Tuna Summer Rolls

 

Puppy Love by Donny Osmond

What does tuna fish and Donny Osmond have to do with each other? Well, I'll tell you! It's the early 70's and I'm at my friend Vera's house. We're in her bedroom listening to Donny Osmond on her turntable and swooning amid giggles and sharing dreams. Then suddenly she says, "Hey! You wanna make some tuna fish sandwiches?" I say ok and we head to her kitchen. She starts pulling out an onion and chopping it into tiny dices and she put her bread in the toaster! This was already different than my usual. When I said as much, she gave me an instant lesson on the finer notes of the best tuna fish sandwich I'd ever had. And I still enjoy that same recipe today! But lately I happened onto this fresh new version and I'm swooning again - except this time it's over food!

Tuna fish can be elegant!

I know in my childhood tuna got a

real bad reputation when our moms tried

to put it in a casserole with some noodles and

canned soup.

Tuna fish sandwiches in your 

sack lunch from home were

kinda ok but everyone knew someone

was packing one before lunchtime

because tuna tends to announce itself.

This recipe today though is fun to make and

tastes super fresh!

It's also crunchy and colorful!

Who's ready to play with their food?

Tuna Summer Rolls

makes 4

print recipe

1 can albacore tuna in water, drained

1 cup chopped bok choy cabbage

1/4 red onion, diced

1 carrot, shredded

4 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sriracha or favorite hot sauce

salt

cilantro

radish, sliced thin

4 rice paper wraps

Place the tuna, bok choy, red onion, carrot, mayonnaise, and sriracha in a bowl. It's a beauty to behold!

Give this all a good stir and season with salt to taste. Set aside.

Take one of the rice paper wraps and run under warm water, wetting both sides. It'll still feel crisp and hard but it will soften in less than a minute. Place it on a clean and dry chopping board.

It'll look like this at first. You can wait for it to completely soften but there's no need. I like to add a little decoration down first because the rice paper becomes transparent and you can see the fun design! I start doing this part while the rice paper is still softening. I lay down some radishes and cilantro leaves.

Next I will add 1/4 of the tuna mixture on top of the radishes and keep it to the center of the wrap.

Next you will fold in the sides of the wrap. You'll find that the wrap is now very soft and stretchy and a little sticky. That's good because it likes to hold onto itself!

Now you'll fold that bottom part up close to the tuna mixture like a burrito, tucking the end up and over the food bump. Then you will roll it up and the end will roll flat onto itself and stick like magic! Roll it as tight as you can. More tight than I did in these pictures! Repeat with the rest of the wrappers.

They're so pretty! See how the radishes show through? You can eat them as is or slice in half. If you're a dipper, they'd be delicious with an asian-inspired dressing or even a drizzle with some mayo and sriracha! Enjoy!

Lamb Stew with Farro

 

An Acre of Land - English Folk Song performed by PJ Harvey and Harry Escott

This stew is really lovely and perfect for a stormy and dreary winter's day. It needed a song with a hauntingly beautiful melody to match the mood. This video is a montage from the movie "Dark River" starring the incomparable Ruth Wilson. Harvey and Escott's recording delivers all the mood! And today's recipe brings the food for the mood!

This recipe is one of the best results of me

messing around in the kitchen using my 

culinary school knowledge and coming 

to a very happy conclusion.

Knowing which ingredients to use, using the correct

method, as well as introducing them in a 

particular order - these are the tools I still

use today. Cinnamon with lamb is a perfect

pairing as it performs the same job that

mint does when it is used -

it cuts that lanolin flavor in lamb that

can be off-putting. In this stew it 

also adds an enticing profile to the aroma.

I hope you enjoy this very satisfying stew!

Lamb Stew with Farro

serves 7

Print recipe

2 T. olive oil

1 lb. ground lamb

1 t. cinnamon

1 T. oregano

2 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and minced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped (use a color other than green for some color)

1 potato, peeled and chopped, set aside in a bowl, covered with cold water

16 oz. crimini mushrooms, cut into large chunks

1/4 c. tomato paste

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 c. flour

2/3 c. red wine

1 qt. beef stock

1 c. cooked farro

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a deep stew pot over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the ground lamb, breaking it into pieces as you do. Stir and cook until the meat is browned. Add the cinnamon, oregano, and rosemary and stir to coat. Cook for a minute to let the herbs and spices bloom. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and stir to coat. Cook for about 3 minutes, giving the vegetables time to soften a bit. Add the mushrooms and stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to distribute the paste and to allow it to coat the ingredients. Stir in the garlic and let cook for a minute. Sprinkle the flour over the contents of the pan and give it a stir to give everything a fuzzy coat.

The flour is what will thicken the broth and give the stew a luxurious gravy. Cook for another 3 - 5 minutes, stirring to cook off the raw flour flavor.  It will be thick but don't worry. Next you'll add the red wine and stir and cook for another couple minutes.  The liquid will be quickly absorbed.  You'll be cooking off the alcohol, but that flavor will stay and give such depth to the flavor of the stew. Add the stock and stir well. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Drain the water off the potatoes and add to the stew and increase the heat. Bring to a low boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the cooked farro and stir to heat through. Season to taste. Serve with some crusty bread!

Sugar Cookie Melts with Lemon

 

WHO DO U LOVE? by Monsta X ft. French Montana

Several years ago my daughter, Katy, got me into K-Pop music and dramas. Her clear favorite was, and still is, Monsta X. And I couldn't disagree with her choice. Their music pulls you in and next thing you're dancing and just plain happy! If you really want to see their dance skills, watch this video. You won't be sorry! The recipe today is one that makes you just as happy as listening to Monsta X!

I've had this cookie recipe in my recipe collection for awhile and I'm not sure 

why I haven't shared it before. It's my take on the sugar 

cookie from Paradise Bakery - the first sugar cookie that made me 

question whether mine was the best I'd ever had! 

Their cookie was so light! It almost melted in your mouth!