Recipe: Vegan Spring Rolls

These fancy rolls are surprisingly simple. The tofu needs to be marinated and baked but the other ingredients require minimal prep time. Pack 3-4 rolls plus 2 TB of dipping sauce for a gourmet lunch at work!

Tofu:

Ingredients: 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, ⅛ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, 8 oz. extra-firm tofu, julienned

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°.
2. Whisk together the soy sauce, oil, and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Drain the tofu sticks on paper towels to remove excess water. Place the tofu on a rimmed baking sheet or in a casserole dish and pour the marinade evenly over each piece. Make sure every side is thoroughly coated. Allow the tofu to marinate 10-15 minutes or longer before baking.
4. Bake the tofu on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven, flip over each stick, then bake for another 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Spring Rolls

Ingredients (Makes twelve): 12 cucumber sticks; julienned, 12 carrot sticks; julienned, 1C. packed mung bean sprouts, 1 ripe avocado; sliced lengthwise into 12 even pieces, 12 pieces heirloom or romaine lettuce; torn into 3-in. square pieces, ¼ c. fresh spearmint, coarsely chopped, ¼ c. fresh cilantro, 8 oz. tofu, as prepared in the recipe below, 12 6-in. spring roll wrappers

1. Place prepared cucumber, carrot, bean sprouts, avocado, lettuce, mint, cilantro, and tofu on individual plates around your work surface.
2. Fill a wide, shallow bowl with warm water. Place one spring roll wrapper in the bowl and let it soak about 5 seconds. Lay the wrapper down flat on your work surface. In the upper center section of the wrapper, place 1 piece of lettuce. Arrange 1 piece each of carrot, cucumber, tofu, and avocado, a generous 1 tbsp. each of the bean sprouts and noodles, and 1 tsp. each of the mint and cilantro.
3. Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper on top of the filling. Then tightly (but gently) pull the left edge of the wrapper over the filling and the folded bottom edge. Press the edges of the wrapper together to close. You will have the top of the spring roll open, and tightly wrapped bottom and sides. Repeat until all 12 spring rolls are assembled.

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients: ¼ c. peanut butter (make sure the only ingredients are peanuts and possibly salt),¼ c. very hot water, 1 tbsp. soy sauce or tamari, 1 tbsp. rice vinegar, 2 tsp. agave nectar, 1 tsp. fresh lime juice, ⅛ tsp. salt, pinch of freshly ground black pepper.

1. Stir together the peanut butter and hot water in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Add soy sauce, vinegar, agave, lime juice, salt, and a pinch of pepper and stir until thoroughly combined.

adapted from dailycandy.com