Spring rolls with Alexandra....a perfect birthday dish!

It is Alexandra's birthday so I want to share with you this easy recipe that we made together last week. Spring rolls are an easy dinner or snack and can be made quickly and they keep well in an airtight container for leftovers. Happy Birthday honey!

rice paper

As per most of my recipes, the vegetables can be substituted or added to. The following work well too in this recipe: fresh basil, cucumber, zucchini, cooked chicken or fish, cilantro, cooked leftover vegetables

rice paper (see pic to the right)

1 lb. cooked prawns 

1 carrot 

1/2 package rice vermicelli

 2 large lettuce leafs or spinach

pea shoots

2 green onion

hoisin sauce

It is important that your prep is done ahead so that all the fillings are at your fingertips before you start rolling up the spring rolls.

Boil rice vermicelli for 2 minutes. Drain off water and cool pasta down with cold running water.  Set aside

Clean up prawns if needed by removing the tail and the vein if not already done.

Peel and then julienne carrots (very thin matchstick size), wash lettuce/spinach & pea shoots, slice green onion.

Option:  I like to quickly blanch my carrot sticks so that they are not as crunchy in the roll. Using a wire mess strainer put your carrot sticks into the strainer and then into a pot of boiling water. Immerse the sticks for 1-2 minutes only.  Allow to cool.

Immerse one rice paper at a time in warm water (I used a shallow frying pan but a cake pan works just as well) until it is not stiff anymore...maybe 10 seconds.  If the rice paper becomes too soft it doesn't work well.

Place rice paper on a damp cloth on your counter.

Leave one inch on the bottom and sides for sealing the roll.  Place a small amount of fillings (lettuce, noodles, carrots, onion, prawns) on the lower 1/3 of the paper. Drizzle hoisin sauce over filling as desired.

Fold lower edge up over fillings first to compress the fillings and then fold in the sides of the rice paper (looking like a burrito now) in, all the while pressing the fillings into a log shape. Continue to roll the log until all the filling is secured and the roll is a small log shape.

Continue until all your fillings are used up.  

Chill in a air tight container and serve cold with sauces of your choice.

place your filling near the bottom of the rice paper

Have all your prep done before you start rolling