Avocado Summer Rolls
Medically reviewed by Christiana George Updated Date: June 8, 2023
Chris and I went out to dinner last night with an older couple—friends of Chris’s parents—who live in a posh apartment with a great view of Central Park. Ordinarily, we trek out to their place in the Upper West Side, but Chris wanted to switch things up, so he suggested they come to our neck of the woods instead.
Now, our part of Brooklyn and their part of Upper West Side aren’t so very different. Both have tree-lined streets and a neighborhood-y feel and slightly less bustle than, say, Midtown or the Villages. But where they have Columbus Circle and doormen galore and hordes of tourists and expensive restaurants that primarily service said tourists, we have cash-only dive bars and small yoga studios and cafes that fit, like, 10 people max and our local Mexican spot (replete with all the usual cheesy decor).
Our Brooklyn juxtaposed with their Manhattan is like… is like the opera to a movie theater. A glass of pinot noir to a pint of whatever’s on tap. A white tablecloth dining experience to burgers, fries, and a beer. So it only made sense that we take them to our favorite burger joint.
Normally, they take us to a fancy restaurant where we get to feel pampered by waiters who fuss over our seats and bring out our courses with flair. So you can understand why I was a bit nervous about taking them to such a low-key establishment. I’m not saying it was a hole-in-the-wall, because it wasn’t at all, but it had that whole rough-hewn, rustic look that’s so popular among Brooklyn restaurants these days, including the dreaded communal table. As luck would have it, that’s where we were seated.
I’m building this up, aren’t I? Ultimately, they loved the resutarant. We ate and talked and talked and ate, and had a wonderful time. Afterwards, we walked by the mom ‘n’ pop ice cream stand where they bought a mint chip cone to share, fighting for the last few bites. It was a great evening, and I think that whatever impression they had had of Brooklyn has been amended.
And rightly so! Despite the picture I paint, this neighborhood has come a long way. My landlord’s son told me how it had been a contested zone between rival gangs back in the 80′s. And apparently, the Mafia’s reign was still going strong up until, I dunno, the 70′s. And before all that, a gazillion years ago, it was farmland. Now, we live around the corner from a gourmet cheese shop, across the street from a high-end clothing boutique, and down the street from a newly-opened Blue Bottle Coffee. Times have changed.
These summer rolls have nothing to do with my story except I’ve been going gluten-free recently and had to break my ban last night. I guess I didn’t want to be the debbie downer who ordered the salad while everyone else was gorging on burgers and fries, you know? These summer rolls, on the other hand, are gluten-free (with the exception of the hoisin sauce, but you can buy a gluten-free version), and vegan too I guess, and maybe even raw? The rice noodles are cooked, it’s true, but you can easily leave them out.
Since summer has officially kicked in—beginning with some minor humidity this week—I’ve been feeling the urge for fresh vegetables and herbs. And what could be more perfect than the trifecta of cilantro, Thai basil, and mint? Nothing, that’s what. NOTHING. These summer rolls are filled to the brim with earnest plant matter, and are one of the tastiest (and easiest!) foods I’ve made recently.
I realized in my last post that I’d somehow toggled off the comments. Sorry about that! I don’t know whether or not they’ll be turned back on when I publish this post, but if not, I’ll try to figure out how to turn them back on. If you have any questions, feel free to email me!
AVOCADO SUMMER ROLLS
Makes 12
Adapted from all over the place, but mostly Gourmet Live and Chow
Feel free to play around with proportions, but don’t skimp on the avocado! Its taste will be overwhelmed by the other ingredients if you don’t use enough in each roll.
Ingredients:
- 12 sheets rice paper
- 2 or 3 medium avocados, sliced into wedges
- 36 mint leaves
- 36 Thai basil leaves (regular basil okay)
- 24 sprigs cilantro
- 2 or 3 medium carrots, julienned and chopped into 1-1/2″ pieces
- 3 oz. dried rice vermicelli, cooked and drained
- 12 pieces of lettuce (I used Bibb, halving each big leaf to form 2 pieces)
Directions:
Fill a pan large enough to contain the rice paper with hot water. Prepare a moist surface (such as a damp cloth) on which to make the summer rolls. Have all the other ingredients ready around your workstation.
Take a sheet of rice paper and submerge it completely in the hot water. Remove it immediately—it should still be stiff and easy to handle—and place it on the moist surface. Place 3 slices of avocado horizontally across the center of the rice paper, leaving a 1-inch margin on either side. Place 3 mint leaves, 3 basil leaves, and 2 sprigs of cilantro on top, across the avocado slices. Grab a small handful of carrots and place them in two small heaps across the herbs. Do the same with the vermicelli. Finally, roll a piece of lettuce into a cigar shape and place it on top. Go with conventional wisdom and don’t stuff your rolls, as the rice paper is quite flimsy!
