Rainbow Spring Rolls

Spring rolls are one of my all-time favorite foods.  I love them anytime of the year, even in the winter and fall.  For lunch, dinner, or even as a light snack, they are always a welcome addition at my table.  Especially as the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, spring rolls become the perfect meal.  These Rainbow Spring Rolls with Sweet & Sour Sauce are delicious enough to suit the taste buds of meat eaters and vegetarians alike, and it’s very possible that even the kiddos might love them too!

As much as I love baked goods and delectable bites, my background in healthcare reminds me that balance is the key to a happy life.  When I try to make a traditional recipe healthier, I like to spend a lot of time making sure that it actually still tastes good.  If a fantastic tasting recipe is also healthy it becomes golden to me, something to remember and make often.  I like that these spring rolls have visual appeal and also taste amazing.  When I look at these Rainbow Spring Rolls my mouth waters the same way it would if I were looking at a cupcake.  Don’t you love it when healthy foods can create that kind of response?

These Rainbow Spring Rolls are made mostly with raw veggies.  The only vegetable I’ve chosen to cook is the asparagus–just a quick blanching to bring out more of it’s flavor and color. Adding a thin slice or two of firm avocado gives rich creaminess to balance out the rest of the crunchy textures.  If I am making these ahead of time, I like to give the cut avocado slices a spritz of lemon juice to prevent them from browning.

The tangy, spicy, Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce is what makes these Rainbow Spring Rolls shine. It’s common to find ketchup in other recipes for sweet and sour sauce, but this recipe gets its brilliant color from fresh orange juice, a squirt of Sriracha, and a sweet, sunny base of strongly steeped oolong tea.  Oolong is commonly paired with orange in tea blends as both the flavors have a warmth and sweetness about them.  In this light sauce, tea adds depth and character without adding any extra calories.  For another layer of flavor, I use honey as the sweetener here instead of using sugar.

Rainbow Spring Rolls with Sweet & Sour Sauce are the perfect meal as we head into warmer months.  Crunchy, creamy, light, and tangy, these rolls make healthy eating a no-brainer.  With colors so inviting and a taste so fresh, you’ll realize why I think that this recipe is one for the keeping!

Rainbow Spring Rolls with Sweet & Sour Sauce

Makes 12 rolls.

Ingredients:

{Spring Rolls}

1 large red bell pepper, sliced into 3″ long strips

2 medium carrots, shredded

1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced into 3″ long strips

1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 3″ pieces

1/4 head of red cabbage, thinly sliced into 3″ long shreds

1 avocado, ripe but firm, halved and peeled, then cut into thin slices lengthwise

small bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped

3 small scallions, green part thinly sliced

12 spring roll wrappers

{Sweet & Sour Orange Oolong Sauce}

zest of 1 orange

1/3 cup fresh orange juice (1-2 oranges)

1 large clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup oolong tea, strongly steeped (1 Tbsp loose tea leaves steeped in 1/2 cup water for 3-5 minutes @ 190 degrees F), strained then cooled to room temperature

3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

3 Tbsp honey

2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce

few drops sesame oil

pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

1 Tbsp cornstarch

Equipment:

fine grater

work surface

large casserole or deep, large dish

medium pot

medium bowl with ice-cold water

wire mesh sieve

Directions:

1.)  Fill a medium pot with water, then bring to a full boil.  Blanch the asparagus by throwing the tip portions into the boiling water for about 45 seconds.  Remove the asparagus with a wire mesh sieve, then plunge into another bowl filled with ice-cold water.  Blanch the non-tip asparagus sections for 1 minute in the boiling water, then remove with the sieve and also plunge into the ice-cold water.  Remove all the asparagus from the cold water and place on a dish to drain off excess water.  Set aside.

2.)  Fill a large casserole or deep, large dish with about 1″ of warm water.  Submerge 1 spring roll wrapper in the water completely, wait for it to soften for about 10 seconds, then place the sheet on a clean work surface.

3.)  Stack 2 strips of the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, asparagus, and avocado in the lower 1/3 section of each sheet, towards the center.  Add some of the shredded cabbage and carrots on top of the stack.  Scatter some chopped cilantro and sliced green onions on top of the stack to finish.  Roll up spring roll and fold right and left sides of the wrapper in towards the center of the roll.  Continue rolling upwards (away from you) until you get a completed roll. If you prefer visuals, please check out Andrea Nguyen’s instructions on how to wrap rice paper rolls.  She’s one of my culinary idols, and gives very clear directions on how to do this.

