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An all vegetarian meal prepared by Sara. Fresh rolls served with peanut sauce, fruit, and homemade lemonade. We had our friend Liz over to share this meal with us and play Scrabble outside under a cloudy sky and nice breeze.
This is a perfect thing to eat on a hot day. It’s quick, easy to prepare, and requires very little cooking. We ate the fresh rolls with fresh raspberries picked from Sara’s garden and cherries and watermelon.
Here is what Sara wrote on how to make the fresh rolls:
Fresh Rolls
2-3 medium carrots
2-3 cucumbers
¼ of a red cabbage
1 avocado
1 pepper of your choice
a handful or two of bean sprouts
toasted sesame seeds
a large handful of coarsely chopped cilantro and mint
¼ a package of rice noodles rice paper wrappers
First wash and peel (if necessary, of course) your vegetables. Julienne the carrots, cucumbers and pepper. Slice the cabbage and avocado to your desired thickness. I prefer all my vegetables to be cut rather small so the rolls are easier to eat and you can get a bit of each vegetable in each bite.
For the sesame seeds: You can either buy already toasted sesame seeds, but I always buy my sesame seeds in bulk and toast them myself (much like I do with pine nuts or any other type of nut). They are sooo much cheaper! Plus it just tastes fresher.
Next prepare the rice noodles according to package directions. Once all the prep work is done, it’s time to assemble the rolls. Fill a wide shallow bowl with warm water. I used a pie pan. A casserole dish would work well too. Place one wrapper in the water and let soak for about 7 seconds. Place on a clean cutting board or other flat surface to assemble. Arrange some of your vegetables, noodles and herbs on the bottom half of the wrapper. Be sure it is compact so it will be easier to roll up. Top with sesame seeds. Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper on top of the filling. Then gently yet tightly pull the left and right edges over the middle being sure to keep the filling compact, roll the filled bottom half up until you reach the top of the wrapper. Repeat this process until you’ve used all your vegetable and noodles.
Serve with a peanut sauce.
The ingredients above are what I used, but of course you can omit or add some veggies. Snap peas, lettuce, sprouts, green onions, asparagus, shaved brussel sprouts, radishes, zucchini, and beets may also work well (bot not all together). Play with different combinations.
Sara’s dog Sassy hung out with us outside.
Tip: We had watermelon with our meal. Melons are actually a great thing to eat after any meal, especially dinner. They help use the fat from foods efficiently and break it down making it harder for your body to retain it. It’s a yummy way to have your dessert while also keeping the weight off. If you want it to be a little more sweeter or creamier try having the melons with low-fat greek yogurt or a bit of fat-free whipped cream.
Happy Eating!
Sara & MaryAnne