I'll be honest, these spring rolls are kind of a pain to make. The thin rice paper wrappers are a nightmare if you've never worked with them before. The results, however, are quite rewarding--especially on a warm summer day. Light and refreshing, I like to think these spring rolls are relatively healthy. I realize it's not exactly summer yet, but these things ARE called spring rolls for a reason, so this was how I spent my Monday afternoon.
I love all the colors in this spring roll. I especially love cutting them in half after carefully rolling them up. That cross section is what I live for.
I don't have a specific recipe for them, but that's the beauty of it. You don't like mint? Screw mint. You want to be a rebel and add some apple matchsticks? Go for it. I think it may be a good idea actually...
Here's a short list of my ingredients. Go crazy.
pork:
marinate briefly in fish sauce, grated ginger, garlic, honey, water
cook well in sauté pan
shrimp:
simply blanch, shock in ice water, and peel
carrot:
make thin strands with vegetable peeler
iceberg lettuce:
shred
cucumber:
cut into thin matchsticks (I prefer Persian cucumbers over English)
mint and cilantro:
pick leaves off the stems
rice noodles:
cook according to directions on package, shock in ice water, dry well
peanut sauce:
chunky peanut butter, fish sauce, lime juice, honey, grated garlic, serrano pepper, rice wine vinegar, water
working with the rice paper:
DO NOT OVER WET IT! It may look like it's still hard, but trust me, a quick dip in warm water is all it needs. I just put a little bit of water at the bottom of a flat plate, and lay the wrapper on the water briefly on both sides. It will soften up some more while you put all the ingredients in their place. By the time you're ready to roll it up, it'll be ready to go.
Koreans love having spring roll parties. It's something that middle aged korean moms do when they want to feel like they're not eating too much. Looks good!
ReplyDeleteTotal guilt-free food. Were these all taken with iphone?
ReplyDeleteyes, iphone!
ReplyDeleteand cross process :) hehe
ReplyDeletelooks yummy
ReplyDeletenice! i remember the first time i worked with the rice paper.. there's definitely a learning curve. i've been blogging more with my iphone too hehe. there's the good and the bad about it
ReplyDeletethere should be one more reaction. This looks effing good
ReplyDeleteWow, those look really great. Makes me want to make some of my own. In fact, I will.
ReplyDeleteYUM! always wanted to make these... great post!
ReplyDeleteSam Marie
Looks delicious and healthy. this makes me want to buy all the ingredients and make it at home. Looks easy. Thank you
ReplyDelete