Delicious all year round, this is a crunchy, flavorful vegetarian version of the Asian classic. For a more traditional filling, start with a row of boiled shrimp and sautéed slices of pork belly. When serving, dip the rolls in the vinaigrette first—a great “dressing” for the veggies wrapped inside—then the peanut sauce, for a second jolt of flavor. Rice paper wrappers come dried, so you can store them in your pantry.
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette dipping sauce:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon chili sauce, such as Sriracha
1 teaspoon fish sauce
For the peanut dipping sauce:
2/3 cup crunchy-style peanut butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons chili-garlic paste or hot sauce
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Up to 1/3 cup water, as needed
For the summer rolls:
Small head of Boston or Bibb lettuce, separated into leaves, rinsed, and patted dry
1 large cucumber, cut into matchsticks
3 large scallions, trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths
2 large carrots, scrubbed and cut into matchsticks
1 cup bean sprouts or enoki mushrooms
1 cup each fresh mint leaves, Italian or Thai basil, and cilantro
2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut into thin rounds
16 round rice paper wrappers, about 9 inches in diameter
Directions
Step 1
Prepare the two dipping sauces by whisking their respective ingredients in two small bowls. For the peanut sauce, blend the peanut butter with the olive oil to soften it, then add the rest of the ingredients; add the water, as needed, to thin the sauce to a pourable consistency. Set both aside.
Step 2
Prep all the vegetables and then fill a 9- or 10-inch pie plate with warm water. Slide one rice paper wrapper into the water and swirl it around briefly, only about 3 to 5 seconds—it should still feel slightly firm as you take it out of the water. Transfer it to a plate or a cutting board and, starting with a lettuce leaf, layer on your fillings one-third down from the top of the wrapper. Fold the top of the wrapper over the fillings, fold in the sides, and then roll up the rest of the wrapper.
Step 3
Transfer it to a serving plate and continue to make the rest of the rolls. Serve with the dipping sauces.
Baked “Fried Zucchini” Recipe, For Your Best Health: The Benefits of Olive Oil and Alzheimer’s
It’s hard to escape all the talk about artificial intelligence (AI), and it has its proponents and its detractors, but a recent study showed how it can be a superhighway to important health advances. A group of international scientists used it to suss out which phytochemicals, specifically types of polyphenols, contribute to one of the most important benefits of olive oil: fighting Alzheimer’s disease. Though early in the game, the research is welcome news. One thing that there’s no question about is the exquisite taste of fresh-pressed olive oil (a sign of high polyphenol content), and this recipe for baked “fried zucchini” is a wonderful way to enjoy it.
Traditional friend zucchini is such a popular appetizer, especially when dipped in zesty tomato sauce, but it’s almost always more breading and bland oil than a healthful way to eat your vegetables. My baked version offers all the taste you’re looking for in a way that elevates the zucs. For a quick and easy homemade sauce, see The Oil Olive Hunter Newsletter #137.
Ingredients
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup whole wheat flour, more as needed
2 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Reggiano-Parmigiano cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Combine the zucchini slices and olive oil in a large bowl and toss to coat well.
Step 2
Set up three shallow bowls or pie plates. Put the flour in one, whisk the eggs in another, and in the third, stir together the cheese, panko, basil, salt, and pepper. One at a time, dust the zucchini slices with flour, dip them in the egg, then in the cheese mixture, and place them on the sheet pan.
Step 3
Bake until the coating turns brown and crispy, for 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
Yields 4 servings
For Your Best Health
The Benefits of Olive Oil and Alzheimer’s
The Study: “Alzheimer’s disease: using gene/protein network machine learning for molecule discovery in olive oil,” Human Genomics, July 2023.
The Summary:An international group of researchers, including scientists from Yale and Temple universities, used artificial intelligence to uncover the promising potential of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in combating Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
EVOO’s neuroprotective effects have garnered a lot of attention in recent years. The Mediterranean diet, rich in EVOO, has been associated with a reduced risk of dementia and cognitive decline. To go the next step, this research team was able to create a unique algorithm by integrating AI, chemistry, and omics (an emerging multidisciplinary field that includes genomics and epigenomics) to identify which specific bioactive compounds in EVOO could contribute to the treatment and prevention of AD and analyze how they interact with the complex pathways involved in AD. Most interesting, they did this by comparing them to the actions of FDA-approved drugs for AD.
The study adds to the growing evidence that the Mediterranean diet, rich in EVOO, supports brain health, mitigates dementia and cognitive decline, and can potentially provide a basis for consideration in future clinical studies to treat not only Alzheimer’s but other chronic conditions as well.
