Salad Rolls

Posted in /Cooking/Side_Dishes on Friday, July 14, 2017

I make these with my students during the international cuisine unit and in the appetizer unit. This is great for introducing tofu in a way that has a lot of flavor and makes students think of salads as more than lettuce.

Ingredients

1 block Tofu (you can also make with shrimp or other protein)
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Sesame oil
1/3 cup (83 mL) Rice wine vinegar (Sake)
3/4 cup (187.5 mL) Hoisin sauce
3 Tablespoons (45 mL) Soy sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons (22 mL) Garlic - minced
3/4 teaspoon (3.75 mL) 5 spice powder (Ground up: cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise and sichuan peppercorns)
Lettuce
Carrots
Peppers
Cucumber
Rice paper wrappers - rounds
Chopped peanuts (optional)
Thai Basil (optional)

Dipping sauce ingredients:

1 Cup (250 mL) Hoisin
2 Tablespoons (30mL) Sriacha sauce

Noodle ingredients:

1 bunch (typically more than one per package) Rice vermicelli noodles
* For every additional bunch add an additional teaspoon of sesame oil and rice wine vinegar.
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Sesame oil
1 teaspoon (5 mL) rice wine vinegar

Directions

1. In a bowl make the marinade for the tofu by combining sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, minced garlic and 5 spice powder.
2. Gently pat dry the tofu. Once dry cut batonnet (French fry sized) sticks out of the tofu.
3. Lay the cut tofu in a pan and cover with marinade, marinate for 1-24 hours.
4. Bake the tofu on a baking sheet with parchment paper in a single layer. Make sure to leave space between each batonnet to ensure they do not stick together. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

5. Prepare fillings for salad rolls by cutting the following vegetables julienne: carrots, cucumbers & peppers. Also in a thick chiffonade cut lettuce.
6. Prepare your dipping sauce: in a separate bowl combine hoisin and sriacha. Pour into dipping cups and put out for service.
7. Meanwhile set a pot of water to boil. Once boiled, remove the pot from the heat and add your rice vermicelli noodles. Gently stir the noodles for approximately 3-4 minutes to ensure they are not sticking together.

8. Drain your noodles in a colander then transport to a bowl and toss with sesame oil and rice wine vinegar.

9. Set up your work station with your ingredients that have already been prepared. Get a bowl of warm/hot water for soaking the rice paper wraps.

10. To assemble your roll: soak your rice paper wrap for approximately 5 seconds in warm/hot water. Lay the wrap on a clean, smooth surface and begin to fill with prepared fillings, making sure not to over fill the wrap or it will burst open.
11. Place fillings in the center of the wrap, for best results have all the julienned vegetables laying in the same direction.

12. Begin to close the roll by folding in two sides then taking one of the opened ends (the one closest to you is easiest) and folding it over the fillings. Then gently pull the most recent fold back towards you, this tightens the fillings and makes for a nicer roll. Lastly roll the whole thing towards the remaining open end.

13. Place rolls on a damp surface and allow space between rolls so they do not stick together. Serve with prepared sauce.