Shiitake, Sprouts and Tofu Spring Rolls

I had planned to make sushi rolls for this post, when yet another friend exclaimed to me about their love-hate relationship with nori. It’s the same thing I’ve heard from enough people over the past few months that I decided to listen. You see, apparently many people like nori, but just can’t handle it when it’s on the outside of the roll. Something about the strong flavour, the dry texture. The way it might hint at sticking to the roof of your mouth. Did you know that a dislike of nori can also be caused by consumption, or past consumption, of dairy?

So, the plans changed and the rolls lightened up. The nori took it’s new place inside the roll along with rice vermicelli noodles, fresh shiitake mushrooms, vibrant green sprouts and shoots cosied up with baked tofu. It’s a great lunch or dinner option as we look towards the days getting warmer, taking casual meals sitting outside, but it’s also nice now- refreshing and delicate, the essence of spring time wrapped up. Conveniently, these rolls also make for a very portable lunch option to take to work.

The list of ingredients might look daunting, but everything comes together really easily. You can even prepare the marinade and prep the tofu a day beforehand if you want to save some time. While the tofu is baking, get the rest of the ingredients together, and it’ll all be ready to roll (!!) in no time.

Hubs and I love spring rolls- and we both enjoyed these with the addition of nori on the inside. It’s a nice option for those of you who like nori, but prefer to have it hidden away. Also, it isn’t included in the recipe, but a few drops of hot chili oil really makes the sauce sing. If you enjoy a ton of dipping sauce, each bite swimming in richness, I encourage you to make a double batch… hubs kind of freaked out a bit over how good it was and devoured all of his before finishing the last spring roll. Luckily, I had a bit extra to share. xx.

 

Karin - April 13, 2012 - 8:52 am

YUM! Can’t wait to try these! :)

Lindsey - April 16, 2012 - 11:01 am

I don’t mind nori, but these make a light alternative. I’m definitely going to try them. Beautiful photos too.

Erin - April 19, 2012 - 9:24 am

Shauna, do you recommend a particular brand of rice paper – or do you just buy yours at an Asian market?
Great post!

Shauna - April 19, 2012 - 3:12 pm

Hi Erin!
I usually just get mine at the local grocery store- Fresh Co or Loblaws! They’re usually there and a few dollars cheaper than at the fancy stores! I’m sure an Asian market will have them too.

Irene - April 29, 2012 - 5:52 pm

I can’t wait to try these, Shauna! Well done, as usual–and fun pics too!

…although I love it when nori sticks to the roof of my mouth…am I wierd?

Shauna - May 1, 2012 - 11:32 am

Ahhahaha!! That’s so funny, Irene! You made me laugh out loud!

Nadine - September 17, 2012 - 12:58 pm

love spring roll veggie. I want one try this one tofu spring roll, it sound delightful light lunch or dinner. Cannot wait make this….

Shauna - September 18, 2012 - 3:25 pm

Thanks, Nadine! I love them too! So easy, and so many variations! Cold in the summer, filled with cooked ingredients or deep fried in the winter… yummy! Let me know how they turn out!

Mandy - March 24, 2013 - 7:35 pm

Making these for lunch today and the house smells incredible!!!!

Until tomorrow…

Hello Lovely Readers,

It’s Hubs’s birthday!! I’d planned to update today but life around here has been quite the roller coaster! So now, instead of posting, I must shop, cook a feast and bake a delicious macro cake!! Oh Happy Day!! Until tomorrow, I leave you with a little teaser and a quick HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! shout out to my Hubs. Love!!

Butternut Squash & Chive Quinoa Cakes

Left over squash. Unless you’re making a soup, it’s usually the case that a recipe calls for only a cup or two of the orange cubed beauties, leaving one with squash to use up in a hurry. After recently making a macrobiotic favourite of mine, aduki beans and squash, I found myself in this exact predicament.

If I was making these cakes in the fall or winter, I’d be tempted to roast or saute the onions and squash in oil. But since spring is here I craved something a little lighter, a tad less warming and intense. Since I knew that the cakes were going to be fried, I opted to first steam the squash and onion until they morphed into something entirely sweet, tender and delicious. Tasty, but still light, the cakes are fast and easy to throw together. Just be careful when handling them, as the patties are a bit delicate and can crumble easily. If that happens, no biggie, you just have crumbly bits of crispy quinoa cake instead.

