Olive + Oak

Olive + Oak

By now, if you live in St. Louis, you’ve heard of Olive + Oak. You might have even tried getting a reservation, surprised that the next opening for a table for two on a Saturday at 6:00pm is eight weeks away. You might have driven down Lockwood on any night of the week and thought of how you’ve been meaning to pop in and get a seat at the bar, but it looked too crowded, so you kept on going. You might have even been to Olive + Oak, snagged a reservation long ago, or got there early to grab a seat at the bar, feasting upon some of the finest dishes the city has to offer. But you still might not know the story behind Olive + Oak.

We approached one of the owners, Mark Hinkle, about writing a blog post not only to highlight their ever-changing delicious menu and new summer cocktails, but also to tell their story.

Long before Olive + Oak came the restaurant’s namesakes: Ollie Hinkle and Oakes Ortyl. Both sweet boys were born with congenital heart defects and passed away at an early age. Ollie’s parents, Jennifer and Mark Hinkle and Oakes’ parents Greg and Becky Ortyl met through the shared tragedy of losing their sons. Both families started foundations to raise awareness and support continuing research in honor of their sons: The Ollie Hinkle Heart Foundation and The Mighty Oakes Heart Foundation. And in the darkest time, a new partnership was coming forth.

Hinkle (most recently on the managerial staff at Annie Gunn’s) and Ortyl teamed up to venture into starting a restaurant in Webster Groves, where both of their families are from. Olive + Oak is appropriately located in the heart of Webster Groves, and brings with it more than just good food.

There is no huge sign for Olive + Oak outside. Its humble storefront and patio seating blends in as a natural part of the Webster community. This makes sense, of course, since the Hinkles, Ortyls, and Chef Jesse Mendica are all from Webster. They understand the importance of the small town, community feel that Webster is known for, and it seamlessly translates into the decor at Olive + Oak.

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At some point during your visit, you will probably meet Mark. He walks around the restaurant graciously welcoming everyone (even folks like us from the neighboring rival town Kirkwood) with a warm smile as they dine, and making sure they’re enjoying their experience, embodying his dedication to excellent service and hospitality.

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You’ll notice right away the neon heart glowing above the bar, a symbol prominent throughout the restaurant to remind the staff and patrons alike of Ollie and Oakes, and to bring awareness of congenital heart defects to the forefront. The more we visit, the more hearts we find hidden throughout the restaurant. They’re hanging amongst the olive and oak leaves of the large welcoming tree by the hostess stand, each of the servers have felt hearts pinned to their lapels, a large wooden heart hangs on the wall in the front, and guests can even purchase and take home hearts to support the Mighty Oakes Heart Foundation.

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Donned in her apron with the red felt heart proudly displayed, bartender Chelsea Little chatted with us about her new cocktail menu. Little hails from Wisconsin, and is a rising star in the St. Louis bar scene. Little makes you feel at home at the bar of Olive + Oak, and takes the time to really make sure the guests are cared for. The detail she crafts in each of her cocktails doesn’t go unnoticed. She hand picks her barware, experiments with new flavors, and tells you to, “here, try THIS,” because she just knows you’ll like it.

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Little released a new summer cocktail menu last week with a Gilligan’s Island theme, something she says she’s always wanted to do. One of our favorites on the list is The Skipper: ancho chili-coconut-campari, bonal + rye. It is the perfect amount of heat and sweet. Pictured here are the Ginger: tequila, big o, lemon bitters + cantaloupe-carrot ice pop and The Professor: plum rum, lemon, absinthe + amaretto.

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Chef Jesse Mendica also came from Annie Gunn’s, and champions an impressive ever-changing menu. If you’re looking at the menu online, don’t get too attached, because when you come in for dinner it might have changed based on what’s fresh that day. For example, we heard someone brought in a bunch of peaches as a gift, and sure enough the next day there was a peach dessert on the menu with those exact peaches. We’ve had a lot of the appetizers and haven’t had one we didn’t like, so we’ll touch on a few of our favorites. The blue crab gratin is outstanding. The warm, gooey, cheesy, dip with delicate crab served alongside toasted pretzel bread makes it really hard to NOT order this each time we visit.

