WRAL reporter Brian Shrader and our own Lisa Prince feature seasonal recipes in their Got to Be Good Cookin’ segment using ingredients grown and available right here in North Carolina. Featured this month are salads made with fresh, local ingredients found at roadside stands, farmers markets and grocery stores throughout the state.
This month, Brian and Lisa make an appetizer, dessert, main dish and salad using an abundance of fresh N.C. produce.
The first recipe is a appetizer that was originally entered in the N.C. State Fair by Gail Fuller of Raleigh. Lisa says the Summer Sushi Roll is “perfect for summer” and a “great way to get kids to eat their vegetables.” The recipe below uses Savoy cabbage but any type of cabbage can be used.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup instant rice
- 1 1⁄2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 10 large Savoy cabbage leaves
- 1 cup water
- 1⁄2 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 1 medium fresh carrot
- 15 spears fresh asparagus
- 1 yellow sweet pepper
- 2 slices fresh onion
Instructions:
For the rice:
- In a saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water and the ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix to a boil.
- Add the rice, cover and steam until rice is tender. (about 10 minutes)
- Cool and add the cream cheese, mixing well.
- Refrigerate until cold and solid.
To prepare vegetables:
- Cut carrot into about 6 inch sticks, the sweet pepper into slices and cut the onion slice in half.
- Bring 1 cup of water and chicken bouillon to simmer.
- Add all vegetables and blanch about 2 minutes (until just tender, but still whole).
- Remove cabbage leaves, pat dry and let them come to room temperature.
To make the sushi:
- Lay 2 cabbage leaves flat on work surface.
- Spread about ½ cup rice mixture evenly on cabbage. (mixture will be sticky)
- Lay 1-2 asparagus spears, 1-2 carrot sticks, 1-2 slices of yellow pepper and 1-2 half rings of onion lengthwise across the spinach leaves.
- Roll cabbage leaves tightly around vegetables.
- Cut each roll into 4-6 slices
Next Lisa and Brian make peach wontons from fresh N.C. peaches. Brian calls these a “new take on the peach turnover.” Lisa suggests making these wontons with a variety of N.C. fruits like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or plums. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients:
- 8 wonton wrappers (found in the produce section)
- 1⁄2 cup N.C. peaches (peeled and chopped, 1-2 peaches)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 egg
- water
- peanut oil
- cinnamon
- vanilla ice cream
Instructions:
In a sauce pan, add butter, honey and peaches. Sauté until the peaches are soft. Stir in cornstarch and let boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool fully in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Beat the egg and add a little water to make an egg wash. Place a dollop of the peach mixture on the wonton. Brush egg wash around the edges and press together at the tips.
In a large, heavy duty pot, add enough peanut oil to allow wontons to swim and heat to 350 degrees. Add wontons and fry until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel. Place 2 fried wontons on a plate and sprinkle with cinnamon and powdered sugar.
Lisa’s husband, Robert, provided the next recipe, which Brian notes uses so many ingredients that their might not be “anything left at the grocery store after this one.” Lisa suggests it is a “great way to use all that stuff coming from the garden.” It is her version of Chinese comfort food. Add a little sriracha if you want a little extra heat .
Ingredients:
- 2 cups sticky rice, cooked
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 green onions (green only cut into ½ inch pieces)
- 2 tablespoons celery, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 5 thin slices of fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce plus and few dashes
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 egg white
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1⁄2 cup yellow onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1⁄2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
- 3⁄4 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 stalk of celery, sliced thin
- 2 cups broccoli florets and stalks cut small
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
- 8 ounces water chestnuts, sliced and drained
- 5 green onions, sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1⁄2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 1⁄2 cups peppers (red, yellow, green, sliced)
- soy sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
For the Broth:
Combine chicken broth, green onion, celery, garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Let simmer on low for 30 minutes then turn off to cool.
For the Chicken:
Chicken is easier to slice thin if slightly frozen. Place the chicken in a zip lock bag add the egg white and coat. Combine the cornstarch, salt and pepper. Pour into the bag and shake to coat.
In a large pan or wok, set on high heat; add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Once hot, add the yellow onion and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon garlic and 1 ½ teaspoon ginger, cook for 10-20 seconds. Don’t burn it. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink and starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Continue to toss and stir the chicken. The chicken can be cooked in 2 batches but remember to divide your oils, onion, garlic and ginger. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
For the Sauce:
Combine ¼ cup soy sauce, ¾ tablespoon oyster sauce and ½ cup of the broth mixture. Then add ½ tablespoon cornstarch and stir to combine.
For the Vegetables:
In same pan, still set on high heat; add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Once hot, add spring onions and cook for 30 seconds add 1 clove minced garlic and 1 ½ teaspoon ginger and cook for a few seconds, and then add the mushrooms. Continue to stir so the garlic does not burn. Cook for a minute so the mushrooms can sweat. Then add water chestnuts, dash or two of soy sauce, pinch of salt and pepper cooking for 1 minute. Add bell peppers and celery with another pinch of salt and dash soy sauce and cook until they begin to soften. Return the chicken to the pan. Add the sauce to the pan and then the broccoli. Turn heat down to medium. Add the rest of the broth mixture if more juice is needed. Stir occasionally keeping the broccoli on top as much as possible. Cover to steam the broccoli for 2-3 minutes and serve over the rice.
The month wraps up with a cold marinated salad which Lisa says is perfect for summer.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 8 ounces Edamame (shelled soybeans)
- 1 pound green beans (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 2 green onions (cut into ½ inch pieces)
- 1⁄2 red pepper (diced)
- 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
- 1 can Garbanzo beans (15.5 oz drained and rinsed)
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper; gradually add olive oil.
- Cook edamame in boiling water for 5 minutes, then put into an ice bath. Remove and pat dry.
- Cook green beans in boiling water for 3-6 minutes then put into an ice bath. Remove and pat dry.
- Combine the edamame, green beans, garbanzo beans, green onions, red pepper and parsley. Pour dressing over the salad and gently stir to coat. Refrigerate a few hours before serving.