Description
Rice, vegetable sauté, and greens combine to make a perfect snack, appetizer, or meal.
Ingredients
For the Sauté
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1 green onion, chopped, green and white parts in separate piles
- 1 carrot, grated
- 4 oz sliced button or shiitake mushrooms
- 1 generous handful Okinawa (or regular) spinach, cut into 1/2 inch strips
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 8–10 mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds*
Sauce for the Sauté
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (I used seasoned but regular is ok)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 clove of garlic, mashed into paste*
For the Rolls
- 3/4 cup sushi rice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar*
- 5 rice paper wrappers*
- extra fresh spinach
Instructions
To make the Sauté
- Add the 2 teaspoons coconut oil to a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the white parts of the green onion and fry for a few minutes, until fragrant.
- And the carrots and the mushrooms to the pan and fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until the mushrooms start to soften.
- While the vegetables are cooking, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, and mashed garlic in a small bowl. Add the sauce and the spinach to the vegetables and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the spinach has just wilted.
- Remove from heat and add the sesame oil, mint leaves, toasted sesame seeds, and the green part of the green onion.
Preparing the Rice
- Cook the rice according to the package’s instructions.
- When finished cooking, add the 1 1/2 tablespoon of seasoned vinegar and stir.
Assembling the Rolls
- Dip one rice paper wrapper into a big bowl of water. Remove and lie flat on a cutting board.
- At the back third of the wrap, pile 1/4 cup rice and 1/4 cup vegetable mixture. In front of this pile, lay down a few layers of fresh spinach.
- To roll up the wrap, fold the sides and the back of the rice paper roll into the center. Roll your wrap from back to front and watch as the rice paper seals to itself.
- Repeat until the rice and vegetable mixtures are gone.
Notes
Toasted Sesame Seeds: To make these, heat a small frying pan over medium. When hot, add the seeds. Keep stirring and fry, for 1-2 minutes, or until the seeds just start changing color, from white to golden.
Garlic paste: I use a microplane grater to make easy garlic paste. If you have premade garlic paste, use 1/2 teaspoon. You can also make garlic paste by mincing garlic and then smooshing it (as you would in a mortar and pestle) with 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
Seasoned rice vinegar for the rice mixture: If you don’t have seasoned rice vinegar, just mix the 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar with 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt before using.
Rice paper wrappers: You can find these in the Asian section of your grocery store.
Keywords: summer rolls, spinach, vegetable, sauté, sushi rice, snack, appetizer, lunch, light food, vegan, vegetarian,