Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Seed Rice Paper Rolls - Dinner March 27

Rolls

1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch cubes

2 - 3 tsp olive oil

12 round rice paper wrappers

4 oz vermicelli rice noodles or rice sticks

1 cup fresh cilantro, torn into bite sized pieces

1/3 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds, chopped coarsely

Dipping Sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp Asian Hot Chile oil

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp sucanat

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the butternut cubes on a baking sheet and rub them all over with the oil; drizzle on another tsp if you need to. Arrange the cubes in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss and cook for 10 more minutes or until tender and slightly caramelized. Transfer the squash to a plate to cool.

While the squash is cooking, prepare the noodles according to directions on the package. Drain in a colander and run cold water over them to prevent further cooking. Set aside.

Fill a large pie plate or bowl with very warm water. Place two rice paper wrappers in the water at a time, completely submerged and let sit for about a minute, until they have softened.

Handle each wrapper gently as you place it on your work surface (I placed them on top of a wet clean teatowel). Place about 1/4 cup of rice noodles in the lower third of the wrapper, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of margin from the far edges on either side. Place a layer of butternut squash above the noodles. Sprinkle with the cilantro and pumpkin seeds. To roll, snugly fold the left and right sides of the wrapper over the filling. Lift the bottom of the wrapper over the filling and tuck it underneath the filling, then roll firmly but gently. Place the rolls seam side down on a plate and cut in half when ready to serve. Mix the dipping sauce ingredients together and stir rigorously to dissolve the sucanat. I also served it with my almond butter sauce.