Squid and Shrimp Mini Lumpia (Spring Roll)

Inspired by the squid and shrimp balls that I made yesterday, I ventured into making mini lumpi today. Ha! I woke up really early for this one too because I just woke up with visions of these crispy, fried (translation: fattening and greasy...hehehe)but oh-so-yummy babies. Lumpia, as we call them in the Philippines, is otherwise known as spring roll. It is similar to chinese spring rolls. The filling is wrapped in spring roll wrapper and then fried until golden in color. There is an endless possibility for what you can use as filling...you are only limited to your imagination. Traditionally, we use ground pork with spices, veggies, and some fillers such as bean sprouts, chesnuts, and even mashed tofu. This one though is slightly different partly because the ingredients are pureed in the blender before they are wrapped in wonton (not spring roll) wrappers. Wonton and spring roll wrappers are basically the same except that wonton wrappers are smaller compared to spring roll wrappers. To round up this dish, I used sweet and sour mango sauce instead of the catsup-based sweet and sour sauce.


Ingredients:
1 lb squid, cleaned and sliced
1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2/3 cup carrots, cpopped
1 egg yolk
1-2 Tbsp oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
oil for frying


I. Bring a pan of water to a boil.
2. Blanch squid for about 30 seconds to 1 minute in hot water then drain.
3. Add shrimp, squid,garlic, shallot, carrots, sea salt, egg, and pepperto a food processor. Pulse until pureed and well incorporated. Drizzle oil (1-2 Tbsp) and continue to process until it starts to form a ball.
4. Take a piece of wonton wrapper and lay it on a plate. (NOTE: Keep the rest of the wonton wrappers covered with damp towel to prevent it from drying out.)
5. Add about a tsp of the mixture and wrap. NOTE: See pictures on how to wrap.




NOTE: Wet the tip of the wonton wrapper to make it stick when you roll
6. Continue wrapping until all of the fillings have been used. NOTE: You may dredge lumpia in flour before frying fo a crispier lumpia that stays crispy for a while. Be sure to remove excess flour though before frying.
7. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
8. When oil is hot, add lumpia a few at a time and fry until golden in color. Do not overcrowd you pan as it will lower the oil's temperature resulting in a soggy lumpia. NOTE: Be careful as this may cause oil to splatter all over your stove and on yourself.
9. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil. When frying is done, transfer to a serving dish and serve warm with sweet and sour mango sauce.

Squid and Shrimp Balls with Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is considered a street food in the Philippines and is commonly sold by a vendor who goes around pushing his cart trying to find a good location with which to park it. The cart is equipped with a stove that is powered by a portable gas tank. The sauce range from sweet to spicy and there is usually three different varieties of sauces to choose from. Squid balls isn't really very common compared to its cousin, fishball, in Bacolod or Silay where I came from.



I first tasted squid balls in Manila. I remember eating this from a food stall in one of the malls in Manila, the capital city of the Philippine Islands. I remember that there is always a long line in that stall with people who buys their product range from students to professionals. Ahhh, those were bittersweet days that I spent in a very crowded, traffic congested, and fast moving city which was, and still is, so far from the easy and laid back lifestyle which I was accustomed to in the province and city where I grew up.

This recipe is not the same recipe that they use for street food cart but it is loosely based on a squid ball recipe from CD Kitchen.


Ingredients:
2 lb squid, cleaned and skin removed
1 lb shrimp
1 small shallot chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 egg yolk
a pinch of paprika
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
oil for frying

1. Clean and slice squid into rings.
2. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan.
3. Blanch squid in boiling water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
4. Place squids, shallot, shrimps, egg yolk, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth.
5. Add 1-2 Tbsp of oil and continue to process until it starts to form a ball.
6. Remove from the processor and shape into small balls. NOTE: To form mini-balls, take a little bit less than a teaspoon full of mixture and use two teaspoons to form it into a ball. Drop the formed balls into hot oil as you make them.
7. Heat oil in a pan and deeep fry squid balls until golden brown in color. NOTE: Be areful not to burn yourself. Use spaller screen to prevent oil from splattering all over you and the stove.
8. Remove from heat and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain oil. NOTE: Make sure that the squid ball is cooked through. Adjust the fire so that the outer surface does not get burned while the center cooks.
9. Transfer to a serving dish and place toothpick on each. Serve with Sweet and Sour Sauce ( Recipe here)

Grilled Squid Stuffed with Lemon Grass and Ginger

I had a dish similar to this when I went home to the Philippines in July. It was fro a very famous resto in Bacolod, the place where I am from. They stuffed their squid with tanglad (lemon grass) and ginger then it was grilled. If I remember correctly, they basted it with annatto-infused oil, which is commonly used in pork and chicken barbeque. This dish can either be grilled on a gas grill or stovetop grill. I used the later since I was not about to step outside in the heat and deal with more heat...lol...at least if I do it inside the house, I can just turn on the exhaust and have to air-conditioner running to counteract the heat coming from the stove :)Be careful when using a stovetop griller as it could oil from the basting medium to splatter. The lemmon grass gives the dish a nice aroma and flavor. You can eat this "as is" or you can dip it in soy sauce-kalamansi (philippine lemon) mixture or spiced vinegar. I do not like dipping it in anything but I like to eat with rice and a side of Atchara (Pickled papaya)...yum!



