Fresh Start Summer Rolls

Start Fresh
This summer has brought with it many new and exciting things into my life, perhaps the most exciting being my own kitchen!! Due to my many hours of free time, the walk ability to my wonderful Co-op, and my inspiration to start Honey B Healthy I have been cooking and "rawing" myself into a little frenzy. Here’s the catch-I live alone. Too much delicious food for one small person! Luckily for my friends and neighbors this means many a dinner party at the new abode.

For our first official dinner party in the new place, my roommate and I decided pasta with fresh pesto and garlic bread would fill the boys up, but for a special extra fresh contribution I decided to wrap up some raw summer rolls, a personal fave, using up an abundance of healthy stuff I had laying around the kitchen.

That’s a Wrap
You can find Vietnamese spring roll wraps at most health or Asian markets and there are really so many different ways to experiment with them. My sister Katy spent a year living in Vietnam and on our family trip to visit her we were lucky to have someone so familiar with the city to lead us around. While many would just order the “spring roll”, which comes deep fried and greasy, she knew to order the fresh spring rolls which were translucent and bursting with a beautiful array of raw veggies. The one flavor that always stuck out to me from these rolls was the cilantro. Almost overpowering at times, I can’t seem to recall anything else in the rolls besides the herb. Thanks to my visit to Vietnam I have always recognized the amazing effect of fresh herbs in any dish, especially spring rolls.

All about Transparency
Who would of thunk such seemingly innocent little rolls, bearing their insides for the world to see, could pack such a powerful punch of nutrition. For this particular recipe I want to focus on the beautiful benefits of the mysterious Jicima. Many people in the US have never even heard of Jicima but it is a versatile veggie widely used in South America. It resembles a potato, rooty and knobby on the outside, but within has a clear crunchy flesh that most closely resembles a water chestnut but I often use the comparison to a pear or apple. It has a mildly sweet taste that lends it is versatile nature. Just one cup of raw Jicima provides 27% of our RDI of fiber, 35% RDI for vitamin C, and is also a great source of the minerals potassium and molybdenum. While the high Vit C and fiber content=wonderful things for your digestion and immunity the extra dose of potassium is vital in balancing out diets too high in sodium.

The Sodium Potassium Pump
Potassium (K) exists within most cells of our bodies and the balance between K and Sodium (Na) is regulated through a tiny pump. This pump is central maintaining the acid-base balance within our bodies as well as keeping your cells nice and charged. Studies have shown that diets high in sodium and low in potassium can lead to various cardiovascular diseases and cancer while diets high in potassium lower the risks of both! The ideal potassium to sodium ratio is 5:1 (far higher than the average intake) but an easy goal to reach by eating less salt and adding in more potassium rich (and sodium poor) foods. Some examples include: Bananas, Avocado, peaches, and the ever so famous coconut water!! Happy electrolyte balancing!!

Here is my recipe for the start of summer spring roll:
Makes about 10 rolls

3 peeled carrots cut into matchsticks
equal amount of sweet potato matchsticks (little less than one)
about 1 tbs of freshly grated ginger
squeeze of lemon
clove of garlic
sesame seeds
assortment of chopped herbs (I used basil, mint, and cilantro)


Get creative with the veggies! But I used
Half of one Jicima cut into matchsticks (great replacement for those little clear noodles w/o any real nutrition)
Cucumber
Homegrown broccoli sprouts
Avocado

To Wrap: Dip wrap in warm water for about a minute until soft, lay on flat surface, center fillings (below) then fold one side over veggies and fold edges over veggies (think wrapping a present) then           roll. If anyone wants a photo guide I will add ;)

Dipping Sauce:

2 tsp almond butter

3 tbs tamari

sesame seeds

ginger

My trick to flavor the rolls without having to actually put sauce inside them is marinating the carrots & sweet potato. About 6 hours before making the rolls, toss the cut carrots & yam with just a splash of olive oil, ginger, lemon, handful of sesame seeds, herbs and garlic and mix it thoroughly. Then just stick it in the fridge and allow the flavors to infuse into the orange veggies lending a beautiful pop of flavor to the rolls without overloading on the sauce! I like it raw for the summer months but you could also sauté this in the winter!

Happy Munching!