It feels like Spring is just around the corner. Yesterday, we sat outside in the sunshine and had lunch. When the weather heats up, most of us move off of the winter comfort foods of chili and soups and over to salads and sandwiches. While I love salads, one of my favorite foods to have for lunch are summer rolls. The spicy peanut sauce that accompanies the summer roll is one of my favorite condiments. I usually make a little bit extra and add this sauce into salads later on in the week. This recipe is adapted from the "Mint and Tofu Summer Rolls" from "Food is the Solution" by Matthew Prescott. I added in more veggies and adjusted the sauce to my taste. You can add veggies or omit any of these veggies. In my opinion, any combination of the veggies with the tofu work great as long as you keep in the fresh basil and mint.
To make the summer rolls (serves 2), you'll need:
- 8 sheets of rice paper
- about 4 oz of rice noodles
- 1/2 block of extra firm tofu cut into matchsticks or the same amount of dried tofu
- 1/4 head of purple cabbage shredded
- 2 carrots, julienned
- English cucumber cut into rounds
- 1/4 head of romaine lettuce cut into 4-5 inch pieces
- about 24 whole basil leaves
- about 24 whole mint leaves
- black sesame seeds
The SAUCE is the key to the deliciousness of this dish. Mix together:
- 2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter (non sweetened)
- 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or coconut nectar
- 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of Sriracha
Cook the rice noodles according to the packaging, rinse with cold water and set them aside. I like cutting them into smaller pieces about 5-6 inches long. To assemble the rolls, no rules, just wet the rice paper sheet under cold water for a few seconds and add whatever fillings look good, starting close to one edge of the rice paper. When you're making the roll, the rice paper will be a little stiff, but it will soften when you're read to eat them. I like to sprinkle black sesame seeds on first to make them look fancy. Roll the rice paper like you'd roll a burrito. I love the sauce so much that I always have a spoon handy so that I can spoon on a bit of sauce to go with each bite. For this recipe, I recommend making what you're going to eat and eating them immediately. They don't keep well in the fridge because the rice paper will go stale. If you end up with leftovers, you can wet a paper towel, wrap the summer roll and microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften the rice paper. The chewiness of the rice paper in combination with the crunch of the raw veggies and savoriness of the sauce are a marvelous sensory experience. Enjoy!
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