Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls

This Filipino inspired comfort food, is a meal that will transport you into the Pacific Islands. The combinations of flavors and textures make for a perfect and adventurous dish that can be served as an appetizer, or as a main course for lunch.

INGREDIENTS:

Filling:

• 1 package of firm tofu

• 1 package of ground chicken

• 1/2 pound of shrimp

• 1/2 of a cabbage head

• 6 stalks of celery

• 2 sweet potatoes

• 4 carrots

• 1 bag of frozen french cut green beans

• 4-5 cloves of garlic

• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

• 3 1/4 cups of water

• 1 cup dark soy sauce

• 4 tablespoons of honey roasted peanuts

• 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar

• 4 tablespoons of corn starch

• 1 tablespoon of garlic

Garnishes:

• A head of romaine Lettuce

• Rice noodles

• 1 cup of vegetable oil

• 1 cup honey roasted peanuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the filling, start by mincing the garlic and onions, shredding the cabbage, and julienne the sweet potatoes, celery, and carrots. Next, cube the tofu into small pieces.

2. In a pan, saute the garlic and onions in a few tablespoons of oil before adding the ground chicken. Once chicken is cooked, add the cubed tofu.

3. Once the protein is incorporated together, add the rest of the vegetables and stir.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. To make the Sauce, bring only 3 cups of water to a simmer.

6. Once the water is simmering, add 1 cup of dark soy sauce. When the two liquids are incorporated, add 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar.

7. In a separate bowl, mix 4 tablespoons of cornstarch in 1/4 cup of water and add the mixture into the saucepan. Stir until thickened.

8. Finally, add 1 tablespoons of garlic and 4 tablespoons of chopped honey roasted peanuts.

9. Add salt to taste.

10. For the garnishes, place 1 cup of honey roasted peanuts into a food processor and pulse until chopped into small pieces.

11. For the rice noodles, heat 1 cup of vegetable oil into a pot. Once the oil is hot, fry the rice noodles until fully puffed.

12. For the wrap, separate the romaine lettuce leaves from the head.

13. To plate, take a lettuce leave and fill with the protein/vegetable filling. Add sauce, chopped peanuts, and fried noodles to the top.

14. Serve and enjoy!