"Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart." -Psalm 37:4
I fell in love at a very young age. Are you wondering how young??? Well, I was only 13 years old when I had my first boyfriend. Though many were saying that it was just puppy love, at that time I was sure that it's true love. I believed he's the one...but HE WASN'T. Though first love relationships can last for some people, for us it didn't. He left me for another girl just two months after my 18th birthday. And yes, my heart was torn into pieces. For more than a year, I felt devastated and I cried every day for over a month. But hey...don't feel sorry for me! My love story didn't end there! Two years after that break up, God answered my (and my mom's) prayers...the right man came along and my heart became whole again. Yes, you're right...I'm talking about Ryan - the man I am happily married to! God is good you know! Just when I thought I lost my one true love, God was actually leading me to the perfect person to spend the rest of my life with. He just made me and my first love cross paths just so I can better understand what matters most in life. When I realized that, all the regrets I've been having suddenly went away...and my life turned brighter. After a few years, I managed to be friends with my ex...and as years go by and I fall more in love with Ryan, I become more and more thankful to him for breaking my heart. It was probably one of the best things that happened to me. Not only did it make me a better person, it also led me to the perfect life that I have now. What could be better than that??? Truly, God knows what my heart desires - a simple happy life with a man who really loves me and two beautiful daughters who never fail to put a smile on my face! ♥♥♥
This month's Kulinarya Cooking Club Challenge hosts, Abigail of My Nappy Tales and Marni of Kensington Kitchen want us to share a dish that reminds us of our first love. But that's not what I'm doing. Instead, I am sharing with you a dish that reminds me of those wonderful first years of my relationship with Ryan while we were still taking up engineering at the University of Santo Tomas(UST). Those were the days when we didn't have money to eat at fancy restaurants, and a twice-a-month date at either Goldilocks or Shakey's Pizza just across the UST Engineering Bldg. in España was all we could afford.
Aside from Pancit Palabok, Filipino-Style Spaghetti, Lumpiang Shanghai, Pork Siomai, Chicken Lollipops, Bistek Tagalog, Binagoongang Baboy, and Baked Macaroni, there is this food that we really loved to eat at Goldilocks. Not only is it delicious, it's also cheaper thus perfect for our tight student budget. Just as the two of us were falling more in love with each other, we were also falling for Goldilocks' All Veggie Fresh Lumpia which is similar to the Chinese non-fried spring rolls. We just love how good those strips of carrots, green beans, mushrooms, squash, and lettuce were rolled in soft lumpia wrapper and topped with their signature lumpia sauce. We've honestly eaten tons of it, and had I not started making it at home, we could have been awarded Goldilocks' Most Frequent Fresh Lumpia Eaters. LOL. Kidding aside, Fresh Lumpia is really delicious that's why we really love it.
For my Kulinarya entry, let me share with you my version of fresh lumpia. This is not all veggie, it has shrimps and tofu too, so it's tastier! I'm sure that like us, you will find this irresistible to fall in love with...
Ingredients:
*Yield 14 pcs.Lumpiang Sariwa
Filling:
- 2 cups potato, cut into thin strips
- 8 oz. napa cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup carrots, julienned
- 2 pcs. firm tofu, fried until light brown and cut into thin strips
- 24 pcs. shrimps, peeled
- 1 medium sized onions, thinly sliced
- 3 Tbsp garlic, minced
- ½ cup garlic chives, cut into about 2 inches long
- 2 pcs. Knorr shrimp cubes
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp light olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 14 leafy lettuce leaves
Wrapper:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 pcs eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Sauce:
- 1/3 cup light soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 cups water
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp garlic, minced
- ½ cup coarsely ground peanuts
Procedure:
Filling:
1. In a large pan over medium heat saute garlic, onion, potatoes and Knorr cubes in light olive oil until potatoes are almost cooked.
2. Add napa cabbage and carrots. Saute until carrots are cooked but still crisp.
3. Add shrimps, tofu and fish sauce. Mix well with other ingredients. Simmer just until shrimps turn to pink. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste. Simmer for another minute.
Wrapper:
1. In a mixing bowl, crack the eggs and whisk. Add flour, milk and water and continue whisking until smooth. Add garlic powder, salt and olive oil and whisk some more.
2. Over medium heat, heat up a slightly greased non-stick pan. Pour about 1/3 cup of mixture and tilt the pan to distribute the batter evenly. Cook until the top part of the mixture is dry. Gently invert onto a plate. Repeat the procedure until you use up all the batter. This will yield 14 pcs. 9-inch wrappers.
Sauce:
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, mix 1 ¾ cups water and sugar. While stirring, bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved.
2. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining ¼ cup of water, and pour in the saucepan. Stir until it thickens.
2. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining ¼ cup of water, and pour in the saucepan. Stir until it thickens.
3. Add the soy sauce and garlic. Stir and simmer for about a minute.
To assemble:
1. Place a wrapper on a plate then place a lettuce leaf on top of it. Scoop about 1/3 cup of filling onto the center.
2. Gently fold the lower part of the wrapper then fold each side of the wrapper towards the center.
3. Drizzle with sauce and garnish with coarsely ground peanuts.
Don't forget to check what other Kulinarya Cooking Club members came up with for this month's theme.
