Double Trouble

I'm not exactly sure if "double your pleasure, double your fun" is an apt description for last night's dinner but I suppose it depends on whether you're describing the preparation or the eating. If it's the prep, then forget about it because holy cow this was a lot of work; however, if on the other hand it's the eating you're talking about then BINGO, you've got it!

As you can see, we enjoyed a munchie platter last night filled will goodies from the other side of the world. The only thing is, it took darn near all afternoon to put it together and while we usually reserve this kind of thing for Friday nights, there was no way on earth I was going to attempt this without the big guy's help.It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon together - honest!

The man of the house drew the short straw and made the Imperial Rolls which are honestly the absolute best egg rolls I've ever had in my entire long life. Stuffed with ground pork, oyster mushrooms, rice vermicelli, carrots, cabbage and darn near everything excluding the kitchen sink, he was a choppin' madman while he was putting these together. Deep fried twice for added crispness these are "Imperial" indeed served along side some scorchin' hot Chinese mustard. Unbelievable and more than worth the effort - yeah, easy for me to say.

My contribution to the platter was some Chicken Satay  with Spicy Peanut Sauce. Popular in many Southeast Asian countries, Satay is original to Indonesia although this particular version is more like a Japanese yakitori, as it's made with teriyaki sauce and doesn't include tumeric like the Indonesian version does. It's a great summer time grilling item. As for the Spicy Peanut Sauce - well it's so darn tasty it would make a flip flop palatable.

Imperial Rolls with Hot Chinese Mustard

3/4 pound ground pork, cooked

1 cup sliced fresh oyster mushrooms

1 stick fine vermicelli rice noodles, soaked per package directions

1 cup shredded carrots

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 medium red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon soy sauce

25 egg roll wrappers or springroll shells

Vegetable oil to deep fry

In a large bowl combine cooked pork mushrooms, hydrated rice stick noodles, carrots, cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger. Toss with beaten egg and soy sauce. Moisten edges of each egg roll and place quarter cup of mixture on each shell. Fold in sides and roll up. Deep fry at 375 for 3 minutes. Remove and drain on a rack or paper towels. Deep fry and second time approximately 4 minutes or until outside is deep golden brown. Drain well. Makes 25 rolls.

Hot Chinese Mustard

1/2 cup dry mustard

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup water

Pinch salt

Pinch granulated sugar

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk well to remove lumps and cook over medium heat until mixture boils (approximately 2 minutes). Store refrigerated in a covered container. Keeps up to 2 months.

 

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

1-1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into half inch strips

1 cup teriyaki sauce

Juice of 2 limes

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons brown sugar

20 bamboo skewers

Combine teriyaki sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger and brown sugar in a large zip top bag. Add chicken  pieces and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. Meanwhile, soak bamboo skewers in water.

Drain chicken. Thread onto skewers. Grill for 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Arrange on a platter and serve with peanut sauce on the side.

Spicy Peanut Sauce

1 cup creamy peanut  butter

1 – 14 ounce can chicken stock

1/4 cup fresh lime or lemon juice

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red peppers

Combine peanut butter, chicken broth, lime juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger and red pepper in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, whisking to blend well. Serve warm with satay.

Here's the downloadable versions of the recipes.  Download Imperial Rolls with Hot Chinese Mustard    Download Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Comments

[Nanan]

Well - yum! Make a flip-flop palatable? Take a wok on the wild side???? You and Mags are 2 peas in a pod - you crack me up!! Who can out-do the other? I just don't know... And yes - I said peas on your blog - knowing the big guy does not like them - is that why you chose them for your header? Those rolls do look mighty ambitious - might have to try them on a school day soon!

[June]

Lea - In no way could I ever outdo Mags in the humor department. She's one of a kind! As for the pea on my header - it's the only photo I found that combined my favorite bug with my favorite veggie. LOL

[Mags]

Holy appetizer platter Batman! I hope your Big Guy Robin appreciated the beauty of this "better than from a restaurant" appetizer display.

The only reason I repeated the word "appetizer" is because I can never spell the word horses ovaries... hors de ovaries?.. hores deserves? I give up.

[June]

I know Mags - I'm with you. How do you spell hors d'oeuvres anyway? LOLOL