I love spring rolls…it’s one of my favorite snacks or meals. When you order spring rolls in a restaurant, they come premade…all rolled up for you to enjoy.

When we make these at home, we make them together as a family and enjoy them as you make them. Wrap, roll and eat. That’s the way we roll. Okay, I had to! LOL

I have wonderful memories of sitting around the dinner table with my family as a kid making and eating spring rolls. Making and eating…my favorite activities!

Things have been crazy up in here. I received some test results that kind of rocked my world. I mentioned before that last year, I had active tuberculosis. The doctors kept telling me that I didn’t fit the profile for someone who could have active tuberculosis. (By the way, I keep saying to myself, I’m going to write about my experience last year and share here. Because it was a doozy…being as sick as I was, I learned so much and it changed my perspective on so many things.)

Anyways, I found out that I have mannose binding lectin deficiency which means I don’t make enough of a protein (in my blood) to fight off infections. It's likely(?) a genetic mutation that I have. Which makes so much sense. I get sick a lot and as a child, I was sick all the time. About 90% of the time when I get a cold, it turns into bronchitis. It would last for weeks and it would take forever for the cough to go away. So it makes so much sense. And it's good to know.

There's nothing they can do for this deficiency. It helps to know but it makes me so scared to get sick. To be around sick people. To be around very sick people. It scares me.

I mentioned there's nothing they can do but they do recommend people with this deficiency to get certain vaccinations last October at 36 years old, I got the pneumonia vaccine. I'm also going to keep up with my flu shots. I got the meningitis vaccine recently too.

After being sick last year, my number one goal was to stay healthy and to take care of myself. Once I found out these results, I realized important it is for me to get enough rest and to take care of myself period.

Alright, let's get to the recipe…slice up the tofu and then cut into strips. Dry it with a paper towel (makes for easier frying).

I can eat fried tofu like they are French fries…I LOVE it! Prep all of those veggies and make your sauce too.

In another recipe for Vietnamese spring rolls, I share step by step photos on how to wrap them!

I'll say this…I'll bet you can't eat just one! This recipe is super easy to make!

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Tofu & Avocado Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

Peanut Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
• splash of fish sauce optional
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• rice noodles cooked according to instructions on the package
• 1 pound firm tofu sliced and then cut into strips
• 1/4 in grape seed oil
• 1/2 red pepper sliced into strips
• 1 avocado sliced
• 1/2 cucumber cut into strips
• 1/4 purple cabbage sliced
• Thai basil leaves
• rice paper

Instructions

Peanut Dipping Sauce

• Whisk peanut sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the rice noodles according to the instructions on the bag or box of noodles. Prep the tofu and vegetables. After cutting the tofu into strips, place on a dry, clean paper towels. You want to remove as much moisture as possible.
• Add grape seed oil to a nonstick skillet until you have about a quarter inch of oil. Heat the oil on medium to medium high for 4 to 5 minutes. Cook the tofu for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
• Place on a plate lined with clean paper towels.
• One at a time, wet the rice paper (wet on both sides with really warm water, don’t allow it to soak) and then place on a round plate. Allow the rice paper to sit for at least one minute. Add rice noodles, tofu, red pepper, avocado, cucumber, cabbage and a couple of basil leaves. Roll once, fold in the sides and continue rolling until it’s a spring roll!
• Serve with the peanut dipping sauce.

Notes:

• Best if served or enjoyed immediately after making the spring rolls!

The post Tofu & Avocado Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

Noodles and oodles, this recipe was inspired by a trip to New York City to visit friends.

Friends are the family we get to choose. So true, right? Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful for my family. But I'm also thankful for my friends. I don't know what I would do without my friends. And if you have those great friends who cheer you on, who let you vent and who love you for you…be sure to tell them how much you appreciate them.

My friend, Joanne, invited me and a few other friends to visit her in New York City. I couldn't pass this up because 1. I love the city. 2. I love spending time with friends.

No huge agenda, just hanging out, cooking, eating and more eating. It was a blast! She actually visited me earlier this year and we had said we need to do this thing more often.

Spending time with the people you care about is so important for your soul. Do me a favor, if there's someone you care about that you haven't seen in a long time or talked to for that matter, add to your to do list this week to call them or meet up for lunch or dinner with them soon!