Ingredients:

squid, cleaned with tentacles removed and discarded (or you can save it for another dish)
Lemon grass (enough to stuff all your squids, bruised
Ginger (use enough to stuff squid), sliced thinly
sea salt and freschly ground pepper, to taste
bamoo skewers, soaked in water for about 15 minutes

Basting medium:

1/2 cup oil
1-2 tsp annatto extract (or if using powder, use about 1 tsp)

1. Heat sauce pan to medium and add oil with annatto extract.
2. Mix well. Heat until annatto is well incorporated into the oil.
3. Take one squid and stuff with lemon grass and ginger. Do this until all squid has been stuffed.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the squids.
5. Skewer squid using bamboo skewers.
6. Turn on the grill and grill squids. After 3-4 minutes, turn squid over and baste with prepared basting medium.
7. When the other side is half way cooked, turn it over and baste that side also.
8. Continue to grill squids until cooked.
9. Remove from heat and transfer to serving platter.
NOTE: You are only supposed to eat the squid and discard the lemon grass and ginger

Kinilaw na Pusit (Marinated Squid)

This dish is traditionally eaten as a "pulutan" or accompaniments for alcoholic beverages but I like to eat it with rice. It can also be considered as an appetizer. This is a simple and straightforwar dish which needs fresh ingredients in order for it totaste yummy. I love spicy food so I added Thai chili pepper. The only cooking that is involved in this dish is blanching the squid then the rest just involve slicing, dicing, and mixing. I used jumbo squid for this recipe but it can easily be substituted with regular ones. I was originally thinking of grilling this jumbo squid but changed my mind at the last minute because it was too darn hot outside...grilled squid will have to wait another day, I guess.

NOTE: To prepare the squid in this recipe, you need to remove all the insides out then clean the squid well, take out the outer skin surface and the backbone. To clean the tentacles, cut and discard everything from the eyes down, You also need to cut one side of the tube so you are able to lay it flat on the cutting board then score it lightly and diagonally.


Ingredients:

1 jumbo squid or 1 lb regular squid, cleaned (see note above)
2 medium vine-ripened tomato, diced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2-3 inch sized ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
3-4 Thai chili pepper, sliced diagonally
NOTE: If you don't want it too spicy, remove and discard seed from chili pepper
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 key lime, sliced thinly
1/3 cup vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Prepare a bowl with cold water and ice cubes, set aside.
2. Boil water in a pan. Once it starts boiling, drop the squid and cook for about 1 minute then turn heat off, drain water and submerge the squid in cold water with ice for 2 -3 minutes. Drain and slice thinly (about 1/2 x 2 inches).
3. Place sliced squid in a bowl.
4. Add sliced tomato, onions, ginger, garlic, and Thai pepper.
5. Add lime juice, lemon juice, and vinegar. Mix well.
6. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper according to taste.
7. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes or until ready to eat.

Sizzling Squid

I bought some squids from the Korean market when I went there to pick up some supplies. It has been sitting in the refrigerator for a couple of days but I was not sure how I'd like to cook it... adobo? nah, too salty... bokkeum? too small...sizzling squid? why not?...darn I must really be feeling homesick since this is another dish that I ate about 2-3 times when I was in the Philippines last month. I tweaked it though to suite my taste... which means spicy...hahaha



Ingredients:

1 Lb squid
1/2 cup butter (or less, if you prefer)
1Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp paprika
1-2 tsps red chili flakes
1 kalamansi, sliced thinly
1 tsp lemon rind
1 tsp lemon juice
1 bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, coarsely chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste




1. Clean Squid by removing tentacles and insides, clear cartillage, and outer tissue. Rinse and drain well. Slice into 1/2 inch size.




2. Heat cast iron pan in medium heat. Add olive oil and 1/2 of the butter. Be careful not to burn your butter. Add garlic and onions. Cook until translucent.




3. Add shrimp, salt, and pepper. Stir to mix.


4. When the juice starts to come out, add paprika then chili flakes. Mix, mix, mix. Cook until almost all of the juice evaporates.





5. When almost all of the liquid has evaporated, add the rest of the butter.

6. Add lemon zest and parsley. MIx and cook for about 30 seconds.



7. Add lemon juice and adjust seasoning according to taste.



8. Garnich with kalamansi and parsley. Serve in cast iron pan immediately. WARNING: Be careful, pot is extremely hot.



SIDENOTE: The aroma of freshly baked bread is starting to fill the house...I cannot wait to see and share the result of the no knead bread recipe that I tried...