Fresh Rolls

OK.  So it's official, I'm addicted to making Vietnamese Fresh Rolls.  As soon as Shelley told me our first stop was Vietnam, I ran out to an Asian grocery store and bought rice paper wrappers.  I really enjoy eating Fresh Rolls because they seem both healthy and fun, but I've never made them myself.  Until now.  Well, I guess everything needs to be in moderation and that sometimes isn't easy for me.  I think I've made over thirty in just three days -- and I live alone, these are only for me.  They are great to eat at any time of the day, even breakfast -- I made a couple with egg in the filling.  My rolls are not pretty yet, it takes practice to make them neat and tidy.  Then again, neat and tidy has never been my strong suit, so perhaps mine will never be perfect looking.  The important part though is that they are fun to make and enjoyable to eat.

Vietnamese Fresh Rolls 

First decide on the ingredients for the filling.  I used a couple of different combinations.

• Cucumber, Carrot, Chive, Fresh Basil, and Romaine Lettuce.
• Avocado, Hard Boiled Egg, Fresh Red Pepper, Chives, Fresh Basil.
• Chicken, Ramen Noodles with Garlic Oil, and Romaine.
• Omelet, Cucumber, Chive, Romaine. 

The rice paper I used looked like this when it came out of the package.  The instructions said to soak it in warm water for five seconds.  It was still stiffish after the five seconds, but quickly softened up after it was out of the water and on the plate for a minute.  A number of times, I forgot to take the rice paper out of the water quickly enough and it became quite soft, however, I was still able to use it, although it seemed a bit less cooperative.  Either way, the rice paper soon becomes very sticky so speed is a virtue in this process.

I found it best to make up little bundles of the filling first to save time when working with the rice paper.  When I was ready, I soaked one sheet of rice paper, then placed it flat on my work surface.  Although the pictures are all showing a plate, it seems easier to work on a plastic type surface such as a cutting board.

Place the filling in the center of the wet rice paper.  The part of the filling touching the center of the rice paper will be the visible top of the roll, so plan accordingly.  I didn't figure this out until I had completed several rolls.

Fold the far side of the rice paper over the top of the filling.

Fold in the two sides.  This is similar to folding a burrito.

 

Fold the remaining side over the top and smooth it out.

I used several varieties of fillings, but the traditional filling is pork or shrimp.

Vietnamese Fresh Rolls are often served with a peanut sauce.  I had to look on the internet for a recipe and found this one.  Warning!  It is delicious but not low in fat.  It caused me to fall off the diet wagon so hard that I have bruises on my backside.

Peanut Sauce
3/4 cup All Natural Peanut Butter (this is important)
3 tbsp Hoisin Sauce2 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Sugar or Honey
1 tsp to 1 tbsp Chili Paste(depending on how spicy it needs to be)
1 tbsp Minced Garlic
1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
1/2 cup Water

•  Mix in the order given.  I think as long as you start out with the peanut butter and end with the water, the mixing should go fairly well.
• Serve in small dishes for dipping.  For my first attempt, I poured some over the roll, but that proved to be quite messy to eat.  Much better to dip and double dip the roll in a small bowl of the sauce.