. baking powder
70g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 large eggs
1/2 t. lemon juice
100g granulated sugar
2 t. vanilla
Zest of 1 lemon

Directions

1. Beat eggs and sugar for a few minutes. [Love my standing mixer.]
2. While that's happening, nuke the butter on low until it's melted.
3. Add vanilla & lemon juice to the butter, and dump the liquid into the mixer.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the baking powder with the flour and lemon zest.
5. Fold in the liquid until well blended and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
7. Prepare the madeleine tray, fill, and bake until the cakes are golden, about 12 minutes.
8. Let the madeleines cool a few minutes before popping them out of the molds.

Fried Artichoke Hearts

A couple of months ago, we took a Sunday drive down the coast and ended up in Castroville, the artichoke capital of the world, where we stopped to get fried artichoke hearts.  I found myself jonesing for some today so I thought I'd try making a batch. Ends up, it's easy and tastier -- like most recipes -- when you make these yourself. I only cooked up half the batch for lunch and will finish off the remainder as a side with tonight's dinner.

This recipe makes enough for a party.

 Fried Artichoke Hearts
Ingredients
19 oz. jar of artichoke hearts in water
2 eggs
splash dairy
AP flour, Italian breadcrumbs, Panko
vegetable oil
splash olive oil

Directions

1. drain and half the artichoke hearts
2. beat two eggs with 2-3 T of cream or milk
3. fill one bowl with flour (I used AP flour)
4. fill another bowl with equal parts flour, Italian breadcrumbs and Panko
5. combine oils in frying pan until oil is about 3/4 " deep and heat on medium high
6. when the oil is ready, dip the artichoke hearts first in flour, then egg wash, then the panko crumb mix and fry.
7. remove when golden brown on both sides and serve warm with ranch dressing or a splash of lemon