We cooked. She was so sweet and planned a menu of food from our blogs. We had my grilled flank steak with chimichurri butter.

Quinoa Cakes courtesy of Lindsay.

Zucchini & Arugula Salad courtesy of Joanne.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars courtesy of Brenda.

All amazing. And it was super fun to cook together!

We walked all over. My Fitbit was so happy. One day we even walked 10 miles! Here's the group before dinner one night (Joanne, me, Gina, Lindsay and Brenda). I heart all of these ladies…authentic, lovely, funny and just all around good people. Seriously.

We had dinner at Buddakan and had one of the tasting menus. Worth. it. These edamame dumplings. Yes! This udon noodle salad was actually inspired by a similar dish we had at Buddakan.

We had cronuts. Macarons. I had a wonderful, lovely boba (I'm obsessed with boba tea drinks) and lunch at Cafe Boloud. amazing. And The Clam. So many places I need to return to when I visit again.

And here's a random picture I took accidentally because I left my camera on while it was around my neck. I'm officially old. LOL But the photo is great right? Most of the other ones are blurry and make no sense. I have a new little Panasonic Lumix camera (with this lens) that I'm obsessed with…bought it a few months ago and it's the perfect size for travel. I literally talk about it all the time.

Now for the noodle salad! Yes, I do buy these noodle packages. 85% of the time, I throw the spice packets away and make my own broth. This time, you definitely want to throw the packet away, you just need the noodles for this!

Cut up the veggies.

Put together the sauce ingredients.

And whisk it all together. I have a mini whisk that I'm in love with. I take this thing out of my gadget drawer at least 10 times a week.

And there you go, it's super quick. Super satisfying…crunchy from the cauliflower (I'm in love with raw cauliflower) and spicy from the sriracha. Love love love!

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Spicy Udon Noodle Salad Recipe

Prep Time 13 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Resting Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

Noodle Sauce

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon grape seed oil
• 1/2 Tablespoon sriracha chili sauce
• 1/2 red pepper cut into strips and halved
• 1/4 of a head of cauliflower cut into florets
• 2 green onions sliced thin at an angle
• lime
• 1 7-ounce package of udon noodles

Instructions

• Cook udon noodles according to package instructions but DO NOT use the spice packet (throw it away). Drain noodles and allow to cool.
• Whisk together sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss together all vegetables, noodles and noodle sauce. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before serving with lime.

Disclosure: This trip to visit friends in New York was NOT sponsored. There are a couple of affiliate links in this post.

The post Spicy Udon Noodle Salad appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

I was catching up on The Pioneer Woman on the Food Network the other day and she shared this amazing recipe for roasted red pepper pasta. I filed it away and knew I wanted to make it soon. Today, we're celebrating Bev…she's pregnant with twins. I'm so excited for her! I met Bev a few years ago and we got to hang out…

with our mutual friend, Jaden, and it was a blast…as you can see above. We made egg rolls together and I found out she likes to sing. She's a beautiful singer!

Everyone who knows Bev would describe her as hilarious…beyond hilarious…you should check out her instagrams. She is the cutest. cutest. cutest. pregnant with twins person I have ever known. She doesn't even look like she's pregnant except for the bowling ball she's carrying around. Seriously…I don't think I could be half as cute as her if I ever get pregnant! And who calls herself knocked up when she's pregnant and married? Bev, that's who. I'm trying to see if she will let me move into her nursery. It's the cutest thing ever…I know she's going be such a great mother! One more thing…I just die. Hilarious.

When Aggie and Lisa I chatted about doing something to help Bev feel special…to shower her online, I wanted to make an appetizer. Because I'm obsessed with quick & easy appetizers. But then I realized I should make this pasta dish to help celebrate because I know she loves Ree as much as I do! I changed it a tad bit by adding goat cheese near the end instead of heavy cream. I honestly don't know why it's taken me so long to try a roasted red pepper sauce with pasta. I love fried roasted red peppers and roasted red pepper salsa so why not with pasta. It's so good!

Cook the onions and garlic in butter and then add the roasted red peppers.

Puree it in a food processor or blender (that you know can process hot foods) and then return it to the skillet.

