Suzanna Melinn’s veggie rice rolls are (almost) too pretty to eat

Rice rolls are a fresh, easy and versatile way to use whatever crunchy vegetables are in season. Coupled with the tasty peanut dipping sauce, they are perfect for a healthy lunch or light dinner. The wrapping may take a little practice, but is well worth the effort. For something extra special, try dipping the wrappers into diluted beetroot juice to give the rolls a beautiful pinky-red hue.

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the rice rolls
6 rice wrappers
handful of fresh herbs (coriander/mint), roughly chopped
edible flowers – I use a mixture of pansy, primrose and viola
toasted sesame seeds
mixture of vegetables cut into thin strips (pepper, carrot, red cabbage, cucumber)
radish, thinly sliced
baby gem or cos lettuce, thinly sliced
½ avocado, sliced

For the dipping sauce
2 tbsp peanut butter
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp soy sauce (use tamari for a gluten-free option)
2 tsp ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated

Method
To make the dipping sauce, whisk together all the ingredients and place in a serving dish.

For the rolls, begin by preparing all the vegetables and set to one side. Dip a rice wrapper in a large bowl or shallow plate of water for about 15 seconds. Place on a flat surface and put a selection of the vegetables on the bottom third of the paper and sprinkle with seeds, careful not to overfill. Fold the bottom lip (closest to you) over the filling, then fold in the two sides, and roll tightly. Cut in half or diagonally and arrange on a serving board.

Suzanna Melinn runs Banana Melon Kitchen, a plant-based food start-up based in Cork city. Banana Melon Kitchen is a fusion of food and art; they make edible alchemy with an emphasis on colour and creativity, using plants only. Follow her on Instagram @bananamelonkitchen.

Flowers supplied by Leamlara flowers. Contact ivanosheawu@gmail.com.