4.)  Repeat the rolling process for all 12 rolls, then make the Sweet & Sour Sauce by first reserving 1/4 cup of the tea and setting it aside.  Add the rest of the sauce ingredients (except cornstarch) into a medium pot, then place the mixture on the stove on medium heat until it comes to a boil.

5.)  Mix the cornstarch into the reserved 1/4 cup of tea to create a slurry.  When the mixture reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and add in the slurry.  While constantly stirring the mixture, wait for it to come back to a boil and cook into a translucent, glaze-looking sauce. Pour the hot Sweet & Sour Sauce into a medium bowl and serve along with the spring rolls. Enjoy!

 

Spring Vegetable Tartine

Tartine, or French open-faced sandwiches, are some of the most beautiful bites around.  I often make traditional tea sandwiches with fillings like veggie cream cheese in between 2 slices of soft bread, but after a trip to the market this weekend I was inspired to show off some of this season’s freshest bounty with these Spring Vegetable Tartine.

While piling bunches of bright hot pink radishes into my cart, some very beautiful little quail eggs caught my eye.  I never tried quail eggs before, so I was intrigued.  I wondered if their speckled coloring might mean that they were strange or unpleasant tasting.  Sure enough, after some experimentation at home both frying one egg sunny side up and boiling another, I realized that quail eggs taste the same as regular eggs do, perhaps even milder. They are basically the cuter, miniaturized version of regular eggs!

Quail eggs are beautifully and naturally blemished.  Their rustic appeal makes them look almost ornamental, perfect for making spring decorations and centerpieces.  They make me think of pastel colored birds, twiggy nests, and sweet ambient chirping…all of the lovely indications that spring has sprung!

If you are wanting to make egg salad or scrambled eggs, don’t waste your extra pennies on quail eggs.  You want to use these when you are trying to showcase the egg’s delicate flavor and petit size.

I hard-boiled and halved my quail eggs so that I could use them as the main embellishment for my tartine.  Just a bit of simple protein to balance out all the fresh, clean veggie flavors in the sandwiches.  Sprinkle the cut egg with a bit of bright red cayenne pepper or smoked paprika for an extra pop of color and flavor.

These tartine are ideal for Easter Sunday Brunch or a spring-themed afternoon tea. Although they are delicious served without bacon for vegetarians, a light scattering of the savory bits helps to balance out the sweet ricotta and carrots.  Crunchy, creamy, salty, and sweet, these sandwiches allow the best of springtime ingredients to shine.

Tartine can be eaten with your hands like you would a topped cracker, or with a fork and knife.  If your guests prefer the latter, serve them with some Springtime Carrot Cutlery, which make a simple and colorful addition to an Easter-themed table.  Either way, I’m sure your guests will find these lovely open-faced sandwiches irresistible!

Spring Vegetable Tartine

Makes about 12- 5″ tartine.

Ingredients:

1- 15 oz container of part-skim ricotta

6 Tbsp grated carrots, blotted with paper towel to remove excess moisture

6 Tbsp finely chopped celery, blotted with paper towel to remove excess moisture

2 green onions finely sliced

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp hot sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 loaf french bread, sliced 1/2″ thick

6 quail eggs

5-6 radishes, very thinly sliced

1 green onion sliced thinly, for garnishing

crumbled bacon bits, for garnishing (about 5 slices, cooked until crisp)

cayenne pepper or smoked paprika

Equipment:

small pot

slotted spoon

small bowl

mixing bowl

toaster

Directions:

1.)  Hard boil the quail eggs.  Place them in a small pot with water to cover by 1″.  Bring the water to full rolling boil and continue to boil for 1 minute.  Turn off heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the warm water.  Place them into a small bowl filled with cold water and set aside to allow eggs to cool completely.

2.)  Mix together ricotta, carrots, celery, green onions, lemon juice, olive oil, hot sauce, sugar, black pepper, and salt.

3.)  Peel the cooled eggs.  This is easier when done under water.  Cut the eggs in half using a sharp knife.

4.)  Toast the bread slices, then top each slice with about 2 Tbsp of the veggie ricotta mixture.  Place thinly sliced radishes, sliced green onion, and bacon bits atop the ricotta tartine.  Top each tartine off with a hard-boiled egg half, then sprinkle it with a pinch of cayenne pepper or paprika to finish.  Happy Spring!  Enjoy!