Well, after quite a long hiatus, I’m feeling more and more drawn to create new recipes and blog them! It’s a good thing too, because I’ve got 50 more pounds I’d like to drop (in addition to the 85 lost in the last year and a 1/2 or so), and I know being motivated to cook is key.

Today for lunch, I invented something super duper yummy. I know spring roll wrappers are traditionally reserved for cool, fresh rolls full of lettuce and herbs and sprouts and such… but they are such an easy, delicious way to make food appealing and fun to eat. They are made of rice flour – not brown rice flour. So to my knowledge, they come from refined white rice (which is not McDougally). But in the larger scheme of healthy eating, I feel confident that they are a help, not a hindrance. And any kind of spring roll makes great party food, too!

Ingredients: (makes 8-10 small rolls)

-spring roll rice paper wraps                                               -carrots, julienned

-1  19 oz can of chickpeas                                                      -fresh cilantro leaves

-4  white mushrooms, halved and sliced thinly            -chopped fresh tomatoes (optional)

-1/2  fresh red pepper, sliced into thin strips                  -oil free BBQ sauce (we use Bull’s Eye)

-about 3/4 cup chopped fresh (or frozen) white onions and green peppers

-soy sauce

-yellow curry powder

Directions: Place chopped white onions, green and red peppers into non-stick skillet. Sprinkle with some salt (or garlic salt) and let cook for a couple of minutes.  (add a little water if you need) Add sliced white mushrooms and cook for about another minute and add chickpeas.  Add some BBQ sauce (about 4 tablespoons) and some soy sauce (about 5 or 6 shakes). Stir and add yellow curry powder (I use enough to lightly coat the top of everything in the pan).  The sauce shouldn’t be too runny, but thin enough to continue to cook the veggies and chickpeas down a bit.  Tweak for flavor, adding more BBQ or soy sauce or curry powder as needed.  Let everything simmer with the lid off until the sauce cooks down and the whole dish is thicker.

Heat some water in a kettle and pour it into a wide bowl.  Dip your spring roll wrap sheets into hot water and they will start to wilt. Take care not to let the wrap double over on itself or it will be difficult to smooth out. Lay the wrap on a flat plate and put some of the chickpea mixture in the middle.  Add julienned carrots, fresh cilantro leaves and a few chopped tomatoes, if you like.  Roll it up like a burrito, folding it over the filling, then turning each side toward the middle, then rolling till the end of the wrap adheres to itself.

No sauce is needed, as the chickpea-veggie mixture is packed with flavor and plenty of moisture.  Eat and Enjoy!!!