Summer Rolls

45 min prep time, serves 5 people

Summer Rolls are one of my favorite things to make in the summer. They are made from rice paper wrappers rolled around fresh crunchy vegetables, cold proteins of your choice (cooked shrimp, pork, beef, or chicken), and fresh herbs. This is a recipe that is very flexible and easy to make. Feel free to substitute the vegetables and meat with others you have in your fridge for a quick appetizer for guests.

Ingredients

• Peanut Dipping Sauce
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp warm water
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
  • 1 tsp peanuts, chopped
• Summer Rolls
  • 10 rice paper wrappers
  • 30 medium cooked shrimp, peeled
  • 2 avocado, sliced
  • 2 large red peppers, julienned
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
  • 1 large cucumber, julienned
  • 1/2  bunch fresh cilantro
  • 5 large green lettuce leaves, torn in half

Instructions

1. Add all of the dipping sauce ingredients except the chopped peanuts to a medium bowl and mix until smooth. The 2 tbsp of warm water should be enough, but if the sauce is too thick, add more water. Pour the sauce into a serving bowl and top it off with the chopped peanuts. Set aside for later.
2. Prepare the rice paper wrappers by first pouring warm water into a large bowl. Take a rice paper wrapper and place it into the bowl for 15-20 seconds (check your package for time). It should be soft and pliable, yet still firm. Remove the paper from the water and place it on a flat surface.
3. Place a few sticks of carrot, cucumber, and red pepper. Then a slice or two of avocado and a bit of cilantro cut into the length of your rice paper. Last comes the lettuce leaf half. Do not over stuff the roll as the paper is fragile. Start small and add more as needed.
4. Now roll everything up tightly by first pulling up the bottom of the paper over the filling. As you roll, tuck the filling in so as to keep it compact. Roll forward until it is wrapped once around, at which point you stack the 3 shrimp lengthwise on the roll. Roll the paper over the shrimp and finish it off by folding the sides of the rice paper in over the shrimp. Refer to the picture above.
5. Place the roll on a serving plate and repeat steps 4 and 5 for the rest of the ingredients. Once done, serve the Summer Rolls with the sauce from earlier.