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Vietnamese Fresh Basil Spring Rolls

These rolls are fresh and loaded with flavor and  veggies! You will not be able to eat just one, I promise! Bonus: these rolls are very healthy and will fit almost any kind of diet. They are gluten free and vegan. This recipe is also great for anyone on an elimination diet.

spring rolls

I know we are in the middle of winter but that doesn’t mean it’s not the perfect time to eat something fresh and light. These rolls are so versatile. I love to use basil in mine, but they would also be great with fresh mint or cilantro. You could switch out the veggies, play around and make it to your particular taste. 

fresh veggies for spring rolls

These came together very quickly. It’s a good idea to have all your veggies chopped up before you get started putting your rolls together. I find it works best to put all your fillings together in the middle of the wrap and then roll it up tight like a burrito. The rice paper is very flexible just make sure you do not get it too soft or it will rip when you try to roll it together, but if you follow the directions according to the package it will work great!

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Soy is off limits to me but I have found I love Coconut Aminos even more and it is the main ingredient for the sauce to dip these delectable rolls in. 

Vietnamese Fresh Basil Spring Rolls
Yields 10
These rolls are filled with fresh veggies and are perfect as an appetizer or a meal.
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For the Rolls
  1. 2 carrots (shaved with a vegetable peeler)
  2. 2 cucumbers (sliced thinly)
  3. 1 avocado (sliced)
  4. handful of fresh basil
  5. 2 green onion tops
  6. thin rice noodles
  7. 10 Vietnamese spring roll rice wrappers
For the Sauce
  1. 1 tsp of minced garlic
  2. 1 tsp of chopped ginger
  3. 1/3 cup of coconut aminos
  4. 1 green onion top
Instructions
  1. Begin by chopping all the vegetables.
  2. Then cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the package.
  3. When the rice noodles are done get a bowl of warm water to prepare the rice wrappers.
  4. Dip the wrappers into the warm water until they begin to get soft. You want them soft but still a little firm because they will soften up as you are working with them,
  5. Lay the wrapper out flat on a cutting board and put all your veggies, basil and the rice noodles in the middle of the wrapper. Roll them up like you would a burrito. You can fold them ends in or leave them open. Be sure that you do not stack the completed rolls as they will stick together.
  6. To make the sauce you will need a small sauce pan. Combine all the ingredients and gently cook for about 5 minutes and you are done!
Notes
  1. If you have left over rolls you can wrap them each individually in saran wrap and store in the refrigerator up to two days.
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Savory Roasted Plantains

Savory Roasted Plantains Recipe

I remember the first time I had a plantain. It was about 7 years ago, we were vacationing in Boca Raton.  We were staying at this fantastic resort and had a cabana for the day complete with a crib for Lily she was around 9 months at the time. I don’t know what it is about being out in the sun and swimming that makes me want to eat everything in sight but it does.  I decided to order a plate of guacamole, yuca, and plantains. The thing is at the time I thought I didn’t like guacamole, and I had never tried yuca or plantains, but at that moment it all looked great! I devoured it and I was in love. Now it is rare that a day goes by that I do not eat an avocado and almost every week I make plantains. 

Savory Roasted Plantains Recipe

They are so easy to make and are delicious. You can make them sweet or savory. Most of the time I go with savory, although they are fantastic either way. I love to have them when I make rice, black beans, and guacamole. Don’t forget the hot sauce. That is a perfect meal to me!

Savory Roasted Plantains
Serves 2
Delicious and healthy savory plantains!
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Prep Time
2 min
Cook Time
23 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
2 min
Cook Time
23 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 plantain
  2. 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil (melted)
  3. 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
  4. salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 415 ºF. Peel the plantain, then cut the plantain in half and then cut each half into fourths. Put the plantains in a bowl then pour the coconut oil over them. Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Toss them all together. Put the plantains on a baking sheet (I line mine with foil to make cleaning up easier). Bake them for 23 minutes, turning them halfway through. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. Plantains are great by themselves as a side dish or with salsa or guacamole.
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Homemade Salad Dressings

Most bottled salad dressings are so unhealthy… full of sugar, fat and preservatives.  Making your own is much healthier and easy to do.

Here are a few that I enjoy:

Honey Lime Dressing
Whisk together the juice of one lime, 3 tbsp of honey (preferable raw and organic), and 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (courtesy of twopeasandtheirpod)

Spicy Honey Mustard
Whisk 2 tsp each honey and dijon mustard, 2 tbsp lime juice, and 1/2 tsp each lime zest and kosher salt. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup each olive oil and canola oil, then add 2 tsp chopped thyme and 1/2 minced jalapeno. (courtesy of The Food Network)

Oil-Free/Balsamic-Free Italian Vinaigrette Dressing
2 1/2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp organic dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp celtic sea salt, 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 cup filtered water (courtesy of Kimberly Synder)

Questions for today:

Do you usually make your own dressing or buy it?

What’s your favorite type of salad dressing?

Photo Credit: Emily Barney via Compfight cc