This recipe is one of my favorite dishes: Fresh spring rolls. If they are on the menu, they will be ordered! And, as the summer heat rises, you will be happy to know there is no cooking required.

This is a simple dish that bring huge flavor! It has taken me quite some time to get the peanut sauce just where I want it in the delicate dance of heat vs. flavor but I think I’ve finally got it. I could have eaten it with a spoon!

Fresh Spring Rolls With Thai Peanut Sauce

Thai Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup cocount milk
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
juice of 4 limes
2 tablespoons Mae Ploy Chili Sauce
1 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
2 tablespoons crushed ginger
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mix all ingredients together. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator several days but will need to be brought to room temperature before use to loosen up the solids.

Fresh Spring Rolls

Several sheets of rice paper wrappers
1/4 pound of cooked 31-40 shrimp, deveined, deshelled and cut in half lenthwise
Vermicelli noodles, prepared according to package instructions and cooled (I normally use rice vermicelli but all I had on hand today was wheat, which worked out fine)
12 strips of carrot, cut lenthwise, then once in half (I use a carrot peeler to get really thin strips)
1 cup cilantro leaves (no stems)
1 cup mint leaves, chopped
Several pieces of romaine lettuce, washed and deveined

Prepare all ingredients first before assembling the rolls. Once everything is prepared, in a large bowl of room temperature water, soak a rice paper wrapper for 5-7 seconds. Paper will give a little but should maintain its structure. Don’t worry, it will soften by the time you are ready to roll. On a plate or cutting board, lay out rice paper. Top rice paper with the shrimp (skin side out) to form little hearts. top the shrimp with the romaine lettuce, then a little cilantro and mint, carrot, then vermicelli. Carefully fold in each side of the rice paper wrapper, then roll up the bottom, being sure to tuck it under tightly, then rolling up, making sure your skin is tight around the roll. Using a very sharp, wet knife, cut the roll in half. Serve with Thai Peanut Sauce.

Eat Well!

Trish