Vegan. This has been my identity for 3.5 weeks now.
Here’s the thing, I like fried chicken, mac & cheese and meatballs. But the husband and I have been participating in the 6-week Eat to Live challenge. This diet involves NO oil, NO sugar, NO salt, NO meat and NO animal by-products. The goal is to eat as much vegetables and fruit as we want. Beans are a must. Some grains and nuts are okay too. Read more here.
Fortunately, I have lost 9.2 pounds thus far, which makes me feel empowered. Unfortunately, I am craving burgers, fries and pizza in the worst way. Honestly, the only food that has kept me sane are these Quinoa Veggie Spring Rolls dipped in low-sodium soy sauce and doused in sriracha. Each raw vegetable contributes its own unique flavor and texture, making this meal intensely satisfying. Did I mention it’s SUPER easy and FUN to whip up?
Before we talk about the recipe…
I have been running this little blog of mine since January 2015. So 1 year and 5 months later, I finally upgraded my tiny Samsung point and shoot to a beautiful Canon Rebel T5i! This beast of a camera has kept me busy this whole weekend. I am working diligently to learn and master all its features. The truth is, no matter how nice your camera is, if you don’t know how to use it, your pictures will reflect your inexperience (aka they’ll suck). These pictures are my FIRST attempt at wielding my {new} Canon beast.
I have been playing with aperture, ISO, shutter speed, exposure, depth of field and all that jazz. It’s intimidating. I was so used to turning on my camera and clicking. After several hours, I was able to feel proud of these pictures I share here with you. This is seriously my NEW FAVORITE MEAL and I am so glad that my pictures reflect their deliciousness.
the recipe
ingredients
filling pleasures
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa {red or white}, cook according to box instructions
- radicchio, chopped
- cucumber, julienned
- carrot, julienned
- avocado, sliced
- chives, sliced
- ginger, pickled
- cilantro
- Vietnamese brown rice wrappers (I found them at Whole Foods)
dipping pleasures
- low-sodium soy sauce
- sriracha
directions
- Gather all ingredients (prep everything so it is ready to be assembled).
- Fill a wide shallow bowl with warm water. Immerse 1 brown rice wrapper for 3-5 seconds until it just begins to soften {don’t leave it too long, it will disintegrate}.
- Lay out the wrapper on a flat surface. Layer your filling ingredients on the edge of the wrapper closest to you.
- Fold both sides inwards {to hold in the filling}, then slowly start to roll away from you, tucking in your filling toward you to keep the roll tight {practice makes perfect here}. Repeat until you are full.
- Serve with low-sodium soy sauce and sriracha!
Wow. These are phenomenal, {super} healthy, vegan and gluten-free. The flavors that burst here are the citrus-y cilantro, bitter radicchio, creamy avocado, onion-y chives and bright ginger. Heck, try it with any veggie you have in the fridge. These Vietnamese brown rice wrappers are now a staple in our pantry. These little beauties make for a quick snack, lunch on-the-go or Asian dinner.
a common connoisseur 