Nori and Spring Roll Bar

One of our favorite meals is our Nori/Spring Roll Bar.

We like food that kids can make themselves, as they have a tendency to eat it better.   Nori rolls are great, and we don’t even try to make them fancy–we just kind of roll them in cones and eat them.

Spring rolls are so easy to make–we just have a large pan a little bigger than the diameter of the spring roll that we fill up about 2 1/2 inches with water, then heat it over the stove until it’s very, very warm.  Each person takes their spring roll wrapper, and dips it in the water for half a minute or less, and then they are ready for topping and rolling!  Here is a step by step photo tutorial on how to stuff and fold them.

Spring Rolls

Here are some things we have on hand for our Nearly Raw Nori and Spring Roll Bar:

• Banh Trang Spring Roll Wrapper (or whatever variety you can find)
• Sushi Nori (you can get them raw, toasted, or roasted and salted.  The roasted are the tastiest, but a bit greasy.  We usually go with the toasted.)

Avocado Spread (this is in place of mayo or nut pates that are usually called for to hold a nori roll together):

• 1 very ripe avocado
• 3/4  teaspoon minced garlic
• 3/4  teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• Touch wasabi paste (optional)
• Splash of lime
• A few drops sesame oil

Blend all ingredients in food processor til smooth.  Spread on nori rolls.  Yum!

If you don’t want to be that exotic, just smash up a plain avocado.

Typical Ingredients: Click the image for a great recipe for Spring Rolls that has measurements and everything! (Something I just can't do!)

Here are typical fillings for either the nori sheet or the spring roll wrapper:

• carrot sticks or broccoli slaw (a mix of carrot sticks and julienned broccoli)
• cumbers, cut in thin long strips
• baby lettuces
• avocado slices
• alfalfa sprouts
• zesty clover/radish sprouts
• sweet baby peppers, sliced thinly
• celery, cut in thin, long strips
• smoked salmon or trout, cut in long strips
• boiled shrimp, sliced lengthwise
• mung bean sprouts
• spring onions, sliced thinly
• Cooked rice stick noodles
• Sweet Thai Chili Sauce (oh, yum!)

For dipping, make sure you have Asian dressing, as well as a peanut sauce.

Raw Spicy Peanut Sauce

• 1/2 cup raw peanut butter
• 1 teaspoons Chinese hot chili oil with red pepper flakes
• 3 teaspoons Nama Shoyu or organic soy sauce
• 1 clove minced garlic
• Coconut milk

In a food processor combine everything except the oil until well blended. Add the coconut milk  just until the sauce is of the consistency you like. Adjust shoyu and chili to taste.

We just put everything in little bowls on the table or the kitchen island and go to town.  This would also be good served with little bowls of miso or hot and sour soup.

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Tagged as: real food