New Years Nibbles Part 7: HIPPIE SPRING ROLLS

[hippies. spring roll.]

This is the seventh in a series of guest blog-posts from the folks who attended our New Years Eve Iron Chef-style cookoff at Hickory House. There was one rule: you had to use exactly 9 (as in, 2009) ingredients. The results were so delicious that no winner was determined, and I felt compelled to post the recipes on here. Today's guest blogger-chef is Dani, who is famous for his abiding love of tofurkey.

DANI'S HIPPIE SPRING ROLLS, Or, One of Two Dishes We Don't Have a Picture Of

1) 2 packages tofu, thinly sliced, fried in oil
2) 1/2 cup peanut butter
3) 6 cloves garlic, minced
4) 1/4 cup soy sauce
5) 16 large romaine lettuce leaves
6) 4 cups cooked rice vermicelli
7) 2 mangos, sliced
8) 2 avocados, sliced
9) 1 cup fresh basil leaves

(*note - all measurements are open to interpretation)

1) either buy cooked tofu or pan fry it (or deep fry if you're so inclined) until it is golden brown and delicious.
2) in a small pot, saute the garlic for a minute, then add the peanut butter and soy sauce (and if you want a thinner sauce, add water to desired consistency - i added about a cup)
3) assemble wraps - in the leafy end of the lettuce leaf, place a small handful (1/4 cup) of vermicelli, a couple of slices of avocado and mango, a couple of basil leaves and a dollop of peanut sauce, then fold over the stalk end of the leaf and fold over the edges.