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The cheese curds are some of the best we’ve ever had. Light, tempura-like batter crisps through to reveal delicious white cheese on the inside as you take a bite of these monstrous curds. They’re served with a charred scallion aioli and we crave these things on a regular basis.

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Not being the biggest clam fans, we breezed over that option the first few times we were in, but when owner Mark Hinkle said it was a must-try, we weren’t going to argue. He was right, they are the best clams we’ve ever had. These beautiful clams are finished with casino butter, lardo, and topped with melted cheese and lemon. Show stoppers.

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But the show must always go on. Chef Mendica continues to impress us with her entrée offerings. The light-as-a-feather gnocchi knocked (gnocced?) our socks off back in February, and we were excited to see it back on the menu served as a side to steamed halibut. Chanterelles, lemon, dill, and parsley added to this refreshing summer entrée.

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The hanger steak was beautifully presented with a stuffed tomato and grilled zuchinni-roasted onion bread. The bread was so interesting dense and flavorful, and the perfect accompaniment to help sop up the juicy steak and tomato.

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You can’t go wrong with their grilled prime strip. A chef from Annie Gunn’s knows how to do steak, after all. This evening it was served with a sweet corn purée, marmalade, and blue cheese potato salad.

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One thing we really like about Olive + Oak is that you don’t have to drop a ton of money to have a delicious meal. Their sandwiches are over-the-top good. Their burger is certainly a winner. The lamb dip sandwich is one of the best french dips I’ve ever had. (Wow, starting to sound like a broken record with all these “one of the best I’ve had” descriptions). Roasted lamb is cut impeccably thin and piled high on the sandwich along with drunken goat cheese and lamb jus. The fries are addicting. As for sides, you can’t go wrong with the beets, broiled tomatoes, or green beans.

But then, dessert. The butterscotch pot de crème is our go-to, and it seems to be everyone elses go-to as well, because it hasn’t left the menu since they opened. Served with salted caramel and oatmeal crumb, the creamy sweet goodness of this dessert makes it hard to order one of the other rotating dishes.

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The ginger macerated peaches scream of summer and are paired with basil-ginger cookies and vanilla bean ice cream.

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If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know about Neil’s love for key lime pie. He was excited to see frozen key lime pie on the menu. Decadent, sweet, and tart at the same time, topped with toasted coconut and accompanied by a blackberry coulis, this one didn’t disappoint.

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To say that we love Olive + Oak would be an understatement. To say that Olive + Oak loves their guests and their community would be an equal understatement. Out of the darkness of losing Ollie and Oakes came the light this restaurant is pouring out to others. Our hope is that people go to Olive + Oak not only for a good meal, but because what they’re doing at 102 West Lockwood goes way beyond the food they serve.

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Tickets are on sale for the 4th Annual Ollie Hinkle I Heart Food & Wine Festival, November 6th at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis, Missouri. We hope to see you all there!

Rosemary Lemon Cookies

Rosemary Lemon Cookies

This time of year, I always look out on our back deck to the pots of herbs I planted and think “Woah. We need to use these herbs.” Our rosemary, basil, and lavender plants all tripled in size while we were in Florida. Oh, I didn’t tell you we went to Florida? That’s because I had no clue we were going! For my 30th birthday, Neil whisked me away on a surprise trip to our favorite place: Seaside. My family has been vacationing there since I was about 4, Neil and I had our honeymoon there, and we just love everything about it. White sandy beaches, crystal clear water, oysters galore, and no need to drive while we’re there. If you’ve seen “The Truman Show,” they filmed in Seaside.

Anyhow, my lovely mother watered our flowers and herbs while we were gone and we came home to herbs that were ready to be used! I love the flavor combination of rosemary and lemon, but honestly if overused I think rosemary can come across a little too strong, especially in desserts. I like the amount we went with for this recipe. These cookies are chewy, buttery, and the lemon frosting (side note: do you call it “frosting” or “icing”? please comment below…) adds a nice punch of sweet, tangy flavor. These cookies are perfect to serve alongside an icy beverage while you sit on the back deck and reminisce about vacation (update: they’re also delicious with a cup of coffee in the morning).

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Rosemary Lemon Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes Chill Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 15 min.

