The Prettiest Spring Roll Bowl Dinner
I truly love creating meals as beautiful as they are tasty becuase we eat with our eyes as much as our taste and smell! So while we’re still waiting for all the lush colorful bounty of summer, I bring in all of the bright colors and flavors of spring. Freshly grated carrots, bright spicy ginger, pickled purple cabbage and sliced radishes make this Spring Roll Bowl one of our favorite dinners. It’s packed full of as much flavor as color and makes for great left overs and easy second dinners. Plus, our family loves bowl style dinners because everyone gets to build theirs exactly as they like. Need another winning reason for Bowl style dinners? They are incredibly easy to prep ahead of time and feast whenever you’d like!
So sharpen your big chopping knife, pull out your cutting board and get ready to make my version of my Grandma’s Japanese Spring Rolls. My Grandma lived in Japan for a few years when she was newly married and this recipe came home with her. Every year at the holidays she would spend countless hours making spring rolls for all of us. The flavors are so fragrant, they remind me of her. But goodness, making the filling plus rolling and deep frying spring rolls rarely makes it on our menu so I came up with an easier way to get the flavor without all of the greasy mess. I hope this bowl brightens your spring as much as it has ours!
Ingredients:
FOR PORK…
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 pound lean ground pork
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can bamboo shoots (optional … not everyone cares for their flavor!)
1 can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup dried mushrooms or 1 cup fresh, diced
1 Tablespoon Rice Wine
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, zested
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional … we like ours heavy on ginger)
Heat the cocount oil on medium heat in a large frying pan, then add in the ground pork and diced shallot and garlic. Saute for a few minutes then add in the rest of the ingredients, sauteing and stirring for about 10 minutes on medium/low heat to incorporate all of the flavors. Taste and adjust flavors as needed. Add in the additional ginger for more of a zing, salt to bring out flavors
PICKELED CABBAGE
Mix all ingredients, cover and refrigerate. I make big bowls of this and keep it in the fridge to add to salads, sandwiches and Spring Roll Bowls. It will last for several weeks!
2 cups purple cabbage, thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tablespons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 generous squeeze of honey
ADDITIONAL BOWL NECESSITIES…
3 cups jasmine rice, cooked according to package directions
Fresh Bean Sprouts
Carrots, shredded
Radishes, sliced
Sriracha for heat!
TO BUILD THE BOWL
Now let’s put it all together, begin with the rice, then add in the sauted pork and any of the additional toppings you’d like! I personally like mine spicy so I add on the Sriracha to kick it up a notch.
Whenever you get a chance to make this, tell me … what other toppings did you add in! If you’re looking for more dinner inspiration whether it’s for a small group or a crowd I wrote out my favorte hosting menus, recipes and more in my cookbook Dinner Changes Everything, and if it’s Dessert you need then check out my Red Tin Treats ECookBook!
Cheers to cooking up joy as you welcome your people to the table - Kelly
