INGREDIENTS

1 head of local baby bok choy (about 6 stalks) thinly sliced

1/2 a local small red onion, thinly sliced

1 local Crispin apple (or other firm tart apple), sliced

1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds

DRESSING

1 teaspoon organic ground coriander

1 teaspoon organic dijon mustard

2 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons local pure honey

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the dressing first, by combining all the ingredients

and whisk well.

Chop all the salad ingredients, leaving the apples until

last, and mix in a salad bowl.

Toss salad with half the dressing.  Add additional dressing if so desired.

Eat immediately or chill for up to one hour, add the apples just before eating.

Spring Rolls are one of my favorite appetizers to make at home. It’s fun to make them with friends and kids as well. The key is to use a very light thin sheet of skin and add lots of fresh veggies. You might think that deep-frying is not so healthy, but if you have the right kind of oil, and you keep the oil clean and fry the food in the right temperature, it does not have to be a grease-laden treat, but something that is good for you from time to time. Just think how many times you actually eat assorted chips, French fries, etc…You can make this at home and be well aware of all the ingredients in your home made fried dishes!

Cabbage Spring Roll

Oil for Deep-frying:
For best results, use Safflower oil. Safflower oil is low in saturated fats and high in monosaturated fat content, nearly 75%. The high oleic safflower oil has a high smoking point of 225 F for unrefined oil and 450 F for refined oil. So the nutritional value is not lost when used for deep-frying. The temperature should be 375, and set for deep-frying.

Skin: Defrost and leave at room temperature for at least a few hours.

I use the 8-inch sheet by Spring Home, which is vegan friendly and does not contain eggs. The sheets are much thinner. You can find these in Oriental and Indian Markets. You can use the sheets containing eggs, if you like a fuller skin (more flour). It is thicker.

To assemble the skin, set aside a small bowl of water, which will be used to help “paste” the skin shut in the end.

Ingredients (Filling):
1 Vermicelli Rice Noodles (package)
½ Cabbage (just use half) (shredded or diced thin)
2 carrots (shredded or diced thin)
1 yellow/white onion  (diced thin)
2 scallion (finely chopped)
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
Basil (bunch, chopped)
Dash of sea salt

Ingredients (Dipping Sauce):
2 Tbsp of peanut butter (ingredients should be peanut and sea salt)
1/3 cup of good quality soy sauce
1 Tsp of crushed red pepper
1 String of scallion (finely chopped)
Spring Water (to lighten the taste)

Directions

(Deep-Fryer Setting)
Set your deep fryer containing safflower oil to 375 degree

(Noodles)
Boil the water in a pot and place the vermicelli noodles. It will boil within minutes, since the noodles are very thin. Remove the noodles, rinse them with cold water and set aside to cool. Once cooled down, cut the noodles to medium size lengths.

(Filling)
In a big bowl, mix the cabbage, carrots, onion, scallion, garlic, and basil. Then, add the noodles and sea salt. Massage them with your fingers thoroughly. Set aside for 5 minutes allowing all the ingredients to marinade together.

(Skin)
To assemble rolls, place the spring roll wrapper on a clean working surface. Place one heaping Tbsp. of the filling on the wrapper (if using large wrappers, you will need more).
**Tips: Spread the filling lengthwise along the spring roll wrapper nearer the end closest to you. Wet the rims of the wrapper with water (this makes its stick). You can use a whisked egg instead of water.

Fold the left and right sides of wrapper over filling, then lift up the wide end nearest to you and tuck overtop. Roll to the other end. Secure the roll by dipping your fingers in some water/egg and wetting the end, “pasting” it shut.

Repeat till you have lines of rolls!

(Dipping Sauce)
In a medium size bowl, add the peanut butter and soy sauce and mix it till you form a paste. Add the scallions, red crush pepper and water and mix it well.

(Deep-Frying)

To fry spring rolls, set your deep fryer temperature with the safflower oil to 365 -375 degree.

If you are using a work or pan, place the safflower oil (about 1 inch deep) in a wok or deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. When bubbles rise, or when the oil begins to form snake-like lines across the bottom of the pan, the oil may be ready. To test it, dip one corner of a spring roll into the oil. If it begins to sizzle and cook, the oil is ready. If not, wait another 30 seconds to one minute and try again.

Using tongs, place spring rolls in oil, allowing them to fry about 1 minute on each side. Spring rolls are done when they turn light to medium golden-brown (see photo). Place on paper towels (or a clean dish towel) to drain oil while you finish frying the rest.

Serve spring rolls while still hot with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, or your own dipping sauce (see recipe above). ENJOY!

The HFM Welcomes October’s Dream THIS SATURDAY October 13!  This foursome hails from the Boston Folk Song Society.  Twice performing at the New England Folk Festival, at local area farmers’ markets, and at open mics throughout the area, October’s Dream plays traditional and contemporary folk, some bluegrass and some gospel.   They play strictly acoustic instruments that include stand up bass, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, auto harp, and recorder.

We know they have so much fun playing together; we are all looking forward to joining in the fun tomorrow!

Bombay Kale Chips by Yumi Maskay

Sometimes, you just want that crunchy texture in your mouth and still keep it healthy. Now we have kale chips at stores (yeah!), but a 2 oz bag of kale chips cost a whopping $6-7. All you need is an oven and fresh kale leaves to make your surprisingly yummy kale chips, right in your kitchen.  Here we go….

Ingredients:

1 bunch Kale (rinsed well and shaken dry)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp Chaat Masala (available at Indian grocery store)
½ tsp Red chili powder
Sea Salt (to taste)

Directions:

Preheat over to 350

Separate the kale leaves form the stem

In a small blow, mix olive oil, chaat masala, red chili powder and sea salt

Lightly rub the kale leaves gently with your fingers so the leaves are all coated with your mixture.

*Fingers or cooking brush works best to avoid over pouring oil all over your lovely kale

Line up your leaves in a single layer on a baking tray with parchment paper. You can lightly oil the parchment paper with a cooking brush (optional)

Bake for 10-15 minutes until leaves are crispy and turn slightly brown. Do not over bake them.

Set aside to cool before you grind your teeth into them!