Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Spring is around the corner, so let's celebrate the new season with spring rolls! Spring rolls are one of my favorite things to eat. I've made them with chicken, fish, and even lemongrass steak. Not only are they versatile, but they are also healthy, easy to make, and fun to eat!


Ingredients for about 10 rolls:

• Rice Paper
• Chicken Breast(size of two fists)
• 20 Medium Frozen or Fresh Shrimp
• Rice Noodles
• A Bulk of Fresh Mint Leaves
• Lettuce Leaves or Spinach Leaves

Instructions for Preparation of Spring Rolls:

• Chicken & Shrimp

1. Clean the chicken breast by running it under warm water. Cut the chicken breast to the size of one fist, or even slightly larger. 
2. Fill a pot with enough water to submerge both pieces of chicken breasts. For flavor, put about a tablespoon of salt into the water. Once the water comes to a rapid boil, turn the heat down a notch and place both pieces of chicken breasts into the water to cook for about 40-45 minutes. To check if the chicken is fully cooked: poke the chicken with a fork to see if it turns the water pink ( If the water turns pink, it's not cooked) or take the chicken out, and cut it down the middle (cooked chicken should not have any pink to it.)
3. Place cleaned shrimp in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp for about 3-5 minutes. Shrimp should turn orange and curl into a C-shape when cooked. 
4. Cut the cooked chicken to thin slices. Slice the shrimp in half, length-wise symmetrically. 

• Rice Noodles

1. Fill a medium pot with water. Boil water, place rice noodles to cook for about 4-5 minutes until desire tenderness. Using a strainer, drain water. Allow noodles to dry.

• Mint Leaves

1. Rinse the fresh mint leaves under water. Strip the leaves off the stem. Place them on a paper towel to dry. 

Ingredients for Dipping Sauce

• 3 tbsp. of Hoisin Sauce
• a splash of water
• 1 tsp. of minced garlic
• 1 tsp of grounded peanuts or 1/2 tsp. of peanut butter.

Instructions for Dipping Sauce

1. Mince garlic. Place minced garlic with a bit of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Mix casually for a minute or so. Add hoisin sauce, stir vigorously and immediately turn off heat. Place a few tablespoons of water so that the sauce will have a thin-ish consistency. After a minute or two mix the peanuts or peanut butter in.

Instructions for Rolling a Spring Roll:

1. Fill a large bowl with hot water from the sink. Dip the rice paper into the water, splashing the entire sheet with water. Place the sheet on a clean plate.
2. An inch from center, line about 4-5 shrimp-halves in a row with the orange side down (this allows the shrimp to be seen once rolled.)
3. Top the line with lettuce leaves or spinach leaves. Then top it with pieces of cooked chicken and rice noodles. Finally, top the stack with about 4-5 mint leaves.
4. Fold the sheet in half (like a taco,) but fold it a bit short. Then fold the sides in. With your fingers, tuck the mixture and slowly roll it, spreading an equal amount of pressure along the entire roll. 

Cost:

• 10 sheets of Rice Paper- $1-1.50 for about 50 sheets
• Chicken Breast(size of two fists)- $2-3
• 20 Medium Frozen or Fresh Shrimp- for a bag of 80 pieces $10
• 2 layers of Rice Noodles- $1 for 3 layers.
• A Bulk of Fresh Mint Leaves- $0.30-$0.50
• Lettuce Leaves or Spinach Leaves- $2-$3

Approximate Total Cost- $6 for 10 spring rolls!

xoxo,

Amy