Crab and Cucumber Rolls with Sesame Vinaigrette and Cilantro Oil

Cilantro Oil:

* 1 bunches cilantro

* Salt and sugar to taste
* 1 cup vegetable oil

* 1 Tb. toasted coriander seeds

* 1 tsp. lemon zest

Bring a pot over water to a rapid boil. Season the boiling water with salt and sugar. It should taste salty like the sea and sweet like cola. Season and ice bath similarly. Rinse the cilantro and cut away the large heavy stems at the bottom. Blanch the cilantro for 30 seconds and shock in the ice bath. Gather the blanched cilantro and squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Place the cilantro in a blender with the vegetable oil, coriander seed, and lemon zest. Blend on high for 3 minutes. Pour the oil into a strainer lined with cheesecloth, a grease filter, or a coffee filter and allow to drip for several hours. Discard the solids left behind.

Sesame Vinaigrette:

* 2 tsp chinese spicy mustard

* 2 tsp. pickled ginger

* 2 Tb. mirin

* 2 Tb. soy sauce

* 2 Tb. rice wine vinegar

* 1/2 c. vegetable oil

* 1/4 c. sesame oil

Place the mustard, ginger, mirin, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar in a blender. Blend on high while slowly adding vegetable oil. After the vegetable oil, drizzle in the sesame oil. If the oil is not emulsified add a bit more mustard or some mayonnaise and blend once more.

To Assemble:

* 2 English cucumbers

* kosher salt

* 2 large carrots, fine julienne

* 1 Tb. mirin

* 1 tsp. soy sauce

* 1 avocado

* Crab

* Cream Cheese

* Cilantro oil

* Sesame vinaigrette

* Cilantro and black sesame seeds for garnish

Cut the ends from each cucumber and wash well. Cut each cucumber in half and, using a mandolin, slice 1/16′’ thick planks from the cucumber, stopping when you reach the seedy middle. Repeat on the other side of the cucumber. Lay the slices out of a piece of paper towel and salt lightly.
Toss the julienne carrot with the mirin and soy sauce and slice the avocado into long pieces. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a flat work surface and lay 4-5 cucumber slices on top, overlapping slightly. Place some carrots, a few pieces of avocado, some cream cheese, and a few pieces of crab at the end of the sheet of cucumber. Carefully roll the cucumber around the filling using the plastic wrap. Wrap the roll tightly in the plastic wrap and twist the ends. Using a sharp knife cut each roll into 3 or 4 pieces and carefully remove the plastic wrap. Pour some sesame vinaigrette on a plate, place the rolls on top, and drizzle with cilantro oil. Garnish with cilantro and black sesame seeds.

Chicken Souvlaki Gyros

Homemade Pita Pockets:

1⅛ c. warm water

1 tsp. salt

1 T. olive oil

1½ tsp. white sugar

3 c. flour

1½ tsp. yeast

Place ingredients in a large mixer and mix well. Dough should form into a smooth ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl. More flour can be added if necessary. Let dough raise until doubled in size. (Or place ingredients in bread maker and run a dough cycle.) Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Roll dough out on a floured surface- as thin as possible without being ridiculous. Dough should be just less than 1/4” thick. Allow dough to rest for 5 minutes. Using a round cutter (5”-6” in diameter) cut as many rounds as you can. Pick up scraps, knead, re-roll and repeat process. Place dough rounds onto a lightly greased pizza stone. Place in oven for 7-8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas are softened, cut in half and cut pocket. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days.

Chicken Souvlaki Marinade:

⅓ c. olive oil

⅔ c. balsamic vinegar

3 T. lemon juice

½ tsp. ground pepper

½ tsp. salt

2 T. oregano, dried

4 chicken breast, (boneless, skinless)

In gallon size ziplock bag mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, pepper, salt, and oregano together. Add chicken breasts, seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in glass baking dish with a little of the marinade. Bake for 50 minutes. Allow chicken to sit for 10 minutes before slicing into thin strips.

Tzatziki Sauce:
1 c. cucumber, seeded & shredded

1 tsp. salt

1 c. yogurt, plain

¼ c. sour cream

1 T. lemon juice

½ T. vinegar

1 tsp. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 T. fresh dill, chopped

¼ tsp. Greek seasoning

Mix shredded cucumber with 1 tsp. salt and allow it sit for at least 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil. Season with garlic, fresh dill and greek seasoning. Squeeze the cucumber to remove any excess water; stir into sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Gyros:

2 c. lettuce, torn into small pieces

½ sweet onion, thinly sliced

1-2 tomatoes, chopped & drained

1 green pepper, diced

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

chicken strips

tzatziki sauce

pita pockets

Mix lettuce, onion, tomatoes, green pepper and feta cheese together like a salad. Place chicken strips in the bottom of the pita pocket, add a spoonful of salad mixture and top with a generous dollop of tzatziki sauce.

Cucumber Cups With Creamy Salmon Whip

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
* 1 tablespoon nonfat or 1% milk
* 4 scallions, white parts only, sliced
* 4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
* 1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* Freshly ground white pepper
* 2 large English cucumbers
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Directions

Process the cottage cheese and milk in a food processor until smooth. Add the scallions, salmon, cream cheese, lemon juice and a pinch of white pepper and process until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Cut the cucumbers into 3/4-inch-thick rounds, discarding the ends. Using a small spoon, scoop the seeds and some of the flesh out of each round to form a small cup.

Fill each cup with about 2 teaspoons of the salmon whip and sprinkle with the chives. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 1 hour.

Vietnamese Rice-Noodle Salad

Ingredients

• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons vegetarian fish sauce
• 1 (12 ounce) package dried rice noodles
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 4 leaves napa cabbage
• 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts
• 4 sprigs fresh mint

Directions

1. Mince the garlic with the cilantro and the hot pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the lime juice, fish sauce or salt and sugar; stir well. Let the sauce sit for 5 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice noodles; boil them for 2 minutes. Drain well. Rinse the noodles with cold water until they have cooled. Let them drain again.
3. Combine the sauce, noodles, carrots, cucumber, mint and Napa cabbage in a large serving bowl. Toss well and serve the salad garnished with the peanuts and mint sprigs.