Makes 24 cookies

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

For the Cookies:

2 sticks butter, softened

2 cups sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fine kosher salt

For the Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 lemons, juiced

2 tablespoons water

Preparation:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix. Add flour, rosemary, and salt. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Halve the dough and form two large discs. Cover each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 375°. Remove one disc from the refrigerator and place on a floured surface. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll dough to 1/2″-3/4″ thick. Cut cookies with a 3-4″ round cookie cutter. Work quickly, while dough is still chilled. Place cookies on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the edges are just about to turn golden. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

As cookies are cooling, make the icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. If desired consistency is not achieved, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Ours was perfect with the juice plus 2 tablespoons of water. While cookies are still warm, dunk the top of each cookie in the icing and shake to let some of the icing drip back down into the bowl. Place on a plate and serve.

Store cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.

 

Snarf’s

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by ALIVE Influencer Network. The Newlywed Chefs were compensated for this blog post as well as provided with food and drink at the sponsored event. As always, all opinions are our own.

Last night, we were invited to attend a grand opening Twitter party at the new location of Snarf’s Sandwiches at Skinker and McPherson. We have both heard of Snarf’s, but have never been, so we were super excited to try some delicious sandwiches and check out this new location. We were greeted by the fabulous employees of ALIVE influencer network who introduced us to the Snarf’s team and offered us a drink. As I was deciding what to get, I couldn’t help look all around the restaurant- vibrant colors, funky art, tons of natural light and brightly colored metal chairs. The vibe was eclectic and fun.

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I love when St. Louis restaurants feature other local products, and that’s what they do here: Fitz’s root beer, Urban Chestnut beer, and other local beverages to pair nicely with your sandwich. We learned that the owners go to local farmers’ markets to try out new cheeses and other ingredients for their sandwiches. We both decided to try the new Urban Chestnut beer, the Perdedor Lager. First sandwich up to taste was a brisket sandwich, dripping with BBQ sauce, bacon, cheese, hot peppers, and more.

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Delicious! Warning: you’ll need an abundance of napkins eating Snarf’s sandwiches, and I mean that in the very best way. They pack them full of delicious ingredients and you’ll be licking your fingers clean so not to miss any flavorful drip. One thing I really like about this location is that is has a patio! It’s located right on Skinker so you can sit and watch the world go by. The blue picnic tables are a fun, inviting place for the whole family to have an “urban picnic.”

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Back to the food! To me, good bread makes or breaks a sandwich. Their bread was toasty and warm with a crispy crust on the outside, but soft and chewy as you bite into the sandwich- just like a good toasted sub should be. The juicy, flavorful meat is sliced impeccably thin and they really pile it on their sandwiches. I was so full after sampling just a few! (Okay, I DID go back for seconds on this turkey/avocado/spinach sandwich)

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Yep. I snarfed. Vegetarians! Fear not the snarf! They have a tasty feta and artichoke sandwich that will make even your most carnivorous friend jealous.

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On one side of Snarf’s you’ll see a collection of these hot pepper buckets! I think they go through a lot of these, and you can even buy a jar to take home.

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Just when we thought we couldn’t snarf any more, I heard someone say four words that set my heart a-racing (especially on a hot summer day): “they have ice cream.” I had a birthday cake shake (appropriate timing) and Neil had this chocolate peanut butter ice cream in a cup. It was a refreshingly sweet way to end a great meal.

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Go check out this new location of Snarf’s, people! It’s conveniently located on your way to Forest Park, the Loop, Wash U, and the Central West End. Fast service, friendly staff, a funky atmosphere, local ingredients, and sweet patio. We’ll be back to snarf again soon!

UncommonGoods

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This post is sponsored by UncommonGoods. We (The Newlywed Chefs) were provided with the products in this blog post as compensation. As always, all opinions are our own.

This summer, Neil and I will have been married for SEVEN YEARS. What the what! I can’t believe that it’s already been that long. Usually, on anniversaries, we buy something for the two of us that is really… well… practical.

“That tree needs to come down in the back yard! Happy Anniversary!”

“I really need a new work bag! Happy Anniversary!”

“My computer died and I need a new one STAT. Happy Anniversary!”

However, we DO like to buy gifts year round that really make us think of each other. It doesn’t have to be Christmas, a birthday, or anniversary. Lucky for us, we have a great place to get some gift giving ideas year-round from a place that is open 24/7: UncommonGoods. On their site, you will find unique jewelry, designer decor, tabletop items, and handcrafted gifts created without harm to animals or people.

