Well, spring is here! It’s brighter in the morning, the birds are singing, and the breeze is just a little bit warmer. Beautiful flowers are in bloom and the promise of growth and newness is in the air.
And we’re no different! It’s a great time of year to try NEW things: cultivate new friendships, visit a local shop you’ve never been to, take a more scenic route home from work, hike that trail you’ve always wanted to, make new recipes, read different books, or…whatever! It’s time to take a few risks and get a little crazy this spring! Newness recharges our batteries, cultivates creativity and gives us great perspective, even joy! It’s a terrific habit to get in to.
In the spirit of all things new, here is a new recipe for Veggie Spring Rolls. It’s based on a recipe we wrote a while back, but this time it’s vegetarian – but still protein-packed and absolutely delicious. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Ingredients
- Spring Rolls
- 1/2 pound thin rice noodles (suggestion - Maifun brown rice noodles)
- 1 sweet potato, diced, roasted and cooled
- 1 thinly sliced cucumber
- 1 1/2 cups shredded spinach
- 1 bunch mint leaves
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch Thai basil leaves
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and thinly cut lengthwise
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and thinly cut lengthwise
- 1 carrot, cut into julienne or into small strips
- 2 tbs chia or sesame seeds, optional
- 12 10-inch rice or tapioca spring roll wrappers
- Cashew Dipping Sauce
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chili paste
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/8 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos (or other soy alternative)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons ginger powder
- 3/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- Kosher salt, optional
Instructions
- Spring Rolls
- 1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cool water and set aside.
- 2. Assemble rolls one at a time. Dip 1 spring roll wrapper into lukewarm water and transfer to a
- clean and damp kitchen towel. (Wrapper will soften within seconds.)
- 3. Place 1-2 tbs sweet potato bits in a horizontal line across the center of each wrapper and top
- with a few tablespoons of cooked noodles.
- 4. Top the noodles with 2 slices of cucumber, 2 tablespoons or so of the shredded spinach, 2
- mint leaves, 2 sprigs of cilantro, and 2 basil leaves. Continue filling with 1 jalapeño strip and
- 1 red bell pepper strip. Place a few sticks of carrot along the top of the filling ingredients and
- sprinkle on top 1/2 teaspoon chia or sesame seeds, if using.
- 5. Carefully pull the lower edge of the wrapper up and over the filling. Fold the 2 sides inward
- over the filling and press to seal. Work carefully and try not to tear the wrapper. Once both
- sides are folded inward over the filling, roll the spring roll upwards so that the filling is tight
- inside; roll up to seal. Set the spring roll aside on a dish, covered with a damp paper towel.
- Repeat with the remaining wrappers and ingredients.
- 6. Once you have assembled all of the spring rolls, slightly chill for 20 minutes in the
- refrigerator, covered with the damp paper towel.
- 7. Serve immediately with the Cashew Dipping Sauce (recipe follows) on the side for dipping.
- Cashew Dipping Sauce
- 1. In a small saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute shallot and garlic for 1 minute.
- Add tomato paste, chili paste, and honey and saute for 2 minutes. Add vegetable stock and
- bring mix to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
- 2. In a food processor, blend cashews for 1 minute, or until mealy.
- 3. Add the shallot-garlic paste mix and the remaining ingredients: coconut milk, lime juice, soy
- sauce (or soy alternative), balsamic vinegar, ginger powder, tahini, cilantro and salt (if using).
- 4. Blend all ingredients in food processor adjusting flavors and thickness your taste and texture
- preferences. Serve along with the Spring Rolls as a dipping sauce.
