Tag: vegan

Fresh Summer Rolls with Easy Dipping Sauce

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Fresh and light, rice paper wrappers can be filled with your favourite fresh ingredients and easy to adapt to your preferences and to the season. Using some local ingredients, such as beets, put a twist on the traditional types. I often add a spoonful of grated ginger to my sauce for a bit of extra zing.

summer rolls with dipping sauce 2

Fresh Summer Rolls with Easy Dipping Sauce

For the rolls:
20 small rice paper wraps
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 mid-ripe mango, thinly sliced
1/2 medium beet, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
5 asparagus spears, sliced

For the sauce:
1/4 cup coconut aminos*, gluten-free soy sauce, or gluten-free tamari
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned; check ingredients to ensure it is gluten-free)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 green onion, chopped

Fill a shallow dish with hot water, and have all of your toppings ready to go.

Put two pieces of rice paper in the dish until they are pliable. Set one on a work surface, then top with the other just overlapping so they make a “8” shape. Put strips of the sliced filling ingredients horizontally about an inch from the end closest to you. Wrap the edge of the rice paper around the filling ingredients, then tightly roll it away from you while tucking in the edges. Set the roll aside, and continue with the rest of the paper and the ingredients.

To make the sauce, mix all ingredients together.

Before serving, slice the rolls in half with a sharp knife if desired. Serve cold.

*Use coconut aminos for the soy-free option.

summer rolls with dipping sauce

Sweet Potato Dippers with Cinnamon Applesauce

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Inspired by latkes, these patties are easy to make, pack, and eat–especially for kids (that I don’t have). It’s easy to up the flavor ante here; just add cumin, curry powder, Italian seasoning, or other spices to mix it up. Use an apple such as McIntosh or local Ginger Gold, which makes a super quick (IE microwavable) and tasty applesauce.

Sweet Potato Dippers with Applesauce

Sweet Potato Dippers with Cinnamon Applesauce

Sweet Potato Dippers:
1/3 cup warm water
2 1/2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 cups grated sweet potato (about 1 large sweet potato)
1 small onion, grated
3 to 4 tablespoons tapioca flour
Coconut oil, for pan-frying

Cinnamon Applesauce
1 small apple, such as Ginger Gold (in season right now, folks!)
Shake of ground cinnamon

To make the dippers, put the warm water, flaxseed, and salt in a bowl. Let stand a few minutes, then whisk to thicken. Add the sweet potato and onion. Mix well. Stir in the tapioca flour, enough for the mixture to stick together when you squeeze it.

Heat about 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Put a heaping tablespoon of the potato mixture on the pan. Press down with the back of a spatula. Cook for 5 minutes, until browned. Carefully flip and cook an additional 5 minutes. Let cool before packing in the lunch containers.

To make a quick applesauce, put the apple and a few tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. Steam until, fork tender, about 3 minutes. Add a pinch of cinnamon. Mix well, then mash well. Pack in separate containers for easy dipping.

Vegetable Soup with Lazy Gnocchi

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I call this lazy gnocchi because you don’t have to form them into the characteristic shape… Instead, roll them into balls and treat them like mini potato dumplings. If you’re so inclined, by all means, take the time to properly roll them.

ST - veg gnocchi soup 2

Vegetable Soup with Lazy Gnocchi

For the lazy gnocchi:
2 russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
About 1 cup gluten-free flour mix; I use 50% sorghum, 25% quinoa, 25% tapioca + 1 teaspoon xanthan gum for this, adding more sorghum if needed.

For the soup:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, washed well and thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
3 cups whole, peeled stewed tomatoes (homemade or canned; I’ve used both)
8 cups water
6 cups chopped Swiss chard
1 can (14oz/398mL) kidney beans, rinsed
Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Wrap the potatoes in foil. Bake for about 1 hour until tender.

Meanwhile, to make the soup, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the leeks, celery, and carrots. Cook until softened and starting to caramelize, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic. Mix until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the oregano, basil, rosemary, and poultry seasoning, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce the heat, letting simmer while preparing the potatoes.

While simmering, carefully unwrap the potatoes and let cool about 20 minutes. Mash or rice them well, and spread them on a work surface. Add about half of the flour mixture. Using your hands, knead the potato/flour mixture to bring it together, adding more flour mix to create a soft, smooth dough. It should not be sticky or crumbly. Have patience—you will be kneading and adding flour for about 10 minutes. You’ll use about 3/4 to 1 cup of flour in total.

Once the dough has come together, take a moment to add the Swiss chard and kidney beans to the soup.

Return to the potatoes. Use your hands to roll small 3/4-inch-sized balls of dough between your palms. Repeat until all dough has been used.

Return the soup to a boil. If you find that there isn’t enough room for the gnocchi to cook, use a sieve to temporarily transfer some of the vegetables into a large bowl. Carefully drop the lazy gnocchi into the boiling soup. Cook until gnocchi rises, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in parsley and re-add the vegetables. Serve hot.