After adding more butter, the vegetable broth, salt and pepper, add the goat cheese and stir.

I know Bev would like this recipe because she loves pasta and of course goat cheese! It's so easy to make. This is going on my list of favorite lunch recipes!

Lisa, Aggie and I gathered a few of Bev's friends to help her celebrate. Visit the links below and check out the amazing recipes these lovelies are sharing!

Appetizers
Bacon Cotija Guacamole from Gaby of What’s Gaby Cooking
Gruyère Gougères from Shaina of Food for My Family
Lemon Risotto Tarts from Kelly of Live Love Pasta
Goat Cheese Crostini with Pesto and Roasted Red Peppers from Liz of The Lemon Bowl
Spinach and Feta Quinoa Bites from Aggie of Aggie's Kitchen
Roasted Red Grape, Brie and Rosemary Flatbread from Laurie of Simply Scratch
The Fastest Appetizer Ever from Brooke of Cheeky Kitchen
Apple Pear Tart – Two Ways from Sarah of Daisy at Home

Drinks
Chocolate Chai Frappe from Brandy of Nutmeg Nanny
Cherry Chocolate Kiss Smoothie from Amy of Very Culinary
Cranberry Sorbet Bellini – Non-Alcoholic and Alcoholic from Megan of Country Cleaver
Peppermint Mocha Affogato from Christina of Dessert for Two
Toasted Marshmallow Cream Hot Chocolate from Jessica of How Sweet It Is
Pomegranate Lemonade Punch from Heather of Heather Christo

Salads
Kale Salad with Pomegranate, Orange and Pine Nuts from Rachel of Rachel Cooks
Pear Cranberry Arugula Salad from Tracy of Shutterbean
Brussels Sprout Salad + maple roasted cranberry dressing from Katie of Yes, I Want Cake
Gluten-Free Pasta Salad from Lisa of With Style and Grace
Hearty Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad with Honey Ginger Dressing from Heather of Heather's Dish
Winter Citrus Salad from Catherine of Weelicious

Entrees
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Chicken Sausage Pasta from Heidi of FoodieCrush
Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna from Joanne of Fifteen Spatulas
Cheesy Chicken Enchilada ‘Double' Stacks from Lauren of Climbing Grier Mountain
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Soup from Kevin of Closet Cooking
Thai Spiced Chicken with Coconut Cream Swiss Chard from Brandi of Bran Apetit
Sausage and Red Pepper Quiche from Tasty Kitchen
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Goat Cheese from Julie of The Little Kitchen

Desserts
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies from Averie of Averie Cooks
Glazed Dulce de Leche Pound Cake from Meagan of Scarletta Bakes
Mississippi Mud Pie Brownie Ice Cream from Megan of Take a Megabite
Buttermint Frosted Sugar Cookie Cups from Shelly of Cookie and Cups
4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies from Ali of Gimme Some Oven
Sweet Potato Creme Brulee from Brian of A Thought for Food
Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Mint Cookies from Aimée of Simple Bites
Mini Chocolate Stout Cheesecake with Salted Beer Caramel Sauce from Jackie of The Beeroness
Red Velvet Hi Hat Cookies from Kristan of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
Double Chocolate Panini from Kathy of Panini Happy

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Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Goat Cheese Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 16 ounces penne or rigatoni pasta
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 jar 16 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• black pepper
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• Parmesan cheese shaved for serving
• parsley finely chopped

Instructions

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to the directions on the package.
• As the water is boiling, add 4 Tablespoons of butter to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or just about to soften. Add red peppers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until heated through.
• Being careful, pour the red pepper mixture into a heat-safe food process or blender. Pulse until the mixture is pureed, there might be some chunks or texture to the peppers. Pour the puree into the skillet and add one Tablespoon of butter. Cook until butter is melted on medium heat. Add the vegetable broth, salt and pepper. Mix and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the goat cheese and mix until it's thoroughly combined.
• Drain pasta and pour into the skillet. Add Parmesan and parsley, mix until all of the pasta is coated with the red pepper puree. Serve with shaved Parmesan and additional parsley on top.

Notes

Slightly modified from The Pioneer Woman

The post Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Goat Cheese appeared first on The Little Kitchen.