Vegetarian Spring Rolls

My favorite cookbook, Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair, impresses me all the time. The philosophy of the book is cooking with whole foods for the entire family. It's my go-to cookbook for some of our favorite dishes such as whole grain bread, polenta and black bean casserole, steelcut oats and dates, tempeh bacon for sandwiches, and spinach-feta quiche.

This week, I decided to try my hand at making the Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls. They were so tasty! I've never rolled my own spring rolls before so I wasn't sure if it would be hard to do, but they were surprisingly easy. I made the spring rolls with avocado, thin slices of carrots, fried marinated tofu strips, fresh basil, spinach leaves, and a touch of lime. These little rolls were packed with flavor and a slight crunch from the carrot strips. I dipped the rolls in the Trader Joe's Gyoza Dipping Sauce, since I didn't have time to make my own sauce.

The recipe makes 10 rolls and they won't stay around long! I brought a roll to work for my pregnant friend and she thought it was a filling and delicious snack!

I found the spring roll skins at Meijer in the Asian foods section, but you can also find them at your local Asian market.

Fried Tofu: Slice the block of firm tofu and drizzled tamari over the slices on a pie plate. Preheat a large skillet. Add coconut oil to skillet. Fry the marinated tofu making sure both sides are golden. Let cool. Then cut the slices into thin strips. Use the leftovers for a stir-fry or sandwich.

Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls (from Feeding the Whole Family)
Makes 10 rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 medium carrot
• I medium zucchini (I omitted)
• 2 lettuce leaves (I used spinach leaves)
• 1 medium avocado
• 10 rice wrappers
  
• 1 lime
• Optional ingredients: fried marinated tofu, grilled chicken, cooked shrimp, fresh basil, mint, or cilantro leaves.
  

Preparation:

• Julienne carrot and zucchini. Set aside washed spinach leaves. Half the avocado and score it in thin slices and remove the pit. Half a lime.
  
• Set up a metal cookie sheet upside bottom side up for a flat surface to work.
  
• Fill a round pie plate with water. Soak rice wrappers, one at a time, for about 15 seconds until soft but still firm to the touch. Remove from the water and lay it flat on the surface.
  
• On the top third of the wrapper, layer: avocado slices, a squeeze of lime juice, carrot, zucchini, tofu strips, basil, and spinach. Try not to over stuff.
  
• Working quickly, fold the edge closest to you, then the sides inward as you roll it closed. The finished roll will be about 4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Repeat for all 10 rolls.
  
• Place in a dish, cover, and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. Don't stack on stop of each other because they will stick.

I served the rolls with a simple stir fry with bok choy and edamame over brown rice. They are also good as a snack or in a lunch box!