Fresh Spring Rolls

We realize we have been seriously slacking on our baking and dinner posts. We are terribly sorry, however recently we've been trying to really clean up our eating habits, so there have been no delicious desserts and dinners are usually quite boring. Well, I'm over it now. There's no reason healthy shouldn't be fun and exciting, right? It does take a bit more work and creativeness than just dumping a bunch of lettuce in a bowl and drowning it in dressing, but it's totally worth it.

Here is one of our fave dishes: Fresh Spring Rolls!

You would be surprised at how easy it is to make these. Best of all they allow for total customization. You can add or take out pretty much anything inside of them to make them just how you like. Honestly, the most difficult thing about these is the prep time. You need some patience to cut up all the veggies (if they're not already pre-cut), if you are using uncooked meat and/or seafood to cook that also and time cooking the noodles.

So here is what we use to make ours:

Rice Paper

Fried Tofu

Shredded Carrots

Cucumbers (peeled and thinly sliced)

Bean Sprouts

Mint

Green Onions (thinly sliced)

Vermicelli Noodles

Once your Fresh Spring Roll assembly line is formed, you basically have the hardest part out of the way. Now for the fun part, putting them together!

I normally fill a pretty large bowl with warm water, where I will be submerging the rice paper in to make them soft. This happens pretty quickly, takes about 20-30 seconds.

Once they're soft act quick, they're easier to work with while still wet. Note: be gentle as they can tear easily. Lay them out on a flat surface and smooth out. Now, assemble! I usually start out by laying down my mint leaves in the middle, they tend to stick better to the rice paper, then my tofu, then the cucumber, green onions, carrots, bean sprouts and noodles. Keep your portions small, especially if you are using more ingredients than me to help keep the roll from unraveling or tearing through the rice paper. Now you're ready to roll!

I roll mine burrito style, must be the Mexican in me. I fold one half of the rice paper over the middle, then tuck the ends in and roll to the end, all while gently tightening and shaping the roll. This is important. Trust me, a loose roll is very hard to eat, gets all over the place. 

When you've made your desired amount, eat and enjoy! Buy or whip up your favorite Thai peanut sauce or sweet and sour sauce and you're set! Yummy, fresh and healthy treat!