Fold the bottom edge of the rice paper over the center mound, then the left and right edges. Finally, roll the mound upward toward the final edge. Try to wrap the roll as tightly as possible.
Dip in the tahini hoisin sauce and enjoy!
TAHINI HOISIN SAUCE
Makes about 1 cup
Adapted from Gourmet Live
Ingredients:
1/2 cup hoisin sauce (gluten-free version)
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
big squeeze of lime juice
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients and stir until combined.
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Are Pistachios Healthy? Nutrition & Health Benefits
Are you looking for a healthy snack that is full of nutrients and comes with many health benefits? Well, among the array of choices, pistachios stand out. Now, you might wonder, are pistachios truly a healthy option?
Pistachios are full of nutrients such as Calcium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium, potassium, etc. And as for the health benefits, it is high in antioxidants, helps you lose weight, promotes various blood health conditions, and reduces many heart-related problems.
That’s not all. The above information is just an overview. If you are willing to learn more about pistachios, stay with us.
Are Pistachios Healthy?
Yes, pistachios are a healthy food. They are a good source of protein, fiber, healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals.
Pistachios are flooded with nutrition which is good for your body. It does not just contain protein and carbohydrates. It’s also a great source of calories, fiber, fat, thiamine, manganese, vitamin b6, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and copper.
| Nutrient | Amount per 100 grams | Percent Daily Value (%DV) |
| Calories | 557 | 28 |
| Fat | 47.4 grams | 73% |
| Saturated fat | 6.4 grams | 32% |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 11.9 grams | – |
| Monounsaturated fat | 28.2 grams | – |
| Sodium | 95 milligrams | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 27.3 grams | 9% |
| Fiber | 10.6 grams | 42% |
| Sugar | 8.2 grams | |
| Protein | 20.7 grams | 41% |
| Vitamin A | 0% | – |
| Vitamin C | 0% | – |
| Calcium | 136 milligrams | 14% |
| Iron | 4.2 milligrams | 23% |
| Potassium | 1072 milligrams | 31% |
| Magnesium | 292 milligrams | 73% |
| Phosphorus | 456 milligrams | 45% |
| Manganese | 2.2 milligrams | 96% |
| Copper | 1.6 milligrams | 89% |
| Thiamin | 0.8 milligrams | 53% |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.1 milligrams | 55% |
In hundred grams of pistachio, you will get this much nutritious value; the main thing is the calories and protein you are getting, which are respectively 557 and 20.7 g.
These percentages are based on “Reference Daily Intake.” These help you to maintain the proper blood and hemoglobin regulation.
There must be many benefits for all those nutrients, right? Let’s take a look at that!
Pistachio Health Benefits
The benefits list of pistachios is long, and this will take some time. Pistachios have many benefits that help keep your body healthy, lose weight, and keep you in shape.
Besides, preventing diseases, maintaining regular blood circulation, and building muscle is also on the benefits list.
Did I mention the other benefits? Well, let’s get into it.
Rich in Nutrients
As discussed in the previous section, pistachios contain various nutrients, such as thiamine, manganese, vitamin b6, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and copper.
Thiamine is a vitamin b-1, which helps your body consume energy from all other nutrients. Also, it maintains the development of your blood cells.
On the other hand, manganese, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and copper help your body to,
- Increase and development of tissue, bones, proper and hormones.
- Proper brain function and nerve system.
- Build strong muscles and repair damaged cells.
- Prevent high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Regulate proper heartbeat.
- Maintain and increase the immune system and blood function.
Besides these, there is more!
High In Antioxidants
Do you know antioxidants can reduce the risk of cancer or heart diseases? Or any diseases?
As we know, you will find lutein, γ-Tocopherol, and zeaxanthin in the pistachios. Gamma tocopherol helps reduce the risks of diseases and also minimizes the possibility of brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s.
On the other hand, lutein and zeaxanthin are great for the health of your eyes. Those improve your visual sensitivity to the eyes, enhance vision sharpness, protect your eye tissues from sunlight damage, and so on.
Low In Calories
Usually, nuts are filled with high calories. But pistachios have low calories compared to other nuts in this category.
28 grams of pistachios contain;
- One hundred fifty-nine calories. Which is very low, 20%, compared to other nuts.
- Contain 20% of the weight.
- A high amount of amino acid helps your body dilate blood vessels.
