Spring Rolls with Avocado Sauce

Spring Rolls with Avocado Sauce:
(makes 6 large rolls)

12 sheets of round rice paper (12 cm)
6 large romaine leaves, folded in half to fit onto the paper (or collard leaves)

2 carrots, cut into thin strips about 2-3 inches long
1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut into thin strips about 2-3 inches long
2 green onions, cut to about 2 inches long (optional, they can be pretty strong)
2 stalks celery, cut into thin strips about 2 inches long
1/2 package kelp noodles, rinsed
Avocado Dressing for dipping

Lay all the ingredients out, so you can easily fill the rice paper. Follow the instructions for softening the rice paper (swirl around in warm water for 20 seconds or so.) Do this for one piece and lay it down on a clean towel and add a second on top (so it doesn't break). Put the lettuce leaf or collard leaf down on the paper at the bottom end. Top it with a small handful of kelp noodles, then 3 sticks each of the celery, carrots, cucumbers, and green onion (if using). Starting at the bottom, roll up the paper, holding in the stuffing, as tightly as you can, then fold the ends under. It will stick together. Put it aside and continue with the rest of the rolls. Serve with the avocado dressing.

*Tip: Sometimes it helps stay together if you let them sit for 30 minutes or so before serving. It gives the rice paper time to re-harden a little so that it's not still sticky when you hold it.

I think a cold front is coming in and it's very windy. It was still in the 80's today, but I think tomorrow's high will only be 69!! Brrrrrr.......and, I may be testing out a new place with vegan food! I will definitely post about it.

Eat smart,
T.

Burritos, Tacos and Spring Rolls, among other things...

First, Saturday's market share: cucumbers, spaghetti squash, shiitakes, watermelon, peaches, tomatoes, herbs, sprouts, mustard greens, peppers, eggplant, okra, and local black bean salsa!

After our trip to Texas, I was inspired to make burritos and tacos :)

Tanya's Veggie Burritos:
(makes ~4-5 burritos)


4-5 tortillas (I used sprouted grain)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 avocado
~1 cup coleslaw/shredded cabbage/broccoli slaw
diced dried jalapenos (or fresh)
taco seasoning
lime juice & salt to taste


Saute onion & celery in about 1/4 cup water until soft.  Add peppers, carrots, and jalapenos.  Cook about 5 minutes more. Add the cabbage/coleslaw mix and cook about 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the cooked rice and taco seasoning.  I also added tomato powder (optional).  Mix well.  Add salt & lime juice to taste.


Scrape out the avocado and mash up.  Spread on the tortilla, top with veggie mix, and fold!

Tanya's Pea Tacos:
(makes ~5-6 tacos)


5-6 corn tortillas
1 cup cooked pink-eyed peas (or black-eyed)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1 tbsp minced garlic
Creole Seasoning
Taco Seasoning
diced dried jalapenos
crushed red pepper flakes


Wrap the tortillas in tin foil and put in a 250 degree oven for about 10 minutes to heat up.  Saute the onion, garlic, & celery in 1/4 cup water until soft.  Add the peppers & cabbage.  Cook another 5 minutes, then add the peas and seasonings, including the jalapenos & red pepper flakes.  Stir well. Add more water if sticking to pan.  Cook about 5 minutes.  Try to mash up the peas a bit in the pan so the mixture sticks together a bit more.


Remove tortillas and fill. Top with guacamole (recipe follows).

Tanya's Guac:

1 Hass avocado
1/2 tomato, chopped
1 tsp dried diced jalapenos (or use fresh)
juice of 1/2 key lime (or use from a whole lime, if you like it)
1 tsp dried cilantro (or use fresh)
salt to taste


Mix all together.

Other stuff I made:

Mama Pea's Gazpacho:

Averie's Crackers:

Pink-Eyed Pea salad:

Golden Zucchini Bread:

Marinated veggie spring rolls (turned out to be a bit too soggy):

I also made the Peanut Passion Sauce from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan.  I used almond butter instead of peanut butter.  I left out the lime zest, and I only used a tiny drop of sesame oil.  It was quite good...I used it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls.

My one year bloggiversary is almost here!  Look for a book giveaway as a celebration!!

By the way, I'm thinking of changing my blog name. Any ideas?  My husband likes "Cooking With T" so I may keep that as a subtitle.  I also would like my blog title to match the url.

Oh, and if you're interested, there was an article on trying to be vegan in New Orleans here.

Eat smart,
T.

Spring Rolls, Tempeh with Arame, and Zucchini Spirals

Lots of recipes to share today, although only a half of one is my own....sigh....but all very good.

Let's start with my own: Veggie Spring Rolls


2 spring roll wrappers (rice paper)

1 stalk celery, sliced in half, then each half in 3 long thin strips
1 carrot, sliced in half, then each half sliced in 4 long thin strips
kale, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces (I used green curly)
2 large collard leaves, washed and left whole
sprouts, any kind
dipping sauce (I used Averie's Peanut Sauce)

Follow the directions to prepare the wrappers.  Lay a collard leaf on top of the wrapper, dark side down, then top with half the vegetables on top. Roll it up and fold the sides under. Don't worry, it sticks together by itself.  Do the second one exactly the same.  Serve with dipping sauce.


I made Averie's Peanut Sauce. Here's my version:


"Peanut" Sauce, adapted from Averie's recipe


1/2 cup Sunbutter (Sunflower Seed butter)
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 drop sesame oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp ginger
couple of drops of soy sauce
(some extra water, if too acidic)


Stir it all together.  At first, mine was a bit too acidic, between the vinegar and oj, so I added a few tablespoons extra water. But it's a delicious sauce for anything!

I made the zucchini "noodles" again, but this time with my version of Averie's Peanut Sauce. And I added whatever other vegetables I had, like carrots, celery, and green onions, chopped.  It was really tasty.

Last night for dinner, I decided to make a recipe with Arame (Sea Vegetable), since I had recently bought some and had no idea what to do with it!  I came across this recipe on VeganChickie's blog. The recipe itself is from TheBlissfulChef, Christy Morgan: Mustard Arame Saute. I had tempeh, I had arame, couldn't have asked for a more perfect recipe :)

I left out the oil and I left out the asparagus (I didn't have any). Just add more of the other vegetables. I served it atop boiled collard greens.  And I have enough tempeh left to make another batch in the next day or two, yay!  Anyway, a top notch recipe, in my opinion.

There's a giveaway going on at the EmbracingBalance blog for Crofter's Organic items. Check it out!
AND another giveaway on Averie's LoveVeggiesandYoga blog: Win a raw "cookbook"!
A blender giveaway: Raw on $10 a day. Yay!

Blogger of the Week: An Opera Singer in the Kitchen She's a fellow musician and has some really great recipes on her site. Go have a look.

Eat smart,
T.