summer rolls — Blog — The Grains Of Paradise

I should have just gone to the beach today. I mean, it’s absolutely gorgeous out but I’m dealing with a lot of anxiety right now. I’m sure you can relate?

Covid-19 is exploding on the U.S. Mainland, no idea when I’ll see my family again, the economy is tanking, kids can’t go back to school, we’re on a “Hurricane Watch” in Hawaii right now, it’s 2020, blah blah blah…Ugh, I’m so sorry. I am definitely in a mood right now. But for whatever dumb reason, I felt that it was better to sit inside and watch the news all afternoon instead of enjoying a beautiful ( pre-hurricane ) day outside. It was probably not the right decision but unfortunately, that’s what I did.

THIS TOO SHALL PASS ( right? )

Anyway, enough with that. I did make myself an absolutely fabulous lunch though!

Vietnamese Summer Rolls are really a perfect lunch (or dinner) to make when you’re stressed and trying to keep your sanity in check. Lots of repetitive chopping and meditative rolling going on here. And don’t worry about getting them to look perfect. It will most likely take a few tries before you get them just right but that’s not the point. Just think of rolling them like little burritos and it gets easier.

Ingredients for Summer Rolls

1 package of Vietnamese tapioca/rice paper ( I like this brand HERE )
1 large shallow bowl filled with warm water

Summer Roll filling ideas ( today I used lettuce, mint, chives, carrots, cucumber, cabbage, and mango )

red or green cabbage sliced thin
sliced bell peppers
julienned carrots
sliced cucumbers
sliced bell peppers
sliced avocado
lettuce ( I like Butter Lettuce for these )
mango slices
mint
chives or green onions
tofu
grilled tempeh

To Assemble

*Take one rice paper sheet, dip it in warm water for about 30 seconds, and then place it on a clean large cutting board.

*Arrange the fillings in the center of the wet rice paper. I find that starting with a lettuce leaf works best. Then layer the other fillings in the center of the lettuce horizontally. Note: It’s helpful to have the fillings cut roughly the same length. I like them all to be about 2-3 inches long.

*To roll: Fold the top end of the rice pepper over the fillings. Push the fillings back in if they start popping out of the front or side. Then fold the sides in like a burrito and continue to finish rolling the summer roll until tight.

*Slice in half or leave whole to serve

*I find that these don’t keep that well in the fridge for longer than one day because the rice paper wrapper tends to get hard and chewy. Best to eat them ASAP if you can.

Hoisin Peanut Sauce - makes about 2 cups

1 and 1/3 cups of water
1 cup hoisin sauce
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1.5 Tbs minced shallot
1 Tb rice wine vinegar
2 tsp coconut sugar ( optional )
1 Tb sambal oelek or sriracha

*More water if needed for consistency

*In a small saucepan over med-high heat saute the minced shallot in a splash of water until translucent ( about 1-2 minutes ).

*Add water and hoisin and whisk until blended and bring to a low simmer. Add peanut butter, vinegar, sugar, and sambal and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.

*I like to serve this with crushed salted peanuts sprinkled on top. This makes a lot of sauce so feel free to cut the recipe in half. Stores well in the fridge for several days. Add more water to thin out if needed.

***Optional Peanut Sauce without Hoisin below***

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce - makes about 14 oz

1/2 cup creamy organic unsweetened peanut butter or almond butter
3/4 cup - 1 cup full-fat coconut milk ( depending on desired consistency )
1/4 cup of coconut sugar ( 2-3 tbs can be used instead if you want to reduce sugar content )
juice of 1 juicy lime
1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tsp sambal ( or sriracha )
1/2 inch piece of fresh peeled ginger
1 clove of garlic
Blend all ingredients in a highspeed blender until smooth. Lasts for about 1 week in the fridge.

How pretty are these?! I gotta be honest though, I didn’t come up with this idea myself. Nope, I ordered something just like these pretty little rolls almost every time I dined at the Shady Shack in Bali. Lucky for us, these Buddha Rolls are fairly easy to re-create at home. No eighteen-hour flight required.

Tofu Buddha Rolls ( per serving )

1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
a handful of mint leaves
a handful of cilantro
a handful of chives or green onions
coconut amino marinated + pan-fried super firm tofu. I love the high-protein, sprouted organic tofu from Wildwood
1 large English cucumber thinly sliced into long wide “noodles”. You can use a mandolin or you can thinly slice the cucumber with a sharp knife.

Coconut Amino Marinated + Pan-Fried Tofu ( one serving )

4 oz super firm organic tofu
2 tbs coconut aminos
1 tsp sesame oil

To make the pan-fried tofu, take about 4 oz of tofu and slice into 1/2 inch “sticks” . Then place tofu sticks into a shallow dish and pour about 2 tbs of coconut aminos over the tofu. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, turning once. Next, heat up a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with a tiny drizzle of sesame oil ( for flavor ). Add marinated tofu and pan-fry until golden brown ( A few minutes on each side ) Remove from heat and let cool to the touch.

To arrange the Buddha Rolls, lay cucumber noodles on a large cutting board. At one end of each cucumber noodle, pile on a tofu “stick”, whatever veggie fillings you desire and then roll to enclose fillings. Rolls can be secured with a toothpick if need be. Enjoyed with the Spicy Peanut Sauce below.

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce - makes about 14 oz

1/2 cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter or almond butter
3/4 cup - 1 cup full-fat coconut milk ( depending on desired consistency )
1/4 cup of coconut sugar ( 2-3 tbs can be used instead if you want to reduce sugar content )
juice of 1 juicy lime
1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tsp sambal ( or sriracha )
1/2 inch piece of fresh peeled ginger
1 clove of garlic
Blend all ingredients in a highspeed blender until smooth. The sauce will thicken up ( a lot ) in the fridge. I’ve found that it’s better to reheat to thin out rather than adding additional liquids. Lasts for about 1 week in the fridge.

Hoisin Peanut Sauce - makes about 2 cups

1 and 1/3 cups of water
1 cup hoisin sauce
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1.5 Tbs minced shallot
1 Tb rice wine vinegar
2 tsp coconut sugar ( optional )
1 Tb sambal oelek or sriracha

*More water if needed for consistency

*In a small saucepan over med-high heat saute the minced shallot in a splash of water until translucent ( about 1-2 minutes ).

*Add water and hoisin and whisk until blended and bring to a low simmer. Add peanut butter, vinegar, sugar, and sambal and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.