Springtime recipes

Warming weather and more daylight has us in the mood for light eats.

Fresh spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce

8 round rice paper wraps

1 large avocado, peeled and sliced thin

2 cups carrots, shredded or julienned

2 cups shredded purple cabbage

2 cups ready-to-eat shrimp, no tails

⅔ cup chopped cilantro

Assemble all ingredients. Note that rice paper needs to be worked with quickly.
Fill a large shallow container with lukewarm water. Working with one rice paper at a time, dip it into the water for about 15 seconds until it softens, then lift and gently shake off excess water.
Lay the rice paper on a smooth, clean surface. In the center, add 1/4 cup each of the avocado, carrots, cabbage and shrimp. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over top.
Roll the rice paper similar to a burrito by folding in the sides then rolling forward. The rice paper is naturally sticky, so you might need to wet your fingertips while folding.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter, unsweetened

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon grated ginger root

1/2 cup of fresh-squeezed lime juice

3 garlic gloves, pressed

2 – 4 tablespoons warm water

Salt to taste

Whisk together all sauce ingredients except the warm water and salt. Add a tablespoon of the warm water at a time to get it to a consistency of your liking. Add salt to taste. If you want a bit of spice, add a little chili sauce.

Hot cross buns

¾ cup warm water

¼ cup powdered milk Substitute 1 cup of regular milk in place of the powdered milk and warm water.

¼ cup melted butter

⅓ cup honey

1 teaspoon salt

3 and 1/2 cups flour

1 cup raisins or currants (optional)

½ teaspoon mace Substitute nutmeg if needed.

1 beaten egg

1 tablespoon yeast

In a large bowl, combine the water, milk, butter, honey and salt then stir until dissolved. Then mix in one cup of the flour, raisins or currants (if using) and the mace.
Add the beaten egg and yeast, then the additional 2 ½ cups of flour, and mix well.
On a clean surface, knead the dough until it is soft and smooth. Place in a greased bowl and let it rise one-and-half to two hours, until it doubles in size.
Shape into buns and mark each with a deep cross. Place buns on a greased baking sheet and let rise until doubled.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Lovely lemon loaf

¼ cup unsalted melted butter

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 and ½ cup flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup milk

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

or more to taste

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 – 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine melted butter, oil and sugar in a large bowl, then stir in eggs and almond extract.
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add about half of the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, and alternate with the milk until all are combined (but not overmixed). Add in the lemon zest.
In a greased loaf pan, bake at 325 for about 55 minutes or until a fork comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then release from the pan.
For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until it reaches your desired consistency. When the loaf is completely cool, drizzle the glaze overtop.

Published in the April/May 2025 print edition of MOM Magazine