Seared Prosciutto And Capicola Summer Rolls Recipe

Published September 3, 2013 04:39PM

Punch up your next post-workout meal with this sushi-inspired dish from triathlete-chef Stephen Stromberg.

Ingredients

4 thin slices prosciutto
4 thin slices capicola
4 spears asparagus
¼ red bell pepper
¼ cup goat cheese
½ Asian pear
½ cup baby arugula
½ red jalapeño, deseeded
¼ cup almonds
1 T fresh garlic
1 cup spinach
12 leaves basil
1 cup olive oil
2 T lemon juice
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup canola oil

Directions

Lightly toss asparagus in canola oil and grill for 2 minutes, turning periodically. Remove and cool. Roast red bell pepper on the grill for 5 minutes. Remove and cool, then deseed pepper and slice in ¼-inch strips. Cut Asian pear in ¼-inch slices. Combine jalapeño, almonds, garlic, spinach, basil, olive oil, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese in a food processor. Blend for 30 seconds and set aside. On a clean board, place prosciutto slices lengthwise, followed by capicola slices on top. Add half the goat cheese to each roll, as well as two spears of asparagus, two slices of Asian pear, two strips of bell pepper and half of the baby arugula, which has been lightly seasoned with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Begin rolling prosciutto around filling, as tightly as possible, being careful not to tear the slices. Repeat. In a sauté pan, sear one side of each roll for 30 seconds with just a little olive oil, and remove. Slice both rolls in half. Serve with blended pesto for dipping. Note: Rolls can be served unseared.

Meet the Triathlete-Chef

As the executive chef of Sapporo, a teppanyaki, sushi and Pacific Rim restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz., Stephen Stromberg works long days—generally 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Yet, he wakes up at 4:30 or 5 a.m. every day to train (and beat the Arizona heat). A Colorado native and mountain biker, Stromberg’s triathlon career began with Xterra off-road racing eight years ago, to which he’s since added multiple Ironman finishes. “But I keep coming back to Xterra because I really love off-road,” he says. His diet has transformed along with his active lifestyle—he stuck to a raw vegan diet for six months last year, and still integrates some of those elements into his meals and food preparation. “I try to incorporate a lot of vegetables, and that’s really easy to do with Asian cooking,” he says. His favorite part of triathlon has been the camaraderie with his training group, Tri Scottsdale. “It’s almost like having a second family,” he says. “They’re racing next to you and you’re training with them on a week-to-week basis. That, to me, has been one of the most rewarding parts of being a triathlete.”