Elizabeth’s Cooking Lesson

Apparently, my blog is working.  People are reading it, enjoying it, and are wanting to learn more about cooking and being in the kitchen.  WHOOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!  My friend Elizabeth has been following me and saw my recipe for the Curried Panang-style shrimp (on a previous post) and wanted to learn how to make it.  We finally hooked up yesterday, and I taught her how to make it.   She was my first “student” who wanted to learn how to make something specific after seeing it on my blog.  She was an excellent student and a very quick study.  I think she is a natural in the kitchen.   Besides making the shrimp curry, I also taught her how to make a light, relatively healthy fruit dessert, also with an Asian flair.  We made banana-kiwi spring rolls.  It was yet another fun day in the kitchen.

These banana-kiwi spring rolls are very easy to make and don’t heat up the kitchen, which is exactly what we want when the mercury is on the rise.

My student and Sous Chef for the Day, Elizabeth.  Our banana-kiwi spring rolls only have a few simple ingredients – bananas, kiwi, toasted coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and wonton wrappers, with a little bit of egg white to “glue” them together.  Then add some hot oil, and you are all set.

Once the bananas are cut in half, peel them and then cut them in half again vertically.  Add some of the toasted coconut mixture, then add the sliced kiwi.  Put your banana lid on top, then wrap the stuffed banana in a wonton wrapper.  Wrap them tight, making sure to fold in the corners, then seal with a little egg wash around the edges.

Once the spring rolls are all rolled up, place them in a pan with HOT oil and let them brown on all sides.  They do not take very long to brown up.  I used a combination of canola oil and coconut oil.  If you place the spring rolls in before the oil is hot enough, they will absorb the oil and become greasy and soggy.  You want them to be light and crispy.  They are best when they are eaten immediately, while they are still hot.  I served them with a rum-cinnamon whipped cream and topped them with more of the toasted coconut mixture and more of the kiwi slices.

Banana-Kiwi Spring Rolls

4 bananas

3-4 kiwis

1/2 cup coconut, toasted

3 TBSP brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

8 wonton wrappers

1 egg white

oil for cooking

whipped cream, optional

 

Toast your coconut in a hot skillet on the stove, just until it is a light golden brown.  Once it has cooled a bit, add it together with the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and toss it well.  Slice and peel your kiwi into thin slices, then half each slice again.  Cut the bananas in half horizontally, then peel them and cut them in half vertically.   On one half of each banana slice, top with the coconut and sugar mixture, then add the kiwi and place the other half of the banana slice on top.  Repeat until done.  Before placing  the stuffed bananas on top of a wonton wrapper add a little of the coconut mixture then roll it tightly.  Take your finger and just go around the edges of the wonton wrapper and seal.  Carefully place the spring rolls into the hot oil and let brown, about 1-2 minutes per side, or until the whole roll is a light golden brown.  I used a combination of both canola oil and coconut oil.  Once the spring rolls are done, and have cooled slightly, add your whipped cream and top with more of the toasted coconut mixture and kiwi.  Serve immediately.  They were a big hit.  They are easy and delicious.  We actually decided to eat our dessert first, then had our curried shrimp after.  Life is short.  Sometimes you just have to eat dessert first.

 

Whipped Cream with Rum and Cinnamon

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2-3 TBSP powdered sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1-2 TBSP rum – I used a guava rum, but any kind of rum is fine, and you don’t have to use it all if you do not wish to.

Whip it all together in a mixer until it forms stiff peaks.   Chill any remaining whipped cream for a later use.