Mango Basil Spring Rolls
The world works in mysterious ways. Some call it fate. Some call it luck. Some call it serendipity. Whatever you call it, life can bring unexpected surprises from time to time. Like when you get the “Will you go with me?” note back and the “Yes!” box is checked. Or like when you get called from the bench to go into the game only to play the match of your life. Or like when you get called into the boss’ office only to receive a promotion. Or like when they say “congratulations, you are going to have a girl.” Whatever the case may be, life can be funny sometimes.
Well, the other night, I received a little surprise while testing out a new recipe for the blog. You see, I have been wanting to try this recipe out for some time. However, I was always afraid it would be too difficult. Sure the ingredients were simple enough, but I questioned the execution of it all. I wasn’t sure if I could pull off this recipe in my own home without any special tools or any prior knowledge of the dish. However, with the same strength and determination I used back in elementary and high school, I pressed forward with my resolve.
And my surprise came when I found out just how easy this recipe can be. It doesn’t take any special tools. It doesn’t really require any prior knowledge of the dish. The recipe only requires a bit of patience and a touch of dexterity. Yes, with a bit of resolve and a steady hand, you can make Thai Spring Rolls in your own home. Those little packages of vegetable goodness tightly wrapped in delicate rice paper are not quite as daunting a task as I once thought. So, I present you with my vegan version of MANGO BASIL SPRING ROLLS. Yes, serendipity knocked on my door, and I answered with an enthusiastic, “Come on in, I’m glad you stopped by.”
Ingredients
- 6-8 Spring Roll Wrappers
- 1 Carrot
- 1 Cucumber
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Mango
- 2 Scallions
- 1 Cup Bok Choy
- 12-14 Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1 Cup Brown Rice Noodles (cooked)
Instructions
Thinly slice your carrot, cucumber, pepper, and mango. I used my julienne peeler that I used when making sushi, but a sharp knife works just as well. Then finely chop your scallions and bok choy. You want to make everything about the same width as your rice noodles because it just makes rolling much easier. Cook your rice noodles according to the directions on the package, and once they are done, rinse them with plenty of cold water. The rinsing cools the noodles off enough to handle and washes away any excess starch preventing them from sticking together.
Now fill a large bowl with cold tap water. Have your vegetables and noodles close at hand, and place your first spring roll wrapper in the cold water. The wrappers at first will resemble round translucent cardboard, but after about a minute in the water, the wrapper will soften and become pliable. Spread the wrapper out on a clean work surface. Place some of your veggies, mango, and noodles on the bottom quarter of the wrapper. Top with one or two basil leaves, and fold the sides of the wrapper over the veggies. Then roll the entire wrapper up and away from yourself much like you would roll up a burrito.
The wrappers will seem fragile and do need to be handled with care. However, they are much more durable then I previously thought. As this was my first go at making spring rolls, I can report that I didn’t tear or rip a single wrapper. As you remove the first wrapper from the water and spread it out, add the next wrapper to the water so it can soften while you work. Continue to soak and wrap until you have enough spring rolls for everyone. This recipe will give you 8 good sized rolls that my wife and I ate for dinner as an entrée. But you could easily stretch the recipe out for 10-12 smaller rolls for appetizers.
http://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/spring-rolls/
Veggies ready to wrap
Once you have wrapped your last roll, place them in the frig and make your peanut dipping sauce. You can use the dressing from my Asian Lettuce Wraps. Unfortunately, you can’t make these spring rolls the day before as the wrappers will dry out. But after rolling them up and watching all the delicious vegetable goodness get tucked inside those rice papers, you won’t want to wait until tomorrow. You are going to want to dive right in and start dipping. Funny how life works sometimes? What you thought was going to be a laborious, time consuming task turns out to be nothing more than rolling a fatty. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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