With spring just a few weeks away, it is only appropriate that we enjoy spring rolls with fresh spring produce.
First, the tasty ingredients. This one includes in-season asparagus, carrots, daikon radish, mung bean sprouts, and avocado-–a simple yet delicious combination with great texture. These veggies also offer superb fertility support, including:
- Daikon Radish is high in calcium, vitamin C and A, and also helps prevent inflammation and avoid cancer, aids digestion and elimination, detoxifies the kidneys, and helps dissolve phlegm and mucus in the body. Basically, it’s a nutritional powerhouse and it is something we should try to incorporate into our diets.
- Carrots are packed with Beta-carotene, which helps keep your hormones in check and prevents early miscarriage. For men, beta-carotene boost sperm quality, particularly sperm mobility.
- Mung bean sprouts are beneficial to the liver and help detox the body. Females should load up on mung bean sprouts during their menstrual cycle to detox the body and increase fertility.
- Asparagus contains fiber and folate, which can increase sperm count in men, and support women’s ability to ovulate. As well, asparagus has a string of antioxidants, which are particularly beneficial in protecting sperm quality.
- Avocado are packed with folic acid, a type of B vitamin that helps boost fertility in both men and women. Folic acid also helps prevent neural tube defects in pregnancy. As well, avocados are high in monounsaturated fat. That is the good, healthy type of fat that helps lower cholesterol. Fat plays a very important role in our endocrine system, which regulates the hormones involved in reproduction.
Get ready for spring and start cooking!
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Yields: 10 spring rolls
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon wheat-free tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos™
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 10 asparagus spears, tough ends removed
- 2 avocados, sliced in two
- ¾ cup of mug beans
- ¾ cup of carrots, sliced julienne style
- ¾ cup of daikon radish, sliced julienne style
- 2 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
- 10 large basil leaves
- 10 spring roll wrappers (Rice “paper” wrappers, usually made with tapioca)
Steps:
- Add a few inches of water to a wide, shallow saucepan and bring to a full boil. Add the asparagus spears and cook until bright green but still crunchy on the inside, about 2 minutes. Drain the water and place the asparagus on a plate. Refrigerate until completely cool. Once cool, cut the asparagus spears in half.
- Fill the saucepan with water and bring it to a full boil, then add the vermicelli noodles. Cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until the noodles are soft. Drain the water in a colander and move noodles to bowl. Mix tamari (or Bragg's Liquid Aminos™) and sesame oil with noodles.
- Fill the saucepan with 1 to 2 inches of water and bring to almost a boil. Remove from heat. With a pair of tongs, carefully and quickly lay one spring roll wrapper on top of the water, just until the full surface of the wrapper touches the surface of the water and it becomes pliable. Remove the wrapper from the water and place it on a smooth cutting board or clean surface.
- Place two pieces of each the asparagus, carrot and daikon radish, in the lower one third of the wrapper (the part closest to you), followed by the vermicelli noodles and mung beans, two thick pieces of avocado, and one basil leaf. Leave about 1 inch open space on either side. Roll away from yourself, tucking in at the top and on the sides as you go – just like rolling a burrito. Wrap the spring roll tightly.
- Repeat for remaining ingredients.
Choose a sweet chile, peanut or any other of your favorite dipping sauces and enjoy!
