Rice paper rolls are a blessing when you’re first learning to live without wheat or meat. For a light, fresh and tasty lunch with friends, serve all the ingredients on a platter and roll as you go. These are the fillings I use most often but you should experiment with your preferred fillings. Nori is a dried sea vegetable available in paper-thin sheets that you can eat as a snack or wrap around rice. It has a high protein and iodine content and is the most easily digested of the seaweeds.
SERVES 4
You will need:
2 SMALL PKTS BEAN THREAD VERMICELLI
½ CUP TAMARI
½ TSP SESAME OIL
1 PKT SMALL ROUND RICE PAPER WRAPPERS
2 SHEETS NORI, CUT INTO THICK MATCHSTICKS
2 CARROTS, JULIENNED
1 small LEBANESE CUCUMBER, SKIN ON AND JULIENNED
1 AVOCADO, SLICED
1 SMALL BLOCK FIRM TOFU, cut into sticks
4 SPRING ONIONS, SLICED DIAGONALLY
1 CUP EACH MINT AND CORIANDER LEAVES
To make:
For the tofu, place it in a (cast iron) pan and cover with clean water. Add 2 tbsp tamarin and as few drop of sesame oil. Cook down slowly until he water has gone. Set aside. Noodles – place the noodles in a bowl and cover with hot water. They will soften in a few minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, combine the Tamari and sesame oil and pour into small, individual bowls, one for each person. Place the rest of the ingredients in piles around the edges of a large serving platter with the herbs in the middle. Strain the noodles and place on the serving platter.
To serve, put the platter in the middle of the table and have a ceramic bowl of boiling water on the table. Each person places their own rice paper wrapper in the water for about 15 seconds then gently removes it and puts it on their plate. Place a piece of nori in the centre of the rice paper and then add a couple of pieces of carrot, a piece each of cucumber and avocado, and top with a piece of Yummy Tofu and a small amount of noodles and spring onions. Finish with a sprinkling of coriander and mint—don’t fill the wraps too much, as they might burst when rolling or eating. Roll up by folding over the end closest to you, tucking in the outer edges and continuing to roll. They will stick together so is no need to add water to secure them. Eat with the dipping sauce.
Variations
Mix one teaspoon rice wine vinegar and/or one teaspoon grated coconut palm sugar with the cucumber.
Use shredded organic chicken instead of or as well as the tofu.
