This "recipe" is yet another choose your own adventure, and it doesn't require turning on a single kitchen appliance. These vegetable summer rolls are super fresh, and can change with the seasons in regards to what veggies are included. 

When building summer rolls I always like to include a few categories of components: crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs/aromatics, and protein. These ones are loaded with cucumbers, tofu, mint, basil, and more... all complimented by a peanut dipping sauce. 

Don't be afraid to branch out and make this your own. Try adding cooked and cooled shrimp instead of tofu, or rice noodles instead of greens. 

Ingredients:

1 package of rice spring roll wrappers
1/2 bag of mixed greens or lettuce
4 cucumbers, sliced thinly
3 cups sliced crunchy vegetables - peppers, carrots, radish, salad turnips etc
1 block of firm tofu
2 cups of fresh herbs- basil, cilantro, mint, and/or green onion

Quick & Easy Peanut Sauce: 
3 parts peanutbutter (crunchy or smooth)
2 parts soy sauce or tamari
1 part sesame oil
1 part rice wine vinegar
maple syrup & sriRAWcha to taste
optional: minced ginger & garlic

Method of Preparation: 

1. Prepare all of the fillings before you begin- drain and slice tofu into matchsticks or small planks, slice or julienne the vegetables, and pick the herbs from their stems. If using green onions, slice into 3 inch pieces. 

2. To assemble: Fill a large, shallow bowl with warm water. Soak one rice paper wrapper in the water until it begins to soften. Lay the wrapper on a plate and fill with a handful of greens, some tofu, a few pieces of vegetables and a few pieces of fresh herbs.

3. Fold the sides inward and wrap snugly like you would with a burrito. Wrap tightly but also gently to avoid ripping the softened rice paper. Repeat with the remaining rice paper, soaking and wrapping just one at a time. These can be wrapped a few days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. 

4. Serve with your favorite peanut sauce, or make your own by combining the ingredients listed above together, thinning with warm water until you reach your desired consistency. 

The quickest, easiest, most delicious dip recipe is here. I’ve been making this recipe for years and have it memorized because it is so simple. It’s great with crudite, crackers, or you can use it as a spread on sandwiches. 

If you are dairy free, you can easily substitute the ricotta cheese for a block of firm tofu, just make sure you blend it up really well. I don’t think you’ll have any leftovers, but in the off chance you do- this makes a great quick pasta sauce too! ​

​Herby Broccoli Falafel

When broccoli and fresh herbs are abundant, I always jump at the chance to make this recipe. These falafel are packed with tons of flavor and nutrients, and are perfect to make for a meal prep or a crowd of friends. Add to the top of a salad for extra protein, wrap in a fresh pita bread with lots of topping, or make them into burger patties for a vegetarian option at your next cookout. 

I always like to serve these falafel with a creamy sauce. Make your favorite tzatziki or in a pinch, mix together tahini, miso paste, lemon juice and garlic to drizzle right on top. 

You can customize the herbs to your taste, but I always recommend lots of fresh dill!

Maybe you’ve seen pictures of this gorgeous spiral tart all over the internet, but I first made it 3 years ago when I saw it on pinterest. I wanted to make it vegan but you can absolutely use your favorite non-vegan dough and fillings. What’s fun about this tart is that it can be filled with whatever vegetables you like (as long as they can be shaved or sliced into long strips) 
The dough that I like to use is an olive oil and herb dough, but you can use your favorite pie crust recipe or storebought too. ​

​HERB AND OLIVE OIL DOUGH
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
​1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried herbs (I love rosemary or lemon thyme but use whatever you like most) 
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water or plain unsweetened plant milk

Mix flour, salt & herbs together in a bowl. Make a little well and pour in your liquid ingredients. Mix together with a fork until just combined, then turn out onto a floured work surface for a quick knead until it comes together into a ball. Dust with flour and use a rolling pin to flatten out into a circle. Transfer onto your tart pan and push sides into the grooves. Use a knife to trim the excess. Prick all over with a fork and blind bake at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes (until it’s golden brown). 