Aid Weight Management
Pistachios can help you in the journey of weight management. Those can help you gain weight and even lose weight.
Let’s see first how it can help you lose weight. As we know, pistachios have fiber and protein. What these do is give you a feeling of fullness. And you don’t have the urge to eat more.
A study shows that people who eat pistachios regularly have lower body mass index. One of the reasons for this could be that the fat item doesn’t release from the pistachios wall. It results in not digesting the fat.
On the other hand, pistachios can also be a reason for gaining weight. As they are a go-to snack item, you can eat them in large amounts.
Even though they contain fewer calories, eating more than what you should cause you to consume too many calories. If you cannot lose those calories, you might gain weight.
Promote Blood Health
Pistachios help your blood health on many levels, such as blood sugar control, improved blood pressures level, lower cholesterol level, and blood vessel health.
A study shows that pistachios help the good cholesterol to increase and bad cholesterol to decrease. It also helps improve the blood pressure level.
Besides, pistachios have endothelium in them. And guess what! Endothelium reduces vasodilation which results in decreasing blood flow, which results in promoting blood vessel health.
That’s not all! Antioxidants in the pistachios help lower the blood sugar level and overall blood sugar health.
High In Protein For Vegans And Vegetarians
In 28 grams of pistachios, there are 6 grams of protein. Besides, it contains a good amount of amino acids, making it perfect for vegans and vegetarians.
Pistachios provide enough calories and protein to make you feel full. And give them the energy to go through. As a bonus, it helps manage their weight.
Important For Heart Health
As we know, it contains amino acids, which lowers cholesterol level. And that results in reducing the possibility of heart diseases such as heart attack.
Pistachios are also filled with fiber, which makes them the perfect snack for a heart-healthy option.
Reduce Colon Cancer Risk
Do you know pistachios can reduce colon cancer risk as well? It’s true. As it contains high fiber, it can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of colorectal and colon cancer.
Besides, it can help you lose and maintain a healthier weight over time.
Beneficial For Gut Health
Improving gut health is one of the most significant benefits of pistachios. First, it contains a high amount of fiber and moves your gut undigested.
Therefore, there are gut bacteria that turn them into fatty acids. That helps to reduce and improve the digestive system and other heart diseases.
Besides, it also increases the number of good bacteria, which pushes out harmful bacteria. This maintains the balance and makes your gut healthier.
What’s The Healthiest Way To Eat Pistachios?
Pistachios are great as a snack containing vitamin E, B vitamins, copper, and iron. And it also helps with mindfulness and maintaining weight. But there are some ways to consume this:
- You can make pesto with it. Then eat this with fish bread or salad or trail mix.
- Use it as a nut-based crust with cream pie, especially coconut lime cream pie.
- Crushed pistachios in muffins or banana bread and also cookies.
- Pesto mixed with olive oil and fresh basil.
- Use as salad toppers.
You can follow these to consume pistachios more healthily.
Pistachio Side Effects
We have already discussed all the nutrition facts and how pistachios can be beneficial for your body. But there are some side effects also that we should consider.
One of the significant side effects is high blood pressure. Besides, taking large amounts of pistachios can cause high blood sodium levels, hypertension, and fainting.
As we know, pistachios contain a high level of fiber. It can directly affect your digestive system, causing allergies, nausea, and itchiness.
Another significant side effect is inducing the risk of kidney stones, weight gain, increased risk of heart disease, and bowel problems. Also, high manganese levels in pistachios can be problematic for pregnant women.
So, be careful while consuming pistachios and don’t take too much all at once.
FAQs
Are pistachios good for weight loss?
Yes, pistachios are good for weight loss. Pistachios are full of protein and calories. So, consuming these can give you the feeling of fullness and lead you to consume less food.
Are pistachios fattening?
Yes, pistachios can be fattening if you take too many pistachios. Pistachios contain a high amount of calories and fat. So if you cannot lose those calories, this might cause fattening.
Do pistachios cause constipation?
No, pistachios don’t cause constipation. As we know, pistachios are rich in fiber, easing the process of constipation.
How many pistachios a day to lower cholesterol?
There is no exact amount of how many pistachios you should take. But you can take three to four ounces or two to three pistachios daily, lowering cholesterol levels.
Conclusion
We hope the answer to the question, are pistachios healthy or not. Pistachios are rich in nutrients such as thiamine, manganese, vitamin b6, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and copper.
Pistachios also come with many health benefits. It can help you improve your weight management, promote blood health and reduce the risk of many diseases. Though, don’t take too many pistachios, which can lead to many side effects.
Good luck!
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