Thai Vegetable Spring Rolls with Almond Butter Dipping Sauce

Yield: 10 rolls

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients: 

• 1 block firm tofu cut into long strips, keeping the width of a slice of bread
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast 
• 1 Tbsp of real maple syrup
• Pepper to taste
• 1 shredded carrot
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 lettuce leaves rolled and the sliced
• Fresh sprigs of either mint or cilantro or both for each wrap
• 8 to 12 rice paper wraps approx. 8½” in diameter
• 4 servings of kelp, udon, or rice vermicelli cooked and rinsed
• Warm water in a large shallow bowl

Dipping Sauce: 

• 1/2 cup raw almond butter
• 1/2 cup water
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp Himalayan sea salt
• 1 tsp of any liquid sweetener
• 2 tsp dried onion
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger root grated
• 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil 
• Pinch of dried chili flakes to taste

Instructions: 

1. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, pan-fry the tofu in butter and soy sauce for a few minutes. Add nutritional yeast, and pepper and cook until golden but still soft. This should take about 8 minutes. Then add maple syrup, turning tofu strips as necessary for 1 more minute. Turn off heat and leave in pan.
2. Make dipping sauce by putting all dipping sauce ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
3. Put chopped carrot, red pepper, and lettuce in a bowl and pour a few tablespoons of the dipping sauce over and mix as you would if it were a salad. Set aside.
4. To wrap, have all items in front of you, including the carrots, tofu, noodles, and fresh herbs (cilantro and/or mint). Soak the rice wrap in warm water for approximately 10 seconds unit it is moist. Pull out the wrap being extra careful to not let the sides stick together. Place the wrapper on a cutting board.  Add a small amount of each item 2 inches up from the bottom in a 5 inch line, leaving just enough room for the part below it to be flipped around and tucked under the filling.  Fold in both sides and continue to wrap tightly. 
5. After each roll has been wrapped, use the remainder of the sauce for dipping.