Perfect Date-Night Recipe: Ultra Fresh Summer Spring Rolls

Hannah Sunderani
May 20, 2016
6 min read

The other night my fiancé and I decided to stay in for date-night. On weekends we usually go out to give me a break from kitchen duty. Mitch isn't much of a cook (I think the only thing he's ever made me is tea!) so it's either me who cooks, or the takeout pizza restaurant down the street. And I've noticed he's found the perfect response to this observation... "but you're such a good cook Han, how could I possibly compete?" How sweet! I always accept the compliment ignoring any hidden agenda. I love to cook and he loves to eat it! Plus he's always on clean-up duty...so really I can't complain.

We've recently been trying to save money where we can. Our wedding is quickly approaching and I'm realizing just how easily weddings can break the bank! So, we decided it best for our wallets to bring our date nights in; for a stay-at-home date night!

In theory, a stay-at-home date night sounds like the ultimate romantic gesture! Think of every rom-com you've ever seen....Romantic music is playing, candles flicker in the background, and the couples have cooking down to a dance! They happily prepare homemade pasta sauce (passed down from generations, of course), and they glide around while never getting in each others way; all the while drinking more wine and it somehow having no effect on their hand-eye coordination! And, if one happens to make a mistake it's always adorable!

*Sigh.* Only in the movies...

When Mitch and I cook together it's a disaster! I am WAY too type-A to think Mitch is preparing anything correctly so it's not long before he is telling me to "shut up and let him do it!" And, I can feel the tension radiating from him as I continue to dirty unnecessary amounts of dishes. (He has a point - the mess looks like something straight out a Dr. Suess book!)... It's utterly the complete opposite of a romantic date-night!

So when Mitch and I decided to have a stay-at-home date night the very important question became; "What the heck are we supposed to make!?"

Cue the Ultra Fresh Summer Spring Rolls! These Ultra Fresh Summer Spring Rolls are the perfect date night recipe because they are SO fun to make! And they are super easy! I think what makes this recipe different from our typical recipes is that there's no cooking involved; so stress and mess is minimal! That's right - there's no cooking, baking, frying, or searing. All you need is a knife! And apart from the rice paper (available in most grocery stores in the Asian food isle) the ingredients are very easy to find! I used tofu, avocados, asparagus, carrots, radish, green onion, alfalfa sprouts and fresh herbs; but really you can choose whichever veg you like. You can even throw in some mangoes or strawberries if you want! The only ingredient I would say is a must is the avocado, and my fiancé agrees! The avocados add such a delicious and creamy flavour that compliments the other veg so well. We actually doubled on this as we went.

Another great thing about these summer spring rolls? They are so healthy and fresh, so you won't feel lethargic afterwards. And it's a perfect recipe for hot summer days (which are quickly approaching - thank goodness!).

If you haven't made rice paper spring rolls before here are a couple tips to make sure your experience is successful like ours:

1. Don't over stuff! This is a really hard rule to follow! Especially when you're veg obsessed like me. I want to stuff these bad boys like a burrito! But beware of this fault, because it makes the spring rolls very difficult to wrap and the paper will likely tear. Try experimenting with your first few to see what the perfect amount of veg is for rolling. I think just a palm-ful of veg is all you need. It also helps to stack the softer ingredients on the top and bottom so you don't puncture the paper as you roll. I like putting my tofu on the bottom, and leaving the avocado for the top layer. :)

2. Get to know your rice paper! It always surprises me just how strong and elastic rice paper is. The first time I started making these rolls I was super gentle with the rice paper - gently folding the ends and rolling very carefully. This lead to really loose rolls. But as I continued I learned that rice paper is actually quite strong and flexible! So don't be afraid to pull on the paper in order to tighten up your rolls. You will be surprised about just how strong it is! Try soaking your rice paper (about 10-15 seconds) and lay it flat on your work surface. Then, play around with it and see just how much you can tug and pull before it breaks. This will give you a better sense about how much you can manipulate the paper. And of course, practice makes perfect! As I said, my first few rolls were very flimsy and loose. But as I continued they got tighter and more compact. You'll get better as you go, and really they all taste the same. You can tell from my pictures above that not all the rolls we made were perfect, but it's no big deal! Have fun with it!

3. Make rolling easier for you. It's helpful to layer the veggies 1/4 in from the bottom (not in the middle of the rice paper - like you would a typical wrap). This will give you enough room to roll. After you load the veggies 1/4 in from the bottom, fold in the sides and then the bottom. From there you can roll away from your body applying gentle pressure to tighten up the roll. The first time I tried I used this tutorial on how to Assemble a Vietnamese Spring Roll . I found it very helpful! The example is not a vegan roll, but you'll get the gist!

Overall, this dish was the perfect recipe for a stay-at-home date night with Mitch. Have no fear if you're a newbie cook. Mitch is a newbie cook and loved it! Preparing these rolls was just as fun as eating them. We're definitely planning on doing it again, and maybe even packing them for picnics in the park! (Another "romantic" date I'm sure you'll be hearing about!). With minimal prep, no cooking and easy cleanup it's the perfect dish for a date-night. I hope you have a blast making these.

Ultra Fresh Summer Spring Rolls

Makes: Approx. 16 rolls | Prep Time: 35-40 mins | Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

1 package organic extra firm tofu (200g)
3 carrots
1 bunch asparagus
5-6 small radish
3 green onion
2 large avocados
1 bunch fresh mint (approx. 1 cup)
1 bunch fresh cilantro (approx. 1 cup)
Rice paper (22 cm wide)
1 box alfalfa sprouts (40g)
Hoisin sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or soy sauce for dipping

Directions:

Thinly slice tofu into rectangular pieces, and place to the side.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel away the skin from your carrots. Then finely chop lengthwise julienne style. Place to the side
Chop off the ends of your asparagus and discard. Then finely chop the asparagus lengthwise julienne style. Place to the side.
Using a mandoline, or sharp knife as best you can, thinly slice your radish and onion into thin pieces. Place to the side.
Cut your avocado in half and remove the skin and pit. Using a sharp knife thinly slice your avocado and place to the side.
Chop your mint and cilantro and place to the side.
Fill a large mixing bowl with water. Slide your rice paper into the bowl and let soak for 10-15 seconds, or until paper becomes flimsy. (*You don't want to soak the paper for too long otherwise it becomes difficult to handle).
Lay the paper flat onto your work surface. Then layer the tofu, carrots, asparagus, radish, onion, avocados, mint, cilantro, and alfalfa sprouts onto your paper. (Be sure to layer the ingredients 1/4 inwards from the bottom of the paper)
Fold in the sides of the paper, followed by folding in the bottom. Then, roll the spring roll away from your body applying gentle pressure to create a tightly packed roll. Place on a serving tray and continue step 9.
Serve with hoisin sauce, sweet & sour sauce, or soy sauce for dipping