Healthy Spring Rolls with Carrot-Ginger Dipping Sauce

Serves 6
FOR THE SPRING ROLLS:
* 6 rice-paper wappers
* 2 cups radish sprouts (1/2 oz)
NOTE: (Radish sprouts should have small green leaves. Keep in the refrigerator.)
* 1 red beet, trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise
* 1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
* 1 cucumber, julienned
* 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, julienned
* 3/4 c coarsely grated radish (daikon)
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:
* 3 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
* 1 small shallot, quartered
* 2 TBSP coarsely grated, peeled fresh ginger
* 1/4 c rice-wine vinegar (unseasoned)
* 2 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce
* 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
* Pinch each of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1/4 c vegetable oil
* 1/4 c water

1. Make the spring rolls: Soak one rice-paper wrapper in a large bowl of hot water unti pliable. Transfer to a work surface (a clean towel on your counter is good.)
2. Place 1/6 of the sprouts, beets slices, carrot cucumber, bell pepper and radish on the wrapper, towards the bottom. Fold ends in and roll tightly to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 5 more rolls.
3. Make the dipping sauce: Puree carrots, shallot, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth. With machine running, add vegetable oil and then water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream. Serve sauce with spring rolls.


Sprouts (of all kinds) are one of the most vitamin-rich foods. (Check out the vitamins in this dish.) Radish sprouts have 29 times more vitamin C than milk (29mg vs 1mg) and 4 times the vitamin A (391 IU vs 126). These spicy sprouts have 10 times more calcium than a potato (51mg vs. 5mg) and contain more vitamin C than pineapple. While mature radishes contain 10 IU/100g of provitamin A, the radish sprout contains 391 IU which is 39 times more vitamin A!)

TIPS (I found online) FOR WORKING WITH RICE PAPER WRAPPERS (differs slightly from the directions in this recipe, you'll notice--so ignore the ingredients, just read through for tips on wrapping):
Quickly immerse two rice paper wrappers in water and let them sit on a clean cotton towel until softened, about 1 minute. Keep the remaining wrappers covered in plastic or in their bag while you work.
Pull the wrappers out of the water and let them drain for a few seconds. Lay both side by side on your cotton towel and cover with the second towel. Blot well.
Lay one wrapper on top of the other. If your wrappers are round, fold over the right side. Press to break the rib of a lettuce leaf and lay it on the bottom of the wrapper parallel to your counter edge with the top of the leaf overlapping the folded edge. The end of the lettuce leaf should be at least 1 1/2 inches from the opposite unfolded edge. Layer an eighth of the parsley and basil, asparagus, and grilled chicken breast strips over the lettuce leaf.
Fold up the bottom of the wrapper and tuck the unfolded left edge over. Continue to roll, as tightly as you can without tearing the wrapper. If the wrapper tears, simply lay it on top of another soaked and blotted wrapper and continue to roll. Lay the completed roll on its seam side into a pan and cover with plastic wrap. You should eat your completed spring rolls while these rice papers are still moist--otherwise, they will become tough.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user HERCKLE.