FILLING
Under the beautiful vegetable spiral you’ll need some sort of filling. Here you can really get creative. I usually like to spread a layer of garlic hummus or a flavored vegan cream cheese. Kite Hill has chive, everything, and garden veggie and all of these work great. Plus one container fills up the tart perfectly. If you want this to be more of a ratatouille style, you can lay down some thick tomato sauce. I’ve even made this with a layer of pesto. If you’re not vegan I think a layer of ricotta cheese or a bechamel sauce would work well.  Get creative! 

THE SPIRAL
Okay, this is what you’re all here for. The vegetable spiral on top looks STUNNING but is actually pretty easy to make as long as you have your vegetables all prepped. You can use whatever vegetables you like, but I really love to incorporate as many colors as possible. The more straight the shape of vegetable, the easier it is to get thin slices, so if you’re at the market you might want to maybe skip over the really fun shaped zucchinis and squashes. You’ll need about 4-6 cups of vegetables for an entire tart. Here’s what I like to use in mine:

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
3 large carrots
1/4 cup olive oil 

1.Cut your vegetables into long thin strips, all the same thickness. A mandolin makes this the easiest (please watch your fingers) but a vegetable peeler or good knife skills can work too. . If your veggies are very wide, you may have to cut each strip in half lengthwise. I usually have to do this for the eggplant so that it’s not taller than all the other veggies. Get all of your veggies cut and ready and a bowl of olive oil. 

​2. Once you have your tart filling spread along the bottom of the crust, you’re ready to spiral. Dip each vegetable strip into the oil, or use a brush if you prefer.. Start with your first strip (anything but carrot) and create a tight spiral on your cutting board. This is going to be your centerpiece so make sure it’s as tight as possible. You can wrap one more strip around to secure the spiral, and then move this to the center of your filled tart. 

3. Continue wrapping immediately so things stay nice and tight. Alternate between all the vegetables as you go. As you get closer to the crust you can really start to pack them in so that I have as many layers as possible. Once the tart is full, pour any remaining oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

​4. Bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes. The vegetables should still have a bit of texture to them. Cool for a bit before you slice and serve!

Method of Preparation
1. Add oil to a soup pot with tall sides and turn the burner to medium. 

2. When the oil is hot add the sliced onions and stir to soften- about 10 minutes

3. Add sugar & a sprinkle of salt/pepper and mix well.

4. Cook for another 20-40 minutes, only stirring every 5 minutes or so. This will allow your onions to caramelize slowly, making them sweet but not burnt. You can choose how dark you like them or how much patience & time you have. Add your minced garlic at the very end, along with your thyme. 

5. If you like a thicker soup, add 1 Tbsp of flour and stir together with the onions on low for a few minutes.

6. Warm up your stock and add to the onion mixture, stirring to combine. 

7. Simmer on medium low for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning, if your stock isn’t salted you may want to add some here. You can also add some soy sauce or coconut aminos for added savory flavor.
8. Enjoy the soup as is, or top with garnishes.

Garnish
This soup can hold its own without any additional add-ons, but French onion soup really is a vessel for lots of crusty bread. You can top with toasted bread croutons that you cut into squares, or you can lay a whole slice of bread on top of your oven-safe bowl and broil for a few minutes. It makes your bread a combo of crispy and soft and it soaks up the onion broth perfectly. I also recommend adding shredded cheese, melting that on top of the bread too!

I like to think about a theme when I am creating little niblets like these. For example, the ones featured here use Mexican flavors, so I used pinto beans, chili powder, jalapeños and cilantro to garnish. If I were making a Greek version of this, I would use feta, basil and oregano, some tomatoes and garbanzo beans mixed with tahini. This recipe can guide and inspire you to try different versions of these appetizer bites, using the week’s goodies