There are many things I love about this company, but here are a few highlights (information directly from the UncommonGoods one sheet):

  • UncommonGoods is independently owned, which gives them the freedom to support causes they believe in and impact the world in a positive way. With every purchase you make, they donate $1 to the non-profit of YOUR choice. Since they’ve started this Better to Give program 12 years ago, they’ve donated over one million dollars to charities around the world. Awesome.
  • They are a B Corporation. That means they use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. They meet a rigorous standard on a wide range of issues, including wage levels, environmental impact, and giving back to the community.
  • UncommonGoods CEO Dave Bolotsky is passionate about the role of business in implementing a fair minimum wage. They run all operations out of the historic Brooklyn Army Terminal, where the lowest-paid seasonal worker starts at 50% above the minimum wage.

We ordered a few items from their anniversary gift line. You can check out gifts from that collection here. First, we ordered a beautiful Oval Oak Wine Carafe. Not only do we love using this to decant wine, but it also just makes for a great decoration around our kitchen when it’s not in use.

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This carafe is also listed on their “Anniversary Gifts for Him” page which you can find here. (Is it just me, or is buying gifts for guys harder than buying gifts for girls? Glad they have some recommendations!)

Next, we ordered a Salts of the World Test Tube Set. Since we’re foodies we loved exploring the salts in this collection. I also really enjoy reading the bios of each gift maker. For example, these salts were made by “Brett,” who has a compelling background featured on the gift webpage.

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Finally, this next gift is perfect for people that like to play with their food. It’s a Molecular Gastronomy Kit and cookbook featuring out of this world recipes and creative approaches to cuisine.

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You can find these and other creative gifts all on the UncommonGoods webpage. They also have personalized gifts to add a unique individualized touch here.

Using the Molecular Gastronomy Kit, we made balsamic vinegar pearls and are planning on using them this week to top a plate of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. They were SO easy to make. We just froze oil for at least 30 minutes, boiled the balsamic vinegar with the provided agar agar, then piped the balsamic mixture into the oil.

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Spoon out the pearls, rinse with water, and voila! Balsamic vinegar pearls!

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Fancy!

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No matter if it’s your birthday, anniversary, or just a Tuesday, you can find unique, creative, individualized gifts at UncommonGoods. We’ll be frequenting this site much more often and recommending it to friends who are stumped when it comes to finding the perfect gift.

Mixed Berry Pound Cake with Lemon Frosting

Mixed Berry Pound Cake with Lemon Frosting

I have my dream job. Some of you already know this, but I’m am a board certified music therapist working in the public school system here in St. Louis with students who have special needs. Although the school year is wrapping up for me, I am looking forward to summer break. I plan to do the following (hold me to these people): go to the pool, go to Florida, get better at food photography, spend more time on the blog, learn bass guitar, learn ukulele, go to the pool, repeat.

Anyhow, with all the business the end of the year brings, it’s important not to let the growing to-do list bog you down, and find ways to practice self-care. For me, self-care equals cooking (lucky you) and blogging about it. So, after a very busy Tuesday, I came home, put my bag down, and put my apron on.

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This pound cake is deeeeeense, but I like it. If you’re looking for a light and fluffy cake, look elsewhere. We’re talkin’ two sticks of butter, six eggs, thick icing, and berries bursting with summer flavor. We seem to always have leftover berries that don’t get eaten quite fast enough, and this is a great recipe to use them.

For those of you currently in school or who work for a school, you got this! Finish the year strong and celebrate your achievements with a big ol’ slice of this cake. You deserve it.

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Mixed Berry Pound Cake with Lemon Frosting

Prep Time: 30 min. Cook Time: 70 min.

Ingredients:

For the Cake: 

2 sticks butter, softened

2.5 cups sugar

2.5 cups + 2 tablespoons flour

2 lemons, juiced and zested

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

6 eggs

2 cups mixed berries, roughly chopped

For the Frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons milk

1 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a bundt pan very well (get every nook and cranny!) and set aside. Combine 2.5 cups flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and milk and continue to mix.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low until well combined. Using a spatula, fold in the berries. Pour batter in the bundt pan and spread evenly. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan, then flip the bundt over onto a cooling rack and cool the rest of the way (this could take an hour).

