Framed Friday: Easy Spring Rolls.
I have to say that spring rolls were something that I never thought I would make, and I’m still not sure what possessed me. But one day I just woke up with a burning desire to make these, and I have to say that they were:
1. Delicious!!!
2. Super-easy to make.
3. Probably the best way to use up leftovers that I have ever run into.
Honestly, the hardest part of the whole thing is finding these.
These are technically called rice noodle wrappers, and when I say they are hard to find I actually don’t mean hard at all – they were in the first market I walked into. And if worst comes to worst, I know you can absolutely find them on Amazon, which is my go-to source for pretty much anything that I have trouble finding out in the real world. Anyway, the key to making these is to have all your ingredients organized before you start out. Any combination of things that feels good to you is fair game, but just to get you started, here are the combinations I went with: shredded cooked chicken, fresh parsley, shredded carrot and chopped mango. Chopped cooked shrimp, mint leaves and shredded carrot. Sliced avocado, basil leaves, cucumber cut into tiny strips, and shredded carrot.
So! Fill up a wide bowl with cold water, take one of the rice wrappers, and dunk it in the water until it is pliable (this will take less than a minute). Take it out and lay it on your work surface and then cover the bottom third with your choice of filling, leaving about a one inch border on the edge. Fold that bottom edge over the filling and roll it over once. Tuck in the sides and finish rolling until you have a nice tight roll. That’s it – you have made spring rolls!!
These are fabulous with whatever dipping sauce you like best – soy sauce, chili sauce, or make a wonderful peanut sauce by mixing up peanut butter, a little warm water and a little lime juice until you have the right consistency for dipping. Perfect for weekend snacking!!
Posted In Framed Friday, recipes
Jessica
October 8, 2010 at 12:24 pmWe made them last week for the first time. They really are so easy and were a great way to use the leftover ingredients from our Vietnamese Bun extravaganza earlier in the week.
Ariel
October 8, 2010 at 11:59 pmIt’s even easier if you warm up the water first before dipping the rice paper. We generally use boiling water then let it cool for a minute. It makes them really pliable and easier to bite through.
elissa, ebb & flow
October 9, 2010 at 7:50 pmthese look amazing! thanks for sharing. i can’t wait to try them. i’m usually partial to egg rolls, but the simplicity of these is appealing. hope you have a great weekend!
Tone
October 10, 2010 at 2:05 amThey are amazingly yummy and healthy too. We call them ‘fun rolls’ and they are great with a little chicken mince that has been cooked with a bit of lemongrass and ginger in sesame oil.