Printempa Festo- Top 3 Spring Dinners

 

It is the beginning of the year and what better way to start than a colourful fiesta! These spring rolls have a phenomenal composition of flavours that splendidly complement each other.

I named this recipe in Esperanto and the translation is ‘Springroll Fiesta’.This spring dinner is apt for lunches, spring dinners or any occasion that needs a shower of flamboyance!

Time:2 hours

Yield: 15 springrolls

Ingredients

• 20 small potatoes
• ¾ cup oil
• 15 spring roll wrappers (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 ½ cups cooked rice
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp chicken spice
• 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs 
• 2 tbsp worcester sauce
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 cup refried beans

• 2 cups fried beef cubes 
• ½ cup bbq sauce
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 1 ½ cups mini butternut cubes 

• 1 ½ yellow pepper (sliced)
• ½ yellow pepper cubed
• 2 firm tomatoes slices
• 2 red onions sliced
• 1 carrot diced
• 15-20 sprigs of mint

• 1 cup mayonnaise

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice the potatoes horizontally (not all the way to the bottom) and then vertically (not all the way to the bottom either).
2. Boil them for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
4. Arrange the potatoes on the tray and brush some oil around all them (and put a bit of oil in the slits).
5. Sprinkle salt over each potato.
6. Let them bake for 2 hours.
7. In the meantime, place the butternut cubes in a saucepan and place 1 cup of water inside the saucepan.
8. Let the butternut cubes boil uncovered until all the water evaporates.
9. Then, add some oil into the pan and fry the butternut cubes for 20 minutes, till they are slightly crispy.
10. Add all the spices listed below the rice to the rice and make sure the rice is well coated in the spices.
11. Then microwave the rice for 5 minutes.
12. Combine the sauces and the spices listed below the beef in a bowl and microwave the sauce for 3 minutes.
13. Place the beef in the bowl and make sure it is entirely coated.
14. To assemble the spring rolls, place about 2 tablespoons of the rice in one corner of the spring roll sheet, then a few beef cubes, butternut cubes and a few tsp of the refried beans then fold in the sides of the spring roll sheet towards the centre  before rolling the rest of the sheet.Brush some egg onto the end of the spring roll sheet so it sticks.
15. Do the same for the remaining spring rolls.
16. When you're done, line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
17. Brush the parchment paper with some oil (just a bit).
18. Place the spring rolls on the parchment paper and brush the top of each one with some of the beaten egg.(You may have to bake them in batches).
19. Bake them for 15-20 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius till they are partially golden in colour.
20. For the plating, place the sliced tomatoes, onions(with some yellow pepper cubes in them), yellow pepper slices around each plate.
21. Stack three spring rolls in the centre of each plate and three tablespoons of mayonnaise around them, sprinkled with dried mixed herbs.
22. Place the potatoes in small plates and sprinkle some diced yellow peppers, carrots and a sprig of mint in each plate and you'll be done!