M.Y.O.S.R. -- Make Your Own Spring Rolls!

File this one under "Because You Can." Also, under "Easy to Consume with One Broken Arm," "Fits In Pocket," and "Freshalicious."

One pack of rice papers (dehydrated) from my Asian market costs approximately nothing (actually, you can see the price tag in the photo) and, if the Vietnamese were into things like expiration dates, you might see a date well into the next century stamped right next to "Machine Made!" on the lid. To the left of the shamrock. Naturally.

Actually, spring rolls are a fantastic alternative to the sandwich, which is sooooo yesterday's post (literally). You can stuff them with anything that's finely shredded and moisture free, and they'll last a couple days in the fridge if you can't shovel all six at once. Be sure not to skip the fresh basil leaves here, as they are imperative to the springy taste.

Also, don't get discouraged if your rolling skills take some practice. My first few attempts at spring rolls were loose, chaotic messes. It takes a little finesse to pull as tightly as possible without tearing the paper. You'll probably never get as good as the folks at the take-out restaurant, but you'll love them because they're yours.

Vegetable Spring Rolls with Baked Tempeh and Peanut Dipping Sauce

makes 6 rolls, takes 45 minutes with tempeh, about 15 without

For the Tempeh:

1 8-oz container tempeh

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger, or about 1 tsp dried

1 clove garlic, minced

pinch red pepper flakes

1 tsp toasted Asian sesame oil

1 tsp sesame seed

For the Spring Rolls:

8-inch round rice papers

1 cup (scant) shredded cabbage, very dry

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

2 scallions, thinly sliced

12 fresh basil leaves

Peanut Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

1. For the tempeh: Slice your slab into 10 logs. Mix water, soy, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes together and pour into a small saucepan over medium high heat. Lay tempeh logs in a single layer over the bottom.Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450º. Brush a shallow baking dish with the sesame oil. When all the marinade is absorbed, transfer tempeh slabs into baking dish and sprinkle with half of sesame seeds. Turn and sprinkle with other half. Bake 15 minutes, turn, and bake 15 minutes more. Let cool.
   
   
3. For the rolls: In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, carrot, and scallions.

Make yourself a nice workspace with all your ingredients laid out, a clean dish towel in the middle, and a pie plate or large bowl filled with warm water. Start by submerging your rice paper into the water until pliable, about 10 seconds. Transfer to kitchen towel and blot dry. Plop about 1/3 cup cabbage mixture on the bottom 1/3 of the rice paper round. Top with 1 1/2 tempeh logs and 2 fresh basil leaves.Lift the bottom edge over the filling and fold the two sides in toward the center. Roll as tightly as possible without tearing the paper. Set on a plate, seam side down. You go, girl (or whoever).

Peanut Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1 clove garlic

1 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp soy sauce

pinch cayenne, or a dash of hot sauce

water (3-4 Tbsp)

• Combine all ingredients except water in food processor and spin until smooth. Add water until a desirable dipping consistency is reached.

Pork Meatball Banh Mi

Banh mi is just about the sexiest sandwich around right now. New Yorkers are absolutely besotted with it, if the New York Times is to be believed, and as a result, the rest of us must hear about it all. the. time. I've never sampled the real deal myself, but it seems to be an ode to the pig that is resounding in little cult waves across the country.

Fine. Take some French colonial influences--like baguettes, mayonnaise, and pate--to Southeast Asia and slap them together with local tastes like burn-your-face-off peppers, cilantro, and pickled stuff. Add 13 different layers of pork and you're sitting on a gold mine of foodie-hipster street food.

While I'm not going to run out and do extensive research, sampling, and blogging about the 10 best banh mi spots in Boston (which probably don't exist anyway...) I am willing to try the approximation in and old Bon Appetit I was flipping through the other day. One particular article was all about fancying up the meatball. I like meat. In ball-shapes. I also like fancy sometimes. Why not try the Pork Meatball Banh Mi?

Well I'm happy to report that it was go-ood. Really, meatballs in general are a good idea. But meatballs with zesty Asian spicing swimming in hot sriracha mayonnaise and showered in pickled vegetables? That's quite a sandwich.

Pork Meatball Banh Mi

serves 2; ready in about an hour

Hot chili mayo

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 tsp hot chili sauce; I used sriracha (the rooster)

Meatballs

1/3 lb ground pork

2 Tbsp finely chopped basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp hot chili sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

The Rest

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup grated daikon radish

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sesame oil

2 small baguettes*, or one large baguette cut into 6-inch lengths

fresh cilantro

1. Make the mayo: stir all ingredients together and season with salt, if desired. Store covered in the fridge.
2. Make the veg: stir together carrots, radish, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let stand at room temperature, tossing occasionally, while you are preparing meat.
3. Make the balls: gently mix all the meatball ingredients together and form into balls. Use about one Tablespoon amount and form 1-inch balls. You should get about 8. In a small skillet heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Saute all the balls at once, turning often, until browned through. Mine took 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
4. Make the sandwich: Slice baguettes in half and pull out excess middle bread, leaving the shell 1/2-inch thick. Spread mayo, then layer plenty of fresh cilantro sprigs, then meatballs. Squeeze out pickled vegetables and sprinkle over. Top with remaining baguette half.

*About the baguette: I brought home a firm, bready baguette from work to use for this sandwich. Not the best choice. The real Vietnamese baguette usually used for banh mi has a combination of wheat and rice flour, giving it a nice, thin crackly crust and a soft interior. When you're looking for bread, the softer the better in this case.