Giada's Feel Good Food (26 page)

In a medium bowl, mix together the shrimp, mayonnaise, lemon juice, agave, and wasabi.

Put the sushi mat on a counter with the slats running horizontally. Put a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the mat. Using wet fingers, spread ½ cup of the rice evenly over the nori to form a rectangle slightly smaller than the nori. Arrange ¼ cup of the shrimp mixture along the center of the rice. Top the shrimp mixture with 4 thin avocado slices, 4 thin mango slices, and 4 thin bell pepper slices. Using the sushi mat as a guide, fold the rice over the filling and roll into a log. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Place the logs, seam sides down, on a cutting board. Using a sharp, damp knife, slice each log into 6 pieces (re-wet the knife after each slice). Arrange the rolls on a serving platter and serve.

These vegetable rolls are anything but boring. The creamy, spicy, lemony, delicious sauce flavors the veggies, making them irresistible. The secret ingredient is fish sauce, which can be found in most grocery stores these days and keeps in the fridge for a long time. It adds a salty bite that you just can't replace with salt alone. It's kind of like the Asian version of anchovies in Italian cooking, transforming vegetables into something crave-worthy. If you can't find the rice paper rounds, which can be bought in Asian specialty markets and some supermarkets, just use the lettuce leaves alone as your wrappers.
makes 8 rolls; serves 4

for the sauce:
In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, chile sauce, lemon juice, fish sauce, garlic, and agave.

for the rolls:
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Using scissors, cut the noodles into 2-inch pieces. Add the noodles, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and carrot to the yogurt sauce and toss until coated.

Lay a damp kitchen or paper towel on a work surface. Soak a rice paper round in warm water until softened, 20 to 30 seconds. Put the rice paper on the damp towel. Lay a lettuce leaf in the middle of the rice paper and spoon ⅓ cup of the noodle mixture on top. Put 1 basil leaf and 1 mint leaf on top of the noodle mixture. Roll the rice paper around the filling and seal the ends with a little water. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

If not serving immediately, drape the finished vegetable rolls with damp paper towels, wrap with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours.

My Mom, Veronica, is pretty much a vegetarian these days. When she invites us over for “meatloaf,” this is what we get—and I like it a lot; in fact, even Todd does. The lentils and the brown rice make it hearty while at the same time kind of fluffy and light. My favorite part about it is the fresh tomato sauce, which is almost like a salsa.
Checca
is a Southern Italian term for this fresh sauce, which is called by different names in different regions. Some of it goes into the lentil loaf and the rest is served alongside.
serves 6

for the sauce:
In a food processor, combine the cherry tomatoes, scallions, garlic, basil, oil, salt, and pepper. Pulse the tomatoes until they are coarsely chopped, being careful not to puree them. Transfer the sauce to a bowl.

for the lentil loaf:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 10 × 4½-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly. Reserve the skillet.

In the same large skillet, cook the spinach over medium heat until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Squeeze the excess liquid from the spinach. Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Add to the onion mixture.

Add the lentils, brown rice, ¾ cup of the mozzarella, the corn, basil, eggs, egg white, salt, pepper, and ¾ cup of the sauce to the cooled onion mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared
pan. Arrange the sliced tomatoes in 2 rows over the lentil mixture, covering the top completely. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup mozzarella and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Bake until the loaf is heated through and the topping is melted and starting to brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Slice the loaf (still in the pan) into 1-inch slices, arrange on plates, and serve with the remaining sauce.