Quinoa Paper Rice Rolls

Inspired by The Happy Hummus Hut downtown St. John's, I had to put my budding culinary skills to the test and make these rice paper rolls!  This locally owned vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free restaurant is a fantastic find. My friends and I were actually strolling downtown when we stumbled upon this little gem! At the restaurant I had the "Sunday Dressing" Roll which was awesome, but I decided to go a different route. Since I'm obsessed with quinoa lately (complete protein, what's up!?) I incorporated the tasty little grain into my version of this protein-packed meal. I tried to be a specific as possible with the ingredient measurements, but I usually play it by ear when cooking. I tend to agree with the saying, "baking is a science and cooking is an art." As you can see in the picture below, it's my first time making these so hopefully with time, the presentation will be a little better :-) So, without further adieu, here's my Quinoa Rice Paper Rolls!  

Ingredients:
2 rice paper rolls
1/2 cup of quinoa
2 tablespoons of ground almonds
2 handfuls of julianne carrots (approx)
1/2 cup of assorted peppers (red, green, orange)
Approx 1 tablespoon of green onion
Approx 1 tablespoon of red onion
1 teaspoon of roasted red pepper spice

Dressing for Quinoa:
2 tablespoons of orange juice
1/2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon of orange zest
pinch of tyme




Preparation:
1. I usually make a 1/2 cup of quinoa each time I cook it even if I don't eat it all because I can just freeze the leftovers and eat it for lunch at work! So, cook the quinoa as it says on the package - it's super easy and only takes about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile... In the package, the rice paper rolls are hard when bought, so to get the desired texture grab a shallow plate and fill it with warm (almost hot) water. Place the rice paper roll in the water for about 10-15 seconds or until it has a thin, paper-like consistency. No need to flip, just make sure you submerge the whole paper roll in the water. When you reach the desired texture, place the paper rolls on a cold, damp cloth.
3. Grab a handful of raw (not salted) almonds and place them in a blender or food processor and pulse. I just used my Magic Bullet and it worked fine!
4. Chop veggies. I bought the pre-shredded carrots to make it easier and less time consuming.
5. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing with the cooked quinoa and mix well. Add the red pepper spice and mix well.
6. Place the cooked quinoa, ground almonds, shredded carrots, green and red onion and assorted peppers in the middle of the rice paper roll. Roll up the bottom and two sides and finally the top of the rice paper roll. Enjoy!!