Thai Basil Rolls with Sweet and Spicy Sauce

First, I have been/ will be in the coming weeks somewhat slower with churning out some fun recipes for you all. I have a lot of home-type projects that need to be done before an event, date-unknown, occurs. What event, exactly? Well, not quite ready to share yet because of too many things we don't know. But soon, hopefully, soon, I will let you know!

Hope you enjoy these un-fried spring rolls. Yes, these are what spring rolls actually look like before dipping them in batter and frying them- like the kind you mostly see at restaurants. I prefer them this way. 1) Because they are slightly healthier and 2) because they require much less work :)

I can't decide if I like the sauce or the spring rolls better in this recipe. The sauce is on the sweet side for me so it makes a yummy afternoon snack. I wish I had kiddos to test it out on (probably would make it less spicy for them, but I feel like this would be a good way to get kids to eat some raw veggies)! At least when I was a kid I could eat pretty much anything non-kid friendly (you know, like asparagus :) if I had a good dip to mask it with. And the sweet and spicy dipping sauce is nutritious and rich in probiotics so if they did slather it on, it wouldn't be so bad :)

Fruit Basil Spring Rolls

makes: 6 full spring rolls, 12 when cut in halfIngredients

• 6 spring roll wrappers, found in the Asian section of most grocery stores (usually made from tapioca and/or rice starch and water)
• 1/4 cup water + 1 tsp arrowroot starch (or potato, corn, or tapioca starches) for brushing for easier rolling
• filling mix
• sauce for dipping
  

For the filling

• 1 large cucumber, or two small ones
• 1/2 red bell pepper
  
• 1 mango
  
• 3 Tbsp of finely diced onion
• juice of 1/2 orange
• 1/2" slice of ginger root, peeled and minced
  
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 tsp sea salt
  
• 24 fresh Thai basil leaves, about 4 per roll (can sub regular basil leaves)
  

For the sweet and spicy dipping sauce

• 3 Tbsp unsweetened almond butter (or can sub unsweetened peanut butter or use both)
• 4 Tbsp coconut kefir (or can sub 4 Tbsp coconut milk, plus 1 tsp lemon juice, or 4 Tbsp good quality plain, unsweetened yogurt for a dairy version)
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp tamarind paste, or paste from 2 large whole tamarinds (you can find these at international markets or Whole Foods, can also sub tsp honey or other sweetener)
• 1 tsp lime juice
  

Method

• Slice the bell pepper, cucumber, and mango into thin strips like so:
• Add all filling ingredients to a bowl (except basil) and let sit/ marinade for 30 minutes while you prepare the dipping sauce and get the spring roll skins ready.
• For the sauce, blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. The sauce is sweet, so you can adjust tamarind/ honey/ or other sweetener to your taste buds.
  
• For the spring rolls, on a clean work space, lay out the 6 spring roll wrappers and brush the entire sheet to make it easier to work with and more flexible- they get pretty crispy in their packaging
• When the filling is ready, start constructing the spring roll. First, place basil leaves in a row across the middle of the circle. Then add filling. Here's how I did mine:
  
• Then roll and tuck the filling and sides under like you are about to roll a burrito, and brush again with the water/ starch mixture if needed (I also used two hands, but you can't use two hands and take a picture at the same time :)
• Then roll the rest into a log shape:
• Cut in half diagonally and serve with dipping sauce for a yummy appetizer or snack.

This recipe has been linked up to:
1. Cucumbers, mangoes, and peppers are in season. Check out other seasonal recipes by clicking on the link to the left and visiting Real Sustenance.









2. Also, check out other refined sugar-free recipes by clicking the picture on the right. Check out Sugar-free Sunday every Sunday at Flip Cookbook





3. Simply Sugar and Gluten Free hosts has a wide variety of healthier food ideas every Tuesday. Click link to to check out this weeks submissions.










Happy Thai Roll Making,
Eryn