Rolling into Spring

Although my domestic cooking repertoire has been on the up-and-up lately, I have clearly lacked the motivation to share my skills on a cyberspacial level. Posting about musical tastes takes less effort, but alas, here my latest creation, thanks to inspiration from my one of my soul sisters, Joanna, who was visiting from Chicago for a couple weeks.

SPRING ROLLS - A fun, fresh, healthy commencement of the tasty new season.

Ingredients: Variable
I used the following (going clockwise in the picture): bean sprouts, red cabbage, julienned carrots, cucumbers, avocado, cilantro, firm tofu, peanut butter, Siracha, mint leaves, rice paper. I kinda went all out with ingredients, but you could use half the ingredients and they would still turn out great.

How to make the perfect spring roll: Be patient, it's going to take a couple tries! I poured some water onto a plate and dipped the rice paper in and out of the water 7 times. You want to make sure the rice paper isn't too soaked and stretchy when you put it down on your work surface since it will continue to change in composition as you fill it with ingredients. Also, do not be overly enthusiastic when filling your spring rolls: you only need a small, small portion of each ingredient to fill these things up.

Roll up the ingredients and just before wrapping it burrito style, spread a layer of peanut butter, Siracha and a mint leave on paper. This will sort of glue the whole roll together.

Dipping Sauce: I'm a sauce junky. I used a little rice vinegar, soy sauce, tahini and/or peanut butter, sesame seeds, mixed to a consistency of your liking. If it gets too thick or intense, just add a bit of water to calm it down.

Purple Food

Red cabbage is one of those foods whose nutrition can be detected aesthetically: the sturdiness of its stalk and leaves gives this cruciferous vegetable the fibrous integrity to endure high heat, and its deep purple color provides a generous serving of antioxidants. Cabbage gives you a lot of nutrition bang for your buck. It's one of the most nutritionally dense vegetables you can get for your money, usually costing around $2-3 a head. Unlike other leafy green vegetables such as spinach, cabbage does not wilt or become slimy after a few days in the fridge. Wrap half a cabbage up in plastic and it can last you up to three weeks - another way to maximize your dollars spent. As another added benefit, this affordable veggie carries only about 30 calories per cup, yet it tends to be quite filling because of its high fiber content - the perfect recipe for anyone looking to lose weight.

Often people complain about the bitter taste of cabbage, a result of sulfur containing compounds called glucosinolates. These chemicals are actually meant to ward off the hungry herbivore that is looking for a snack, but luckily the combination of ingredients in the recipe below helps eliminate some of the bitter taste resulting in a tasty, nutritious and economic side dish. 

Ingredients:

1/2 medium cabbage, chopped or shredded

2-3 medium cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1-2 small limes

2-3 tbsp olive oil

cilantro, avocado and sour cream to garnish (optional)

Directions:

Healthy sauté the cabbage and garlic in a quarter cup or so of water for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat and add the olive oil and lime juice (notice the change of color!). Add salt and pepper and more lime to taste. Garnish with 3 slices of avocado, cilantro and sour cream. 

Nutrition Facts

Of the abundant components of red cabbage's nutritional profile, antioxidants, fiber, isothiocyanates and Vitamin K are, in my opinion, the best to remember. Anything that dark in color is guaranteed to be loaded with free-radical scavenging antioxidants, and any vegetable that sturdy is almost always high in fiber (see: celery). 

As part of the Cruciferae family, cabbage contains compounds called isothiocyanates, better known as ITCs, that are the byproducts of the chemicals responsible for the notorious bitter taste of Cruciferae vegetables. These compounds have been shown to have potent anti-carcinogenic (cancer-fighting) effects in animal models. 

Last but not least, a cup of cabbage will provide you with 50% of your daily value of Vitamin K, an essential nutrient that is essential in maintaining bone health and proper blood clotting.