Spring Rolls from "My Beef With Meat"

When I saw this recipe in my inbox from Rip Esselstyn at Engine 2, I knew immediately that I had to try them.  I called a friend to come over and we made a night of it.  I just love the freshness of spring rolls.  The crunch of the bean sprouts, the crispness of the lettuce and carrots, the clean sensation of fresh basil, cilantro and mint....you really just can't get any better than that. Add a side of homemade almond butter dipping sauce, and you're in for a satisfying meal!  Yes, this recipe makes enough for multiple meals.  Spring rolls--they aren't just for appetizers anymore!

Thai Spring Rolls from Rip Esselstyn's "My Beef With Meat" (image copied from email):

The only alterations we made were to omit the cucumbers (only because I did not have any--I have a few babies on my vines in my garden for next time, though!), and we sauteed the bok choy with a little garlic and Bragg's Liquid Aminos.

Then we laid out our assembly line and commenced with the assembling.  The first one my friend made was a behemoth....literally it was like two spring rolls in one!  We laughed, then decided to make them smaller from there on out :).  Below you will see the rice paper, rice noodles, bean sprouts, Thai mint (all from our awesome Asian market, Hong Kong Market), and romaine lettuce, carrots, and cilantro.

The process was super easy! Look.

Step one: soak the rice paper until it is pliable, then lay it out on a flat surface.

Step two: layer some noodles and veggies in a line down the center of the paper, leaving space at either end.

Keep layering until all fresh veggies are in there.  I like to have the greens on the top and bottom (the parts that touch the wrapper) in order to keep it smooth and prevent the sprouts or a carrot from piercing the paper when you roll it.

Step three:  fold in the outer sides (sorry for the blurry photo...just consider this an action shot).

Step four: once the sides are folded in, pull one remaining side all the way over, then start to roll up, keeping it pretty tight.

The rice paper will stick to itself once rolled up, and you'll have a finished spring roll looking as lovely as any you will find in a restaurant.  Well, almost :)

Look how many we made!  We came out with 11, but if you count the behemoth (see the one on the far right), it's really more like 12.

I ate three for two separate lunches on the go....so good!

Sadly I do not have a photo of our almond butter dipping sauce, nor can I give you exact measurements for how to make it.  My friend made it ahead of time and just used her creativity to make it up as she went.  That is often how the best foods are made!  I, at least, can share the ingredients with you and you can play around with it:

-fresh ground smooth almond butter

-balsamic vinegar

-apple cider vinegar

-tamari

-black pepper

This sauce was better than the peanut sauce that usually accompanies spring rolls, and that is saying something.  Thai peanut sauce is one of my most favorite things....second only to this almond sauce, now!  

Thanks to Rip's email for sharing this recipe from My Beef With Meat.  I can't wait to add these to my regular rotation for fresh, healthy meals on the go!