VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS

Don't you just love these delicate little rolls. It was so exciting 20 years ago to find a Thai Restaurant in North Miami Beach that served vegan spring rolls. Now, 20 years later I have discovered how easy they are to make and the many different ways to make them. In their simplicity a feeling of great artistic accomplishment swept over me. I almost felt like I was creating a living thing, even patting it as such. Talk about anthropomorphizing. Seriously, they are fun to make and delicious to eat.

They can be filled with any type of veggie you like (almost) and they can be eaten fried, baked, or uncooked. I love cabbage in mine and prefer my rolls uncooked. The recipe that follows is how I made them.

Tip: I originally made them with tofu chunks but found that they had to be too big, which made them clumsy and sloppy to eat with the tofu poking through the rice gallettes. I prefer them the typical size found in restaurants.

4 SPRING ROLLS

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs carrots, shredded
2 tbs onions, chopped
2 tbs celery, fined diced
2 tbs green bell peppers, julienned
2 tbs red bell peppers, julienned
2 tbs cabbage, shredded
1/4 tsp soy sauce
4 spring roll wrappers (These are called Gallettes de Riz/Rice Paper)*

If you plan to bake: preheat oven to 350.

Lightly coat skillet with vegetable oil. Saute garlic briefly and add
carrots,onion, celery, peppers, and cabbage. Add soy sauce and
continue to saute until crisp-tender, about 5 mins. Remove from heat
and let cool.

Place 3 tbs of cooked vegetables in each gallette and roll, tucking
in the sides or not.

If baking, lightly coat baking sheet, as well as rolls, with oil and
bake until lightly brown. If frying, fry until golden brown

SEE RECIPE FOR "SPRING ROLL DIPPING SAUCE" TO ACCOMPANY ROLLS.

Recipe: I don't know how long I have had this newspaper recipe,
but it is from the Asian Sensation's luncheons at the Spa at Doral.

*These can be found at Asian grocery stores and Whole Foods, possibly
supermarkets. You simply place each gallette in a shallow bowl of warm
water and within seconds itsoftens and is ready to add veggies and roll.