Fresh, Raw Summer Rolls with Chili-Peanut dipping sauce

This was actually a Pinterest recipe that caught my eye at first but then I promptly forgot about it after adding it to my many recipe boards. Question for all your social media consuming foodie geeks – how do you keep track and organize the many recipes and food tips you pin, tag, instagram, stumbleUpon, Read it Later, save on Pocket, Evernote and whatever else you use to file recipes these days? I just glanced through my pins and bookmarks and I have enough recipes to menu plan for an entire year, without repeating any of them! But they are in dire need of organization and focus –  which one of those 10 spelt flour choc chip cookie recipes was THE one that got me ” the best-est cookie ever” badge from my foodie son? (Yeah I know I do manage to try some strange recipes:). I’m still not sure after trying out 4 other recipes and am not close to the original one:(

So send in your tips and suggestions. Of course the easiest method would be to record the best one here, so here goes…

I chanced upon this recipe again at this awesome blog called The Simple Veganista and the presentation and simplicity of this was enough to pull me in. I tried it for dinner last night and was impressed by how simple and yet how flavorful it was. This one is a keeper.  The recipe is modified slightly here as I used the ingredients I had (skipped tofu and added sprouts and kale) but it’s quite a forgiving recipe and I’m sure will taste good with whatever veggies you use.

Fresh, raw, healthy and very simple. Those should be good enough for anyone to try them I’m sure. The dipping sauce takes about 5 minutes to whip up. Have these summer rolls with a bowl of hot soup or any cold gazpacho and you have a balanced and healthy meal.

Ingredients:

• 5 rice papers (I used circular sheets)
• 3 medium carrots, cut into match sticks
• 1/2 cucumber, cut into match sticks
• 1/2 bell pepper green, thinly sliced
• 1/4 red cabbage, thinly sliced
• kale, pea shoots
• radishes, thinly sliced
• mung sprouts
• mint leaves, a handful
• basil leaves, a handful

Method:

• 1. Dip the rice paper in a flat bowl of warm water (the water should be warm,not boiling but not lukewarm either). Soak untilyou feel the paper soften and begin to get translucent and a bit sticky.
• 2. Layer the veggies -I added kale first, then pea shoots, carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers,sprouts and then mint or basil.
• 
• 3. Roll the paper tightly around the veggies and continue to roll until you get a tube of tightly rolled veggies in rice paper.
• 
• 4. Cut them in half and serve with dipping sauces of your choice.
• 

Peanut chili dipping sauce: (this is exactly as on the blog except that I added additional red chili flakes.You can also add fresh thai red chili if needed)

• 3 heaping tbsps peanut or almond butter (I mixed 2 tbsp of peanut and 1 tbsp of almond butter)
• 1 tbsp tamari, Bragg’s liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp warm water
• 1 – 2 tbsp rice vinegar, optional
• juice of 1 lime
• 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional

Mix all the above with a small whisk or fork until it blends together. You can make this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.