Veggie Rice Paper Rolls

Days when every Saturday night was a pizza or takeout night are long gone. Of course, every now and then I still like to indulge, but most weekends I like to keep it healthy. These veggie rice paper rolls are not only healthy, but delicious and very easy to make.

Veggie Rice Paper Rolls

Rice paper (can be found in an international section in pretty much any super market, or specialty Asian stores)
1 medium cucumber, peeled & sliced into thin strips (if you’re using organic cucumbers, keep the skin on)
1 large avocado, sliced
2-3 scallions, chopped
3 small sweet peppers (or one large one), sliced into thin strips
few pieces of Boston Lettuce
shredded carrots (or sliced into thin strips)

The rice paper, when just removed from a bag, is very stiff and breaks easily. Have a container with water ready (I used a frying pan of the same diameter as the rice paper-it makes things much easier). Take a piece of rice paper and dip it in the water for about 10 seconds, place it on a cutting board and pat dry with a paper towel. The paper will become soft and very flexible. Place few pieces of each vegetable in the middle and fold the same way you would fold a burrito and put to the side. Because the rice paper is very supple and a bit sticky, you will not have a problem with the rolls opening or falling apart. Of course,  make sure not to put too much inside as then the roll WILL fall apart. I served mine with spicy cashew butter sauce & avocado dipping sauce. Chili sauce also goes amazing with these.

Cashew butter dipping sauce

I found a great recipe for a spicy cashew butter dipping sauce right here.
2 TBS organic cashew butter
2 tsp chili paste
1 tsp agave nectar
2 tsp rice vinegar

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until well combined. I also added some water to the sauce, because it came out a bit thick.

Avocado dipping sauce

1 avocado
4 TBS vegan mayonaise
3 scallions
1 TBS vegan cream cheese
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp chili paste

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor, salt and pepper to taste.

These are also great to have for lunch. The combination of fresh veggies and spicy and smooth sauces really does it for me, especially during hot weather when most of the time we crave fresh and “light” foods.