Vegetable-Stuffed Rice Paper Rolls with Curry Peanut Sauce

This is from a VERY old copy of Fitness Magazine.  I had always meant to make this recipe but never found time for all of the chopping (and there is a LOT of chopping involved!).  Corey loved these, and I thought they were good as well.  They are chock-full of vegetables and are easy to assemble after extensive prep work.  

PLEASE NOTE: these are tagged as vegetarian, which is true assuming that you do not pair them with the peanut sauce.  The peanut sauce below is made with chicken broth.

VEGETABLE-STUFFED RICE PAPER ROLLS WITH CURRY PEANUT SAUCE

Recipe Notes

I skipped the small amount of cilantro in the peanut sauce and instead added a little extra cilantro to the rolls themselves.  There were bean sprouts in the original recipe that I omitted, as I really don't like bean sprouts.  You can add 1/2 c. bean sprouts to the vegetable filling if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. crunchy or smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 c. chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. red curry paste
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger root
• 1/4 c. + 1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro, divided
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 2 c. thinly-sliced romaine lettuce
• 2 large carrots, peeled and julienned
• 1/4 c. chopped basil leaves
• 1/4 c. chopped mint leaves
• Rice paper sheets
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 2 green onions, julienned (both white and green parts)

Instructions

1.  In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine peanut butter, chicken stock, lime juice, fish sauce, curry paste, sugar, ginger root, garlic, and 1 tbsp. cilantro.  Stir to combine, remove from heat, and set aside.

2.  Mix lettuce, chopped basil, and chopped mint in a small bowl.

3.  Fill a wide, flat-bottomed bowl with warm water and soak one sheet of rice paper for 30 seconds until pliable.  I used a 9-inch glass pie plate, which was just the right size.

4.  Lay 1/3 c. lettuce mixture in the middle.  Top with a small amount of each of the remaining ingredients (julienned carrots, cucumbers, red bell peppers, and green onions).

5.  Fold front third over the mound and pull filling toward you to compact it into a tight roll.  Roll over once, then fold sides over the middle and continue rolling away from you until secure.

6.  Place seam-side down on a plate or cookie sheet lined with wax paper sprayed with cooking spray.

7.  Repeat with remaining rolls.

8.  Slice each roll in half on the bias and serve with peanut sauce.

Beef Daube Provencal

This is an old Cooking Light recipe that I finally got around to trying now that it's technically fall outside.  In Houston, you wouldn't know it, because it's still 90 degrees during the day, but we're getting closer.  This dish is served over egg noodles, and I paired it with a simple mixed green salad with champagne vinaigrette and goat cheese.

BEEF DAUBE PROVENCAL

Recipe Notes

The recipe calls for the beef mixture to be cooked on HIGH for 5 hours or until beef is tender.  If you want to throw this in the Crock Pot first thing in the morning and want it to be ready after work, you can alternatively cook it on LOW for 8-9 hours as well.

Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 6)

367 calories - 12.8 g. fat - 33.4 g. carbs - 3.9 g. fiber - 29.1 g. protein

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 12 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into small cubes
• 1-1/4 tsp. salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper, divided
• 1 c. red wine
• 2 c. chopped carrot
• 1-1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1/2 c. beef broth
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• Dash of ground cloves
• 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 c. cooked medium egg noodles

Instructions

1.  Heat a Dutch oven or large skillet over low heat.  Add oil to pan and swirl to coat.  Add garlic and cook five minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally.  Remove garlic and set aside.

2.  Increase heat to medium high.  Add beef and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

3.  Cook 5 minutes or until browned on all sides.

4.  Remove beef from pan.

5.  Add wine to pan and bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen any browned bits.

6.  Add reserved garlic, beef, remaining salt, remaining pepper, carrots, onions, beef broth, tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, cloves, diced tomatoes, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil.

7.  Place beef mixture in a Crock Pot or other electric slow cooker.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or until beef is tender.