Mieke Vervecken Pieters - April 4, 2012 - 3:04 pm

Lovely recipy

Irene - April 5, 2012 - 3:26 pm

Mmmm….crumbly bits of quinoa….

Erin - April 9, 2012 - 7:32 pm

Shauna! This picture is so pretty!

Shauna - April 13, 2012 - 10:31 am

Erin! Thank you!!

Shauna - April 13, 2012 - 10:32 am

Hi Irene, totally!! I love the crunchy, crumbly bits too.

Shauna - April 13, 2012 - 10:34 am

Hi Mieke, Thank you for stopping by to say hello!! Hello to you in Belgium!!

Mandy - May 7, 2012 - 6:58 pm

What a beautiful recipe! We made these for dinner tonight. So delicious and simple!

Shauna - May 10, 2012 - 10:44 pm

Hi Mandy! I’m happy you liked them! I LOVE most anything with squash…

Olive Oil and Sea Salt & Toasted Sesame Kale Crisps

There was kale lurking at the bottom of the fridge. It was purchased with the most honourable of intentions- to be steamed and enjoyed with dinner or maybe for breakfast, tossed into a bowl of miso soup. Maybe it’s because A) the lovely, full collards stacked on top proved more enticing, as the place they occupied is now vacant. It could be that B) a few unplanned, whirlwind days kept hubs and I away from the kitchen… and the kale. Or, C) All of the above-  Life happens and sometimes the most honourable intentions fall through. We’ll go with C) All of the above. Now, what to do with this lurking dark green?

The kale was salvageable. Not yet limp, just not as vital as when it first came home. At first I thought a silky navy bean soup, laced with leaves of kale would be perfect. Creamy, smooth, warming. But the weather was glorious and the sun, hot. I wanted something to snack on. Something delicately light and crunchy. Salty. With a hint of toasted sesame.

Kale crisps fit the bill perfectly. Now, please don’t get your hopes up thinking that they will be comparable to a crunchy, hard potato chip. They aren’t. What they offer instead is a light, addictive, crumbly bite, rich with toasted sesame seed oil and a hint of salt. It’s never been so easy to eat an entire bunch of kale at one sitting, fresh from the oven and directly from the hot baking sheet. Err. Not that I’ve ever done something crazy like that… (Confession- yes I have) Good thing they’re so easy. And if you do lose control and eat the entire batch in one fell swoop, not to worry. It is kale, after all. Phew.

*TIP*

Remove the stems for the chips, as the stems don’t crisp up as easily as the leaves do. You can cut them out with a knife, or, place one hand on the kale stem, and the other hand at the base of the leaves. Make a tight fist and slide the hand up, along the kale stem. It will easily remove the leaves from the stem- fast and easy and no knives required!

A quick note: The Sunday evening cooking classes in April are almost sold out- with only one space remaining!  If you’re thinking about taking that class you’ll have to act quickly! 

Heather - March 26, 2012 - 3:28 pm

I’m planning on making kale crisps this week, since kale is my March vegetable for my “vegetable of the month” challenge. Your recipe looks perfect and tasty!

Shauna - April 13, 2012 - 10:36 am

Hi Heather! Yay kale chips!! I love kale so much. One of my favourite ways to make it is to blanch it quickly, for just a minute or two, and then sprinkle it with gomashio- which is a sesame seed and salt condiment, plus maybe a tiny drizzle of olive oil… yummy!!!

Heidi Barrett - May 31, 2012 - 1:56 pm

LOVE these!!!!! I must confess I’m not really a fan of kale. I’ll put it in things for the nutritional bennifet but not just on its own. These Chips I loved!! I also cut the stems out which made them extra light. And no, they didn’t make it off the cookie sheet. 😉

Shauna - May 31, 2012 - 3:21 pm

Hi Heidi! YAY!! I’m so happy you made these! Aren’t they delish?!! I also cut out the stems… can’t believe I forgot to include that in the recipe!! I’ll have to write a note as an update!! Also- if you hold the kale at the bottom of the stem, and then with the other hand make a tight fist around the base of the kale leaves, then slide up, it will easily pull off the leaves without having to use a knife! Saves time… just make sure you aim the moving fist away from your chin!!