Summer Rolls

It was a complete coincidence that tonight's dinner was Nectarine and Basil Summer Rolls from Vegetarian Times - I mean, what could be more appropriate for the first official dinner of summer than Summer Rolls? I totally didn't plan it that way, but I think it's a fun co-inky-dink :)

I was laughing as I was making dinner, because my hubby wandered into the kitchen and said, "We've had these before, right?" I said, "Yes, hon, I usually make them once (just once!) every summer!"I think the reason why I only make them once every summer is because I don't ever have rice paper wrappers on hand, and they take a bit of prep to get ready. However, this year I decided to switch out the rice paper wrapper in favor of a good old collard leaf and make collard rolls. You know what? It worked great! I'll definitely make them more often now because I often have collards on hand.

The recipe calls for nectarines, avocado, basil, and watercress leaves rolled up in rice paper wrappers and served with a tangy, succulent almond butter-rice vinegar-maple syrup-soy dipping sauce. The sauce is amazing - I could probably drink an entire bowl of it. But I've discovered over the years that my tummy is particularly sensitive to having both avocado and nuts in the same meal. This is an important principle of food combining that I have learned to obey. I substitute coconut butter for the almond butter because coconut is a much better combination with avocado. It also tastes freakin' DELISH mixed with the rice vinegar, maple syrup, and soy (I substitute tamari). Yumbles.

Here's a collard leaf, stacked with basil, sliced nectarines, avocado, and some baby spinach:

 Here's a whole bunch of 'em:

 And here's one all sliced up and purty:

 I also made a salad and topped it with quinoa and Carrot-Ginger Dressing from Appetite for Reduction. Here's the dressing (looks sorta like baby food, doesn't it!)

 Salad with baby spinach, celery, radishes, orange pepper, quinoa, cucumber, and the dressing:

For my afternoon snack, I had a Blueberry Cardamom Breakfast Smoothie:

It's one of my favorite smoothies and I'm not sure why I haven't made one in so long! I love everything in it - blueberries, bananas, cardamom, and cinnamon. It's so simple, yet so brilliant! And what a lovely color. It hit the spot this afternoon!