Will Run For Garden Rolls

What isn't there to love about garden rolls?  Not only are they filled with delicious mango, avocado, mint, cilantro, snow peas, peppers, etc. but they are the perfect vessel for peanut sauce.

I first discovered garden rolls and Thai cuisine several years ago during a road trip to Toronto.  I also discovered that there were mice in the restaurant that we were eating at.  It is never good when the cook comes out of the kitchen with a mousetrap in his/her hand.  Since then I've found a new favourite Thai restaurant and I started making my own garden rolls.

Garden Rolls

Ingredients

The ingredients list is really flexible.  Use your favourite vegetables and fresh herbs.  You might consider using green onions, green or yellow beans, tofu, chick'n, tempeh, etc.  The serving size of this recipe is also very flexible depending on the variety and quantity of vegetables selected.

rice paper 

mango thinly sliced

avocado thinly sliced

lettuce (I prefer romaine)

mint finely chopped

cilantro finely chopped

red, yellow and orange pepper thinly sliced

snow peas in pods thinly sliced

garlic scapes thinly sliced (only the curly part)

Begin by thinly slicing all of your vegetables: mango, avocado, peppers, garlic scapes, etc.

Next, cut the 'rib' out of your romaine leaves.  This will make it much easier to roll your garden rolls.  In each leaf place a selection of your favourite vegetables/herbs.  Resist the urge to overfill otherwise rolling them up will be a nightmare and you'll have to eat the flops (and that would be awful).  Wrap the vegetables as tightly as you can in a romaine leaf.

Place rice paper in very warm water (I continue to add boiled water as I make the garden rolls) for approximately 15 seconds.  When  it is soft lay it down flat on a dishtowel.

Place romaine leaf  in the centre of the rice paper.  Fold bottom of rice wrap over vegetables.  Then fold over right side (or left) and turn over until the vegetables are well wrapped.  Fold the open top over until it is closed.

fold bottom

fold and roll

ready to be cut in half

Cut garden rolls in half.

Serve with peanut sauce.

garden rolls and peanut sauce in  terrible lighting

Peanut Sauce

This recipe originally started as k.d lang's Indonesian salad with spicy dressing.  It is worth checking out in The Compassionate Cook or "Please Don't Eat the Animals!" A Vegetarian Cookbook.

1/4 C + 1 TBSP crunchy just peanuts peanut butter

4 cloves of local garlic

4 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp maple syrup (not table syrup)

1 Tbsp soya sauce (I like kikkoman)

2 tsp tamari (www.pristinegourmet.com) 

2 Tbsp water 

Pinch chipotle chili powder 

Combine everything in blender until desired consistency is reached.  If you aren't mad about lime juice substitute light coconut milk for some or all of the lime juice.