From the Abstract: “Previous studies suggest that extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) may be helpful in preventing cognitive decline. Here, we present a network machine learning method for identifying bioactive phytochemicals in EVOO with the highest potential to impact the protein network linked to the development and progression of the AD…The calibrated machine learning algorithm was used to predict the likelihood of existing drugs and known EVOO phytochemicals to be similar in action to the drugs impacting AD protein networks. These analyses identified the following ten EVOO phytochemicals with the highest likelihood of being active against AD: quercetin, genistein, luteolin, palmitoleate, stearic acid, apigenin, epicatechin, kaempferol, squalene, and daidzein (in the order from the highest to the lowest likelihood).”
From the Study’s Results: “Our model allowed us to predict with 70.3% ± 2.6% accuracy which previously FDA-approved drugs were in phase 3 and 4 trials for AD specifically versus all other FDA-approved drugs not in AD trials. The resulting 64 models were used for scoring the EVOO phytochemicals; the probabilities of these phytochemicals predicted to be similar to the drugs in FDA phase 3 and 4 trials were then averaged to produce the final consensus prediction. EVOO phytochemicals with the highest probability of being like compounds in FDA trials were considered most likely to be biologically active.”
From the Study’s Conclusion: “It is well known that diet and lifestyle influence health. Machine learning is a novel, cost-effective way to evaluate the potential health benefits of individual EVOO phytochemicals. The present study provides an approach that brings together artificial intelligence, analytical chemistry, and omics studies to explore the interactions of phytochemicals with pathways involved in a disease state, information that can lead to the identification of novel therapeutic entities in a natural product (that contains a heterogeneous mixture of phytochemicals). The analyses identified several individual EVOO phytochemicals that have a high likelihood of interfering with AD, a few of which (e.g., quercetin, genistein) have shown promising effects on AD pathogenesis. Others (e.g., luteolin) are worthy of further in vitro and in vivo study. It is only through the conduct of such studies [that] the predictive utility of our machine learning approach [will] be validated. While the results of the present study shed light on how EVOO may help treat or prevent AD, the same approach may be applied to identify EVOO phytochemicals (or other food constituents) that treat other diseases, such as hypertension or dyslipidemia.”
Australia is surrounded by rich saltwater fishing grounds, home to species like bluefin tuna, monkfish, and barramundi. This recipe showcases tuna, but halibut, swordfish, or even salmon could be substituted. Garam masala is an Indian spice blend (see the recipe for Aussie Meat Pie), available online or in the international aisle of larger supermarkets.
Ingredients
Four 6-ounce tuna steaks
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons brined capers, drained
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Directions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Place the tuna steaks in a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold them. Trim the zest off one lemon in broad strips. Juice the lemon. Whisk the lemon juice, anchovy paste, if using, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into the olive oil. Pour the mixture over the steaks, then generously season the top of each with garam masala. Place the strips of lemon zest and garlic cloves in the oil surrounding the tuna, turning to coat. Sprinkle the capers evenly in the baking dish (in the oil and over the tuna).
Step 3
Roast the tuna for 10 minutes, then baste with the olive oil mixture. Continue to bake the fish until it flakes easily when pressed with a fork, about 5 minutes more, or until done to your liking.
Step 4
In the meantime, slice the remaining lemon into 4 wedges.
Step 5
After removing them from the oven, baste the tuna steaks once more. Using tongs, remove the lemon zest and garlic cloves from the olive oil mixture and discard.
Step 6
Arrange the tuna steaks on a platter or plates, then spoon some of the lemon and caper sauce over them. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
This moist one-layer cake was adapted from a recipe that Club member Patti H. shared with us. Although the verdict is out as to whether coconuts are indigenous to Australia, they were brought by European settlers and grow in tropical regions in the north of the continent. If available, shavings of fresh coconut are a tasty addition to the chopped pecans.
Ingredients
For the cake:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking pan
2 cups flour
2 ounces pecans, ground
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 cups finely grated carrots
1/2 cup pineapple chunks, finely chopped
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the frosting:
4 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 to 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9×13 baking pan. Sift together the flour, ground pecans, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.
Step 2
In a separate bowl, mix the carrots, olive oil, pineapple and juice, coconut, sugar, and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture in 2 batches. Transfer to the pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the top, being sure to get it into the corners. Bake 35-40 minutes, until the tip of a knife placed in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Step 3
While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Whisk together the cheese, coconut milk, and the extracts until smooth. Beat in the sugar, a cup at a time, until it reaches a spreadable consistency (you may not need the full third cup). Fold in the coconut. When the cake is completely cool, use a large offset spatula to spread on the frosting, then sprinkle on the chopped pecans.