To make the frosting, whisk all frosting ingredients using an electric mixer until fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. Generously spread frosting over cooled cake. Enjoy!

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Fresh Spring Rolls + Peanut Sauce

Fresh Spring Rolls

Our buddy Leo is Filipino. Back when Neil and I were in college, Leo would welcome us to his house and cook an amazing homemade Filipino meal every time we visited. Some of the most memorable dishes were fried plantains, paella, and fresh spring rolls. I had spring rolls at Vietnamese restaurants, but never really understood the art and time that is poured into these beautiful rolls before meeting Leo. He taught that they’re not that hard to roll once you get the hang of it. First, you want to make sure your mise en place is set up properly. Hot water, rice sheets (found at most global or asian grocery stores stores), cooked chicken (or other protein), and plenty of veg.

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Place the rice sheet in a bowl and pour hot water over it. Let it soak for about one minute, using your fingers (don’t burn yourself!) to carefully loosen it up in the water.

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Once again, I should have gotten a manicure before shooting this post. Sorry, y’all.

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Next, lay the wilted rice paper out on a flat surface. I know, it looks weird, it feels weird, let’s just acknowledge it now and get over it.

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Okay! Moving on. Lay it out on a flat surface and begin to build your wrap.

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The sky is the limit here. We always include some sort of protein (most often chicken), and various crunchy veggies for a nice contrast in textures. The next few pictures could be presented in flip book format. (Ah, I used to LOVE flip books!) For this recipe we used chicken,

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red pepper,

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carrot,

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cucumber,

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… and cilantro. Again, the sky’s the limit. Kale, sprouts, roasted pork, bacon, sauces, whatever. Load it up!

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Then it’s time for the most technical part of the spring roll- WRAPPING. Welcome to How to Wrap 101. If you’re a perfectionist when it comes to holiday gift wrapping, you will be a pro at this. If not, well, keep practicing. Okay, starting at the bottom of the wrapper, bring it up to the middle of the wrap and around your fillings.

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Tuck it in tightly. If your wrapper is sticking, simply rub it with a bit more hot water to help it along.

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Next, grab each side corner of the wrap and bring them toward the middle, sticking them down as close to the middle as the filling will let you stretch.

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If you can, meet both sides in the middle and press gently so the rice paper sticks to itself.

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Finally, as you roll the spring roll over itself, tuck in the ingredients very tightly. Fold until all of the wrapper is rolled.

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Place each spring roll on a plate and cover each layer with a damp paper towel to separate and keep fresh. Serve with our peanut sauce. This sauce has been featured in a few of our recipes, and honestly, I could take a bath in it. It’s the perfect combination of creamy and sweet, finished with a hint of heat.

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Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

For the Spring Rolls:

20 rice paper sheets

1 lb. chicken tenders

1 red pepper, 1/2″ thick strips

1 cucumber, 1/2″ thick strips

1 carrots, 1/2″ thick strips (shredded carrots work well also)

1 handful cilantro, chopped

For the Peanut Sauce:

1 cup smooth peanut butter

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon red pepper flake (optional)

1 lime, juiced

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

5-10 tablespoons hot water (until desired consistency is reached)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place all chicken tenders on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Cool and cut into thin (1/2″-ish) strips.

Set up the mis en place (bowl of chicken, red pepper, cucumber, carrot, cilantro). Place one rice paper sheet in a shallow bowl and cover with hot water (about 150°) for one minute. Use your fingers to move the rice paper around and loosen the gluten. Once wilted, place on a flat surface (a cutting board works well).

Place chicken, red pepper, carrot, cucumber, cilantro, and any other toppings just below the center of the rice paper. To fold the roll, first bring the bottom of the roll to the center and around the ingredients. Tightly tuck the wrap under the ingredients. Next, bring outside left and right edges of the wrap to the center and gently press. Roll the wrap forward over itself to complete the wrapping process. Press all edges of the wrap to seal.

To make peanut sauce, place all ingredients except water in a food processor and blend. Add hot water one tablespoon at a time and continue to blend until desired consistency is reached. Some like a thicker sauce, some prefer a thinner sauce.

Dunk spring rolls in the sauce. Repeat. Makes about 20 spring rolls.