Though I love cookbooks and usually they give me so much inspration, sometimes they trap me. Like Yotam Ottolenghi with his ingenious “Plenty More”.
I started with one dish, than another and before I realize I was making hummus, chopping herbs for tabbouleh, frying aubergines all the time. I was cooking only “Plenty More”, Hummus Bros” and sometimes “Jerusalem”. In all this Israeli-inspired cooking I totally forgot about preparing the dishes with seasonal products which are available in every grocery. Fortunately a bunch of young, green asparagus and motivating words from nice lady who sells me veggies for almost 4 years (‘You always cook something amazing”) bring me back to my senses.
In just few moment an idea to make spring rolls popped in my head. Nothing better pictures spring on a plate than old, good spring rolls. Of course not fried ones and with seasonal ingredients. For the hero of this dish I chose asparagus combined with peanut butter. Perfect companion. Thai way, a little. With soy sauce, lime juice and few drops of sesame oil. I also decided to add fresh cucumber, leek and of course some hot peppers. I couldn’t forget about plenty of fresh herbs- mint and my fav coriander. The best spring rolls in my life. I’m so proud of this dish, and also I’m in a quite shock, how quickly I manage to come back to right seasonal track.
Asparagus spring rolls
with peanut butter
Ingredients:
16 spring rolls
16 large rice paper sheets
bunch of green asparagus
salt
1 large cucumber
½ large leek (white part)
1-2 hot peppers
bunch of fresh coriander
32 large mint leaves
Sauce:
6 tbsp peanut butter
juice from ½-¾ lime
2 tsp agave nectar or other sweetener
2 tbsp soy sauce
about 10-12 tbsp water
few drop sesame oil
½ lime
Cut out the woody parts of asparagus. In a large pot bring water to a boil with salt. Put asparagus into boiling water just fro 3 minutes. Strain and immediately put them into ice cold water. Strain after 3 minutes and set aside. Cut each asparagus in a half.
Cut the cucumber lengthwise and then in thin slices. Slice the hot peppers. Put leek in a cold water for 30 minutes, strain and cut into thin slices.
Mix all sauce ingredients, but add water gradually. The amount of water you need to add, depends on what kind of peanut butter you use. Sauce cannot be too liquid.
Soak a sheet of rice paper in a water. Fold it in a half. Put 3 pieces of asparagus, 2-4 slices of cucumber, 2 leek slices, 1-5 pieces of hot peppers, 2-3 coriander springs, 2 mint leaves and abut one tsp of sauce. Sprinkle with lime juice. Fold the bottom part of paper on ingredients. Roll from left to right, or right to left. .
Pictures of how to roll asparagus spring rolls:
Nutrition info of asparagus spring rolls:
1 spring roll :
98 calories
protein: 3,9 g; fat: 3,2 g; carbohydrates: 13,9 g, dietary fiber: 1,8 g;
iron: 0.82 mg; calcium: 23 mg; zinc: 0.45 mg
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