Posted by Helena | Posted in Food, Recipe | Posted on 24-08-2010
One of my favorite things about living in San Diego is the endless hiking options. There are so many different areas to hike that are all unique. We decided to try a hike in the Laguna Mountain area last weekend. I wanted to bring a light lunch to eat along the way and knew it was going to be really hot.
Cold and juicy!
Veggie wrap ready to roll
Veggie wraps are great because you can use any combination of veggies you have on hand. I used white beans, zucchini, spring mix, sprouts, tomato, red pepper and a little dressing. We stopped about half way through the hike and found a nice cool rock to sit on.
Enjoying the shade
The watermelon was particularly refreshing. This lunch hit the spot and gave us enough energy to finish the hike.
It was a beautiful day!
What is your favorite food to take on a long, hot hike?
Posted by Helena | Posted in Food, Recipe, Vegan | Posted on 19-08-2010
I think this makes a refreshing light dinner on a hot summer evening. The cole slaw can be made ahead and kept cold. It called for crunchy Asian noodles but I couldn’t find any that didn’t have HFCS so I used rice crackers and they tasted great on the salad. The original sauce for the rolls called for fish sauce so I tossed it aside and used a recipe for a sweet and spicy sauce that a friend gave me. The rolls require a bit of work but I promise they are worth it! Cool, crunchy, sweet, salty and delicious!
Slightly Asian Cole Slaw (adapted from Sam the Cooking Guy)
Ingredients:
- 1-10 ounce bag cole slaw
- 1 red pepper
- 3 tablespoons vinegar, rice vinegar if you have it – if not white is just fine
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Rice crackers (broken into bite size pieces)
Directions:
- Add vinegar, sesame oil, soy and sugar to a small pot over medium heat to mix, but do not boil – remove from heat
- Slice red pepper into thin strips and then cut them in half lengthwise – you don’t want them too long
- Mix together red pepper, cole slaw and cooled sauce
- Top with rice crackers just before serving
Asian Cole Slaw with Rice Crackers
Asian-Style Veggie Rolls ~ Adapted from Cooking Light
Ingredients (rolls):
- 8” round sheets rice paper
- 2 cups thinly sliced bibb lettuce leaves (I used spinach)
- 2 cups cooked bean threads (cellophane noodles)
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 1 cup shredded carrot (about 1 large)
- ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
- ½ fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
Ingredients (sauce)
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp hot chile sauce
Prep work done, ready to start rolling!
Preparation
- To prepare rolls, add hot water to a large, shallow dish to a depth of 1 inch. Place 1 rice paper sheet in dish, and let stand for 30 seconds or just until soft. Place sheet on a flat surface. Arrange 1/4 cup lettuce over half of sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with 1/4 cup bean threads, 2 tablespoons sprouts, 2 tablespoons carrot, 1 tablespoon mint, 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, and 1 1/2 teaspoons green onions. Folding sides of sheet over filling and starting with filled side, roll up jelly-roll fashion. Gently press seam to seal. Place roll, seam side down, on a serving platter (cover to keep from drying). Repeat procedure with remaining roll ingredients.
- To prepare sauce, in small bowl combine rice wine vinegar, sugar, ¼ cup water and chile sauce; set aside.
- Serve rolls with sauce and enjoy!
Make sure the surface is wet or they will stick!
Maybe not beautiful but delicious nonetheless!
What’s your favorite meal to make when it’s too hot to cook?
