Springy Spring Rolls, Spicy Samosas & Wondrous Wraps

Springy Spring rolls

Ingredients for Spring Rolls: Filo pastry, large handful of beansprouts, 1 small onion, 1 carrot, small can of bamboo shoots, Chinese seasoning or paste.

Pre-heat the oven Gas 6 / 200°C.

1. Peel a carrot. Cut off the top and bottom and grate finely.

2. Peel an onion. Make a bridge with your hand and cut the onion in half. Put the flat sides down on the board.

3. Hold the onion firmly with your hand like a claw. Slice across without cutting through the root.

4. Turn the onion round and still holding it like a claw, slice in the other direction.

5. The prepared ingredients.

6. Mix the filling in a bowl and add the Chinese spice – about 1 x 5ml spoon.

7. Cut the filo pastry into strips about 25cm x 15cm. Filo pastry dries out very quickly, so put the unused pieces between two sheets of cling film until required.

8. Put a tablespoon of the filling near the edge of the pastry closest to you. Fold over to make a roll and then fold in each side.

9. Roll up until you reach the end of the strip. Leave the join underneath.

10. Place on a greased baking tray.

11. Brush the spring rolls with olive oil and bake for about 20 minutes on Gas mark 6 / 200°C.

12. When cooked they should be crisp and golden brown.

Spicy Samosas

Ingredients for samosas: filo pastry, 1 potato, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 2 x 15ml spoons frozen peas, 1 x 5ml spoon turmeric, ½ x 5ml spoon cumin.

Pre-heat the oven - Gas 6 / 200°C.

1. Peel an onion. Make a bridge with your hand and cut the onion in half. Put the flat sides down on the board.

2. Hold the onion firmly with your hand like a claw. Slice across without cutting through the root.

3. Turn the onion round and still holding it like a claw, slice in the other direction.

4. Peel a carrot. Cut off the top and bottom.

5. Cut the carrot in half and stand each half on end. Cut down in a criss-cross pattern.

6. Turn the carrot round and cut across to make small cubes.

7. Peel and slice the potato. Cut into strips and then into cubes.

8. The prepared ingredients.

9. Put the onion, carrot and potato in a small saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil.

10. Put a lid on the pan and boil for about 5 minutes.

11. Drain in a sieve or colander.

12. Put the drained vegetables in a bowl with the peas and add 1 x 5ml spoon of turmeric.

13. Add ½ x 5ml spoon of cumin.

14. Mix well.

15. Cut the filo pastry into strips about 25cm x 10cm. Put about 2 x 5ml spoons of filling in one corner. Fold the pastry over the filling in a triangle. Filo pastry dries out very quickly, so put the unused pieces between two sheets of cling film until required.

16. Continue to fold the pastry over, keeping the triangular shape all the way along.

17. Brush the samosas with vegetable oil.

18. Bake for about 20 minutes on Gas mark 6 / 200°C.

19. When cooked they should be crisp and golden brown.

Wondrous Wraps

Mediterranean Wraps: Tortilla wraps, hummus, sun dried tomatoes, black olives, carrot, lettuce, cucumber.

1. Shred the lettuce, peel and grate the carrot, finely slice the cucumber, chop the sun dried tomatoes, slice the olives.

2. Start by spreading a layer of hummus on the tortilla.

2. Add a few sun dried tomatoes, some grated carrot and a few olives.

3. Fold the edge of the tortilla over the filling, then add filling of a contrasting colour such as the shredded lettuce and cucumber.

4. Fold in the two sides of the tortilla and continue rolling, tucking in the bits as you go.

5. It should now look something like this.

6. Take the wrap in a bridge hold and cut across diagonally.

7. The end result.

Ingredients for a cheesy salad wrap: Tortilla wraps, grated cheese, salad onions, cucumber, radishes, cress, tomato

1. Cut the root and dark green leaves and one layer of skin from a few salad onions. Grip in a claw hold and chop finely.

2. Wash and dry the radishes. Cut off and throw away a thin piece from each end. Slice thinly.

3. Hold the tomato in a claw grip and slice thinly.

4. Use scissors to snip off the cress.

5. The prepared ingredients.

6. Put a layer of cheese across the tortilla followed by salad onions, radishes and sliced tomato.

7. Fold the edge of the tortilla over the filling, then add a layer of cucumber and cress. Fold in the two sides and continue to roll up, tucking in any bits which try to escape.

8. Holding the wrap in a bridge hold, cut through diagonally.

9. The end result.

A selection of snacks – Spring Rolls, Samosas and Wraps.