Spring Rolls or Marine Mammals?

I am not a cookbook writing kind of person….but when I find a great, easy recipe, I am going to share it here.

This week we made spring rolls. I am including the rolling instructions. If you try to wing it, you may end up with the equivalent of small baby beluga’s with stuff oozing out each end.

Vegan Spring Rolls

Everybody knows that when you find a place that makes good spring rolls, you go back again and again. What most people don’t know is that they are one of the easiest and most fun dishes to prepare at home!

(You could use basil or mint or just about any fresh herb that you like instead of cilantro…shredded lettuce is great in them too)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 container firm or extra firm tofu, well pressed
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 cup cooked bean thread noodles or rice vermicelli
• one bunch fresh cilantro leaves
• spring roll wrappers
• water

Preparation:

Slice the pressed tofu into thin strips. Heat the soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil and ginger in a skillet and saute the tofu for 5-7 minutes, until crispy.

In a large bowl, toss together the carrots and noodles.

Submerge 2-3 wrappers at a time in hot (not boiling) water until completely pliable, about 15 seconds. Wrappers will become fragile, so I recommend using your hands for this. Remove from water and lay one wrapper on a flat surface, setting others aside. If your wet wrappers have small holes in them, place the holes closest towards yourself on your flat surface. For larger holes, use a double layer of wrappers.

Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the veggie mixture in wrappers just below the middle. Place cilantro leaves and a strip of crispy tofu along the top of the filling.

Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling and gently press down. Fold in both of the sides of the wrapper and gently press to seal. Continue rolling the spring roll up towards the top of the wrapper. If your wrapper won’t seal closed, sprinkle the top with a bit of water or make a roux of one part water and one part arrowroot to use as a sealant.

Serve with a dipping sauce.

Easy Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup organic peanut butter, softened
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• juice from 2 limes
• 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
• salt to taste

Preparation:

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.