Baked Spring Rolls

Easy Baked Spring Rolls

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I call these “easy” because unlike most egg roll recipes, the vegetables are not pre-cooked before rolling.  The result is a lighter, fresher-tasting filling, as well as easier preparation.

Sambal Oelek is a very hot paste made from chile peppers, vinegar, and salt. Reduce it or eliminate it if you don’t like spicy foods, or replace it with any chili sauce or red pepper flakes.

1/2 head Napa Cabbage (about 8 ounces cored and shredded)
1 carrot
1/2 tablespoon sambal oelek (or other chili paste, to taste)
6 ounces extra-firm tofu
1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
24 spring roll wrappers (I used 4×4-inch wrappers)

Cut the cabbage in quarters lengthwise and cut out and discard the hard core. Slice two of the quarters thinly, and reserve the other two for another use. Cut the carrot into thin matchsticks about 1-inch long. Mix the cabbage with the carrot in a large bowl and stir in the sabal oelek (chili paste).

Cut the tofu into 1/4-inch thick slices. Lay them out on a double-layer of paper towels. Top with another double layer of towels and gently press down on each slice with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. Remove from paper towels and cut into tiny, 1/4-inch cubes. Place into a medium-sized bowl. In another bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Pour over the tofu, stirring gently (I used my hands) to distribute the sauce without breaking up the tofu.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place one spring roll wrapper on your work surface with a corner toward you. (Keep the remaining wrappers covered to prevent them from drying out.) Place a heaping tablespoon of the cabbage mixture in the center and top it with a line of tofu cubes. Bring the bottom corner over the filling and the two sides in, forming an envelope-like packet. Moisten the top corner with a little water and roll up from the bottom, pressing the edge to seal. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Bake for 6-9 minutes. Turn over and bake for another 6-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a sweet and sour dipping sauce such as Apricot Duck Sauce.

Servings: 6
Yield: 24

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Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per 4 spring rolls): 97 calories, 15 calories from fat, 1.7g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 154.8mg sodium, 62.9mg potassium, 18.9g carbohydrates, less than 1g fiber, less than 1g sugar, 3.2g protein, 1.9 points.

Sloppy Bao

Ingredients

Serves 8
1/4 cup safflower oil
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped shallot
2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass
1/4 cup Thai red-curry paste
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 cups ketchup
2 tablespoons fish sauce
20 Thai basil leaves
2 teaspoons light-brown sugar
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
Coarse salt
8 (8-inch) lengths of baguette, halved horizontally
2 cups julienned green mango or Granny Smith apple, for serving
Thinly sliced jalapenos, for serving
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add beef, shallot, lemongrass, red-curry paste, and garlic. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
Stir in ketchup, fish sauce, 10 basil leaves, brown sugar, and mustard. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Place baguettes in oven and cook until toasted, about 2 minutes. Fill each baguette with about 1 cup beef mixture, and top with remaining 10 basil leaves, mango, and jalapenos. Serve immediately.

Rice Noodle Salad

Rice Noodle Salad
Serves 4

1 pound thin rice noodles
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
2/3 cup water
½ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup rice vinegar
¼ to ½ cup brown sugar, to taste
1 to 2 hot chilies (red bird, jalapeño, or serrano), seeded and minced, or to taste
6 to 8 leaves Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
8 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded or julienned
1/4 cup mint leaves, sliced
1/4 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
2 grilled or roasted chicken breasts, shredded
1 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles, stir gently, then turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the noodles in a colander, rinse with cold water, and place them in a large bowl.

2. Place the garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to mince. Add the fish sauce, water, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, and chilies, and purée them together. (The mixture will get quite frothy.) Taste, and if necessary, add more chile and adjust the sweet/tart balance.

3. Toss the vegetables, herbs, chicken and peanuts with the noodles, and pour dressing to taste over the salad. Toss well and serve. (Save any remaining dressing in the fridge - I used the leftovers plus a bit of olive oil to dress a big bowl of baby arugula mixed with a diced avocado and some cold poached chicken breast for dinner the next night.)