A Rooftop Party and Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Last night I went to a rooftop cocktail party at this lady‘s gorgeous home:

I met folks I know from Twitter (even more fun in person), chatted with gals who know more about food than I will learn in a lifetime, listened to handsome fellas talk about food (swoon…) and saw a beautiful sunset:

It’s difficult for me to choose what to take to social gatherings.  It has to be vegetarian and gluten-free.  I also feel pressure to make sure I’m bringing something really delicious, because I never want to hear, “Oh, it’s not bad for being gluten-free.”  Last night I chose to take something I make at least a couple of times a week, one of my favorite quick lunches, sometimes dinner.  I pack these in my bento box when I fly, I ate them on the ski slopes in April. They are my peanut butter & jelly.  And I took them to a cocktail party overflowing with foodies.  What was I thinking?!?

Well, apparently they aren’t all that bad.  I decided I would have one a couple of hours into the party and discovered they were gone.  Then a couple of folks asked for the recipe.  Really?  Well, okay.  Here it is, my favorite lunchbox and quick meal recipe.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

Veggie Spring Rolls
Makes Approximately 10 rolls

Rice Paper
2 cups cooked Brown Rice, chilled (I use the Bird’s Eye frozen steam-in-bag, 1 package is perfect)
1 carrot
3 to 4 green onions

1/2 large cucumber
1 avocado
1/4 cup almond butter
gluten-free soy sauce

Cut carrot, green onion and cucumber into matchsticks (or small pieces, no knife skills here).

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit.  Slice each half into 10 thin slices (total of 20).

Fill a pie pan with warm water.  You’ll use this to soften the rice papers.  Put one paper in the water and let it set for about 15 seconds.

Then place 2 or 3 Tablespoons of rice in the center of the paper.

Top with a few pieces of carrot.

Then add some cucumbers.

And then some green onions.

Now add a couple pieces of avocado.

Finally, add a couple dollops of almond butter, about 1 1/2 teaspoons per roll.

All that is left is rolling.  I’m not going to claim to know what I’m talking about here.  My technique was acquired watching the folks at Chipotle roll burritos, so it’s probably not proper.  I pull the edge nearest me up and over the filling.  Then I fold the sides in, first the left and then the right.  Then I tightly roll to the end.  That’s it!

I cut these in half before serving.  They are great with a side of gluten-free soy sauce.  I like to add a little sriracha to mine, but these are yours.  Add whatever sauce you’d like.  Feel free to mix up the veggies, too.  Sometimes I add red peppers, cabbage, bean sprouts, whatever I need to use up in the crisper drawer.  The rolls are best chilled for awhile before serving (and easier to cut, too) but you can certainly eat them right away.  It’s hard not to…

Nutritional info at Renee’s request:  1 roll = 124 calories, 14 g carbs, 3 g protein, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 22 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.  I compiled this information based on the ingredients and brands I used, based on making 10 rolls.  For an accurate calorie count (and math by someone more skilled than me), you can plug your ingredients and brands into your favorite calorie counter.