Spring Rolls with Spinach, Mushrooms, Sesame & Rice

By mariannefeldman

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/12/health/nutrition/spring-rolls-with-spinach-mushrooms-sesame-rice-and-herbs-recipes-for-health.html?ref=nutrition&_r=0

I steam the spinach just until it collapses for these rolls and combine it with rice instead of the more traditional noodles. You can use brown, regular basmati or jasmine rice.

Recipes for Health
Martha Rose Shulman presents food that is vibrant and light, full of nutrients but by no means ascetic, fun to cook and to eat.
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Ingredients

• For the filling:
• 1 3/4 cups cooked rice (brown, basmati or jasmine)
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 pound baby spinach or 2 pounds bunch spinach, stemmed and washed
• 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds or lightly toasted regular hulled sesame seeds
• 1/4 pound firm tofu, cut into dominoes 1/4 inch thick by 1/2 inch wide and drained on paper towels
• 2 tablespoons peanut sauce
• 2 large carrots (about 1 pound), peeled and grated
• 6 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped, plus additional sprigs
• 1/3 cup mint leaves, coarsely chopped, plus additional leaves
• 1/4 cup Thai basil leaves, coarsely chopped, plus additional leaves (may substitute regular basil if you can’t get the Thai variety)
• Salt to taste
• 8 8 1/2-inch rice flour spring roll wrappers

Preparation

Step 1

1. Toss the rice with 1 tablespoon of the rice vinegar and the soy sauce.

2. Wash the spinach and steam 1 to 2 minutes, tossing halfway through. It should wilt but still have some texture. Rinse with cold water, squeeze dry and coarsely chop. Season with salt to taste.

3. Spread each tofu domino with about 1/4 teaspoon peanut sauce.

4. Place the shredded carrots, slivered mushrooms and chopped herbs in a large bowl and toss with the remaining rice vinegar and salt to taste.

5. Fill a bowl with warm water and place a spring roll in it just until it is pliable, about 30 seconds. Remove from the water and drain briefly on a kitchen towel. Place the wrapper on your work surface in front of you and arrange several cilantro sprigs, whole mint leaves and basil leaves, vein side up, on the wrapper. Leaving a 2-inch margin on the sides, place a handful of the carrot mixture on the wrapper, slightly nearer to the edge closest to you. Top with a handful of rice, then a handful of spinach. Place 3 tofu dominoes down the length of the spinach. Fold the sides in, then roll up the spring rolls tightly, squeezing the filling to get a tight roll. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Note: If the wrapper tears when you roll it, you can moisten another wrapper and roll the torn one in it. Two wrappers will not make an overly thick roll.

Yield: 8 spring rolls.

Advance preparation: These will keep for a day in the refrigerator. Wrap individually.

Nutritional information per roll: 142 calories; 3 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 23 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 124 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 7 grams protein



Martha Rose Shulman is the author of “The Very Best of Recipes for Health.”