SLOPPY SOMETHING SPRING ROLL
Sloppy Something mix rolled in spring roll skins with fresh spinach, baked, then cut into appetizer size pieces. Served on a bed of fresh spinach with a dipping sauce and pickled ginger slices! Textures like a delicate sushi with skin reminiscent of baked trout skin! All animal-free of course!
Makes 12 rolls equals 36 pieces
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
1 bag fresh spinach leaves – a few handfuls – remove the stems at the base of the leaves and set aside
1 pkg. 9 inch Spring Roll Skins – I used ROSE brand
jarred pickled ginger slices
1 c. Sloppy Something (recipe at end of post)
12 oz. pkg. extra firm water-packed tofu, rinsed, then twisted and squeezed in a tofu cloth to extract as much liquid as possible
3/4 t. salt
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. ginger powder
1 t. dry mustard
fresh grind black pepper to taste
2 T. Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
2 t. granulated sugar
2 t. Balsamic vinegar
1 T. light sesame seed oil
Mix all ingredients in large bowl till evenly dispersed and thoroughly incorporated. I use a potato masher, then a sturdy spoon. Set aside.
Fill a large pie plate or baking dish with enough very warm water to submerge a skin – boil some water, then add an equal amount of cold water to reach desired temperature (hot tap water is not for cooking purposes).
Oil a board or counter surface.
Handle dried skins and wet skins carefully. The dried skins break easily and the wet tear easily. Too long in the water and it becomes unusable, turning to a glue-like mass. Too rigid and they break while rolling. Experiment with a couple before proceeding with the actual roll to get comfortable with the process.
- Rolling is like making stuffed cabbage, only a lot more delicate.
In advance liberally oil a baking sheet – I used light sesame oil.
Take 1 skin and dredge it slowly into the warm water, in and out, slowly going around the entire circle, till it becomes pliable enough to roll, but not so soft that you can’t lift it without it folding on itself.
Lay it gently and flat on the oiled board with no edges tucked under.
Spoon out about 3 Tablespoons filling and form it into an oblong shape. Place it about 1/3 down from the edge of the skin that’s closest to you. Shape it into a thick log.
Now place only enough spinach on top of the log to cover it – don’t pile the spinach on. Leaf size will dictate how many. If leaves are large, then split them.
Gently lift the skin flap closest to you up and over the log, gently tucking it under the log. Make one complete roll, tightening it gently as you roll.
Stop and lift the right flap up and over the log like wrapping a package. Then do the same with the left flap.
Proceed to roll and gently tighten the log as you roll until 2 inches from finish. Make sure the tucked sides that are on the board are even with the ends of the log by smoothing them inward.
Now finish the roll, lift the log, and secure with your fingers the flap to the surface of the log. Place on oiled baking sheet, flap-side down, then using fingers, rub the baking sheet surface to obtain some oil and rub it on the top and sides of each roll.
- Do not bake on parchment paper.
Repeat with the others.
Place on bottom rack of preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 12 minutes.
Remove baking sheet, turn rolls over and return to oven for 8 minutes.
Transfer to cooling board and set at room temperature, or refrigerate to cut and serve later.
- Best not served hot. Baked spring rolls are different than deep-fried – a lot softer with not much crisp – more like a delicate sushi.
Assembly:
On a large plate or platter place an even layer of fresh spinach leaves.
In the center place a dipping container filled with the Spring Roll Dipping Sauce.
When the rolls are cooled to room temperature and handle easily, set each roll on it’s side and cut each roll into thirds with a slow sawing motion.
Arrange on platter cut side up around the dipping sauce.
Place pickled ginger in bunches around the platter. Have a small fork handy for guests to access the ginger.
Don’t forget the cocktail napkins.
SPRING ROLL DIPPING SAUCE Makes almost 1 cup
1/4 c. BRAGG Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
1/4 c. Balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. TURMERIC WATER (2 t. turmeric in 1/2 gal. water, boiled, cooled and poured into bottles and refrigerated)
2 T. granulated sugar
2 t. jarred minced garlic
2 t. light sesame oil
lots of fresh grind black pepper
Place all dipping sauce ingredients in bowl and whisk till well-mixed.
Notes: When you bite into a roll it’s similar to biting into a sushi roll – the texture of the rice paper baked is similar to the texture of the dried seaweed sheets not cooked. It has chew, so you need a bite to get through it, just as you do with seaweed.
The part of the skin that adheres to the spinach? It bakes up like trout skin. Yeah, you’ll think you’re eating trout skin for sure.
Remember now, rice skins aren’t like pasta.
SLOPPY SOMETHING
Sloppy Something is really SOMETHIN’ Sloppy Something wasn’t expected to be really SOMETHIN’. But Sloppy Something wanted more than Something. So Sloppy Something turned Something into REALLY SOMETHING’!
Makes 5 cups
2 T. light sesame oil – I used ROLAND brand
1 c. diced sweet onion, 1/2 inch squares
1 c. packed grated carrot – over large holes hand-held grater
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. sm. pitted Kalamata olives, quartered (if using lg. olives cut into 8ths)
12 oz. jar sweet red roasted peppers, drained (reserve liquid) then dice into 1/2 inch squares
salt and pepper to taste
13.7 oz. GARDEIN THE ULTIMATE BEEFLESS GROUND, thawed
salt to taste
2 T. light sesame seed oil
1 T. jarred minced garlic
2 t. liquid smoke
In extra-large skillet, over low heat, melt sesame oil.
Add onion, carrot and salt. Stir to coat with oil, disperse evenly in pan and cook over low heat, stirring every 5 minutes till onion is translucent and soft. Salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- We’re not looking for char – a slow saute over low heat will achieve the right flavor and texture.
In clean large skillet, over medium-low heat, melt sesame seed oil.
Add V. beef crumbles to pan. Stir to coat all crumbs. They’ll still be dry, but do the best you can.
Salt to taste, stir, distribute V. crumbles in pan and let cook about 5 minutes. Don’t raise the heat, we don’t want them crispy beyond enjoyment.
Stir them up and over, distribute again, then cook another 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
Add the V. crumbles to the veggie skillet, stirring to evenly distribute.
Add garlic and liquid smoke. Stir well.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Now add the liquid from the jar of peppers. Stir well till absorbed.
Remove from heat.
SERVE AS: a topper over pasta, as a taco/tortilla wrap meat, over salad, potato, beans, rice and on and on. Get creative! Now you know what it’s about.
I’m not sure what to do with this. I hesitate to turn it into something that resembles something else, just to achieve the familiarity factor. I don’t want to degrade what I already developed. So I pack it up and refrigerate it overnight.
In the morning I take it out and taste. Thinking the V. crumbles would soften considerably, as most V. crumbles do when refrigerated after being cooked, I was pleasantly surprised that they maintained their chew, only better, since the translucent onion, slow-cooked till soft, now textured like the gelatinous component of fat against the chew of the V. meat, distinctly separate, but joined as one as in a piece of animal meat. Eureka.
SLOPPY SOMETHING OVER GREEN PASTA WITH OAT MILK SAUCE
SLOPPY SOMETHING CRACKER SPREAD
ANIMAL-FREE SOUS-CHEF™ 
3 thoughts on “AFC Sloppy Something Spring Roll”