Time has gotten away from me and this recipe has been sitting here in the queue for ages. I made these delicious summer rolls for our Lost Finale party (way back a zillion years ago) representing the Kwons (we had a dish representing most of our favorite characters). Yes, I know these rolls aren’t exactly Korean. Or really Korean at all. However, I did use quite a bit of mint, which is often used in Korean fare. If I wanted them to be more authentic, I should have used pickled vegetables for the filling and seaweed for the wrapper, but I wasn’t in the mood for that, so I cheated. Anyway, they’re delicious, and despite their appearance otherwise, they’re quite easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

• rice paper spring roll wrappers
• thin vermicelli-style rice noodles
• tofu
• mint leaves (2 each per roll)
• vegetables, sliced into thin sticks or shredded, pickled or fresh

Equipment:

• shallow pan filled with hot water
• bamboo rolling mat (optional)

Boil some water in your kettle and leave it on to keep the water hot while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Cook the rice noodles as per the package instructions (most likely boiling them for three to four minutes). As soon as the noodles are cooked, drain them immediately and rinse them under the cold tap to stop them from cooking and to make them easy to handle. Drain the noodles and set them aside.

Slice, peel, or shred your veggies, and set them aside. I usually stuff my rolls with sliced cucumber, avocado, or shredded carrots. Slice the tofu into thin-ish sticks as well, and set aside.

Once you’ve got all your ingredients prepped, you’re ready to roll. (Hah. Punny.) Fill the shallow pan with hot water. Slide one of the wrappers into the pan, making sure the water covers it. After about 10 seconds (or less) it will be dramatically softened. Here’s where it gets a bit tricky. Carefully lift the wrapper from the pan and place on your bamboo mat, or other surface. It will probably stick together like cling film. It takes a bit of practice to figure out a way to handle it so it doesn’t stick and tear.

Once you’ve got it on your mat, plop down a handful of noodles near in the lower third of the wrapper. Top the noodles with the sliced or shredded veggies, tofu, and two mint leaves. Using the mat to assist you (optional) bring the lower edge of the wrapper over the top of the pile of filling. Bring the sides of the wrapper up over the ends of the filling. Make sure the ends of the roll are secure as you roll it up, using your fingers to tuck in any stray filling. The stickiness of the wrappers will allow it to adhere to itself and seal in the filling nice and tightly.

It’s a bit tricky to get at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be whipping these out in large quantities in no time flat. I like to enjoy mine with sesame ginger or peanut sauce. (And if you are making these in large quantities, it’s best to cover them with a damp cloth or some cling film so the completed ones don’t dry out.)

I have also been known to refer to these as “Tauntaun Guts Rolls” because when you cut them in half, the noodles kind of look like, well, you know. But they smell good on both the inside and the outside, so there’s that at least.