Heart of the Matter - Quick and Easy Vegetarian Ricepaper Rolls

I decided to start writing posts for The Heart of the Matter simply because it’s a great incentive for me to start eating a healthier diet. Not that my diet isn’t healthy, but you can never too healthy. Right?

I grew amongst Sydney’s Vietnamese community and even though at the time I had absolutely no appreciation of their cuisine, I most certainly do now. In fact it has become my favourite style of Asian food, and I can’t get enough of it. I love it!
Cooking in the Australian summer is not my idea of fun. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. So that’s exactly what I’ve done. My idea of “quick and easy” is “no cooking required”. And at the moment that suits me just fine. For this recipe, all that is required is soaking, mixing and assembling the rolls- quick and easy when prepared for 1 or 2 people. (I very rarely cook for more than 2 people). I eat these zesty little rolls unaccompanied, save for their dressing. The fat-free combination of carbohydrate and fresh vegetables, with the burst of herbs, is more than satisfying for me.

Pictured above (clockwise from the right) are long Red Chilli, Sweet Thai Basil, Garlic Chives, Coriander, Mint, Vietnamese Mint (or Rau ram).

Components
(for the dressing)
2 long, red chillies, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
20g palm sugar, crushed
40 ml lime juices
60 ml water
60 ml Vietnamese fish sauce
40 ml rice wine vinegar.

(for the filling)
Rice vermicelli, soaked in hot water till softened and drained
Carrot, grated
Cucumber, grated
Bean shoots, string removed
Coriander, Mint, Vietnamese mint, Asian basil (plenty of each)
Peanuts, roasted and chopped
Rice paper (purchased from Asian food shops)
Garlic chives

Process
Combine the first 7 ingredients together. Taste and adjust as you wish.
In a bowl combine the rice vermicelli with the carrot, cucumber, bean shoots, herbs and peanuts.

Add a few spoonfuls of the prepared dressing, just enough to lightly coat and flavour the noodles. Reserve the rest of the dressing.
Take one sheet of rice paper and place in hot water until softened. Remove and place it over a moistened dishcloth.
Place a small amount of the prepare noodle salad on to the lower third of the rice paper. Fold the short sides into the center over the filling. Begin to roll from the lower end, adding a garlic chive just before fully forming the roll (the garlic chive should stick out of the end). Repeat till the filling is all used.
Serve immediately with the remaining dressing for dipping.

You can also serve these with Hoisin sauce, to which you’ve added a splash of Chinese black vinegar and sesame oil.

Lunch a la Japonaise

You may have noticed a lack of asian food on this blog. It is not that I do not like it. It is just that I am not very good at cooking it. I do not really understand it. So rather than making a mockery of this varied cuisine, I prefer to leave it up to those who do understand and know it well. My culinary strengths lie in the European foods and techniques. Somehow I just can not grasp that whole sweet,sour,salty, spicy thing that the Chinese and Thai do. Whenever I do make something using asian ingredients, it is more asian inspired, rather than authentic, like this following idea. Another hit the kitchen running recipe…

Steamed greens and tofu with Soy dressing

Ingredients per person
100g firm tofu, Japanese marinated (from the supermarket)
Asian greens, any variety and as much as you like
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of light soy
1 tsp of sesame oil
Finely chopped asian herbs
White pepper

Method
Slice the tofu thinly.
Whisk together the oils, herbs, lemon juice, soy and pepper.
Steam the tofu and the greens, about 1 –3 minutes.
Pile onto a plate and and drizzle over the dressing. Healthy, tasty and ready in 2 minutes.Note- I never make this dressing the same way. Sometimes I may add ginger, shallot , garlic or chilli. Other times I substitute rice wine vinegar or lime for the lemon juice. And sometimes I add a touch of honey. Whatever I have, whatever I feel like.

Bloody Beef!

Do not be alarmed. The title above is not an attempt at being butch (by use of colloquial language). My beef is bloody, simply because it is bloody and rare, and because it contains blood orange in the dressing. The method of cooking steak this way comes from the famous food writer Nigella Lawson. And she is spot on with this-this really is the best way to prepare perfectly rare meat. As much as I give praise to her for this, I must mention that the idea and flavours are mine. Serve this on warm nights with jasmine rice to which you have added a star anise and a bowl of whole vine tomatoes to consume as you wish. Note- Blood oranges are seasonal and are available during Spring.

Porterhouse with Citrus and Vietnamese Mint

Ingredients
For the marinade:
½ tsp cardomom
1 dried chilli, crushed
½ tsp cinnamom
½ tsp cumin
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
Fresh black pepper
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp vegetable oil
For the dressing:
½ blood orange, juiced
½ blood orange, zest finely julienned
1 lime, juiced
½ lime, zest finely julienned
Salt
Fresh black pepper
About 10 vietnamese mint leaves
About 10 mint leaves
A generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
500g of Porterhouse steak

Method
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the steaks to the marinade. Make sure the marinade coats the entire surface of the steaks.
Cover the bowl and leave to marinate for a long time in the fridge or for a short time at room temperature. The meat needs to be at room temperature to cook.
Heat a pan over a high heat.
When it is very hot, remove the excess marinade from the meat and sear the meat for 2 minutes each side. The meat should brown nicely. The pan will smoke a bit, it is a good idea to turn the exhaust fan on.
Now take the steaks and wrap them in 2 layers of foil, sealing them well. Place this aluminium parcel on wooden board and leave it to rest for 20 minutes. It is important that the meat should rest on a wooden surface, as wood holds heat.
In the meantime, prepare the dressing ingredients-do this at the last minute, as I have mentioned before, the flavours of citrus begin to change quickly.
Unwrap the meat and slice it thinly.
Combine with the dressing ingredients and any juices from the meat.
Arrange the meat on a platter and serve immediately. This will serve 2 people on high protein diets (now that’s butch).

Asian Greens & Soy Dressing

This is a simple side dish and needs no introduction. I serve it ofteh with anything that is vaguely asian or with a grilled piece of meat. If you are pressed for time leave out the garlic/ginger part.

Ingredients
Asian Greens-as much as you like
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tiny clove of garlic,finely chopped
same amount of peeled ginger,finely chopped
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp Chinese rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar

Method
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl with a baby whisk. The dressing will taste too salty but will be fine when you combine it with the greens.
Allow the garlic and ginger to infuse the dressing for a few hours.
When you are ready to use strain the dressing through a sieve to catch all the raw garlic and ginger. Discard the garlic and ginger.Steam the greens in a bamboo steamer until cooked to your liking. I find bok choy takes 1 minute and Chinese broccoli 3 minutes.
Pour your dressing over the greens and pile attractively in a serving dish.