Perhaps you have heard about the student protests going on in Quebec of late…? The government wants to increase tuition fees and the students have been rebelling ever since that plan became public knowledge.

The protests have gone from bordering-on-being-peaceful street demonstrations to embarrassingly-chaotic metro and traffic disruptions to masses of people prowling the streets and banging kitchen equipment.

Being a recent graduate from University in Quebec, I have been, repeatedly, asked for my stance on the subject.

My response?

I have much better uses for my time and for my kitchen utensils.

So as thousands swarmed the streets of Montreal in protest, I protested the protest by staying home and whipping up these lovely, vegan, summer rolls.

Time better spent, I think.

These are light and refreshing, and can be customized according to your tastes and to what you happen to have on hand.

A few days ago, I hit up an organic grocer and filled my bags with their fresh Summer produce. All of which ended up being integrated into these beautiful, and healthy, rice paper rolls.

Rather than to surround myself with angry protesters, I sat on my couch with my fiancee and a pile of these organic salad rolls; where we enjoyed a peacefully-calm evening.

Because that’s how I roll.

Summer Rolls (Vegan)

Ingredients
Rice papers
Carrots, julienned
Cucumber, julienned
Radishes, julienned
Red cabbage, sliced
Alfalfa sprouts
Pea shoots
Green onions, sliced on a bias
Mango, julienned
Mint leaves
Cilantro leaves

Directions
1. Working one roll at a time, soften your rice papers in a shallow pan of warm water. When pliable, remove the rice paper from the water and place it flat on a cutting board.
2. Pile your fillings up in the middle of the rice paper, leaving a wide edge.

3. Fold the sides up over the fillings and then fold the bottom up over the center. Roll up completely to encase the fillings.

4. Repeat.

We like to dip our summer rolls in the same Thai peanut sauce that I use to dress my Asian Coleslaw. SUPER delish.