Can I just tell you that I am in love with fresh healthy food- the color, the smell, the texture...pretty much everything. While I cook a lot, lately I've been taking more time to savor the process of grocery shopping, hunting for fresh local ingredients, prepping and treating everything that I cook like one of my art projects - simple, lots of creativity and tons of color! My most favorite thing to make and eat are fresh Vietnamese inspired spring rolls- they are healthy, quick and easy to prepare!
I started by cutting up all of my favorite veggies and fruit- carrots, cabbage, cucumber, arugula, apples, cilantro, avocado.
Is it just me or do these bracelets that I am working on sort of resemble all those chopped veggies?! Sorry I digress- my creative ADD has kicked in!
Next I made a batch of rice- if you want to be REALLY healthy- go for brown rice.
I grilled some tofu with a little oil and garlic.
After all of my ingredients were prepped, it was time to fill the wrappers!
The key to the healthy spring rolls are wrappers that don't have to be fried- they are made from rice flour and can be found at asian markets or even some grocery stores.
The wrappers are crispy in the package but become pliable once soaked in water.
Soak wrapper for about 10-30 seconds or until they are pliable but not mushy.
Add veggies to the middle of the wrapper,
fold the ends up,
and then roll up (like a burrito).
Cut in half- I was in such a hurry to eat these that my knife skills were sloppy.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce- mine is peanut sauce :)
Enjoy!
Spicy Peanut Sauce
2 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons 'lite' coconut milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
Whisk peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper until smooth.
17 comments:
I love it! It is perfect for what I was looking for, and so pretty! Angelica
Alisa,
Thanks for the inspiration! I ate these on an Asia trip last year and absolutely loved them. I didn't know what wrappers to use, but thanks to you I can now make them too. Heading to an Asian grocery today! Yumm....
Your pictures make me hungry; all that fresh goodness!
those look delicious! i bet my kid would love them. he hates meat. so anything veggie is good.
love the bracelets too!!
Oh that looks so refreshing...now I'm hungry :-p I didn't realize you could by wrappers that didn't need to be fried! I'll be hunting those out for sure!
Thank you for sharing!
want these! now! yummy
Can I come to your house for lunch?? These look fabulous!!
delish! i love ordering rice paper spring rolls when I eat out but, look at how so easy they are make at home!
delish! i love ordering rice paper spring rolls when I eat out but, look at how so easy they are make at home!
Alisa, looks good can you recommend good cook books on this type and other healthy foods?
Thank you,
Linda
These look wonderful! I am a regular at Pei Wei and have their Vietnamese Chicken Salad Rolls often....very much like these. But now thanks to you, I know how to make them myself. I love the addition of the apple. Gotta try it!!
BEAUTIFUL and now I am hungry!!! Oh and now I like the bracelets even more!!!
Yum! What a gorgeous post! Thank you!!
Hmmmmm.. looks sooo good! Now I'm hungry :)
Just wrote down all the incredients, that looks delish. I am having veggie sandwiches this week with home made bread. So this will be on my menu next time- hope I can fin those wraps. Thanks Alisa
Those sound fabulous.
And your photography is stunning.
Hi! I love your tutorials and just found your blog. I am Vietnamese and I just wanted to let you in on a quick tip. Use very hot water, dip the rice paper in so its soaked completely and quickly pull it out. Put the rice paper on your plate and it will get soft as you fill your spring roll with goodies. It comes out perfect everytime. :) I hope that helps. It's just easier this way especially when you are making a ton of spring rolls and plus that way your paper doesn't get all wrinkled and stuck together!
Soooo good! I just made these today after seeing your tutorial earlier in the week. I had NO idea they were so easy and I probably wouldn't have ever tried them had it not been for all of your great photos. So, THANKS! Oh, and the peanut sauce is fantastic as well. I pretty much just wanted to throw the entire roll in the sauce and eat it like cereal...it's that good.
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