Dinner for one tonight.  Every now and then my family has plans in the evening and we don’t to eat together.  That’s when I consider making something to eat that I know I enjoy but others, not so much.

Tonight, no TV, no phone, no distractions.  Just me, a knife, a cutting board and some fresh food.  This was 30 minutes of pure joy and relaxation, which is exactly what I needed after a day of the chaos of my work day!

There’s something eerie about Vietnamese spring rolls.  The translucent quality of the wraps appeals to me in a strange way.  The texture is a little gummy and stretchy, which again, can be challenging.  I remember being hesitant when I was introduced to them but, once I had one, I was hooked.

These are REAL spring rolls!  Just one bite invokes thoughts of spring and summer.  These aren’t the little fried doo-dads that you get from a Chinese restaurant.  These are full of big, bright flavors and they have an elegance that fried spring rolls can’t deliver.

I used ingredients that I had on hand.  I wasn’t about to make a trip to the store to find Thai basil.  Any sort of crunchy green, leafy vegetables are perfect.

Ingredients:

½ cup shredded cabbage

¾ cup Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced

1 green onion, sliced

¼ cup fresh basil

8 to 10 medium sized shrimp, boiled

4 spring roll wraps

3 Tbs Hoisin sauce

2 Tbs Sriracha sauce (use less, if you like but make don’t omit!)

1 Tbs soy sauce

Directions:

Chop and slice the vegetables.  Set aside

In a small bowl, mix the Hoisin sauce, Sriracha and soy sauce.  Set aside.

Slice the shrimp in half, lengthwise and parboil.  I added the shrimp to a small amount of boiling water and removed the shrimp after one minute.

Chill the shrimp in the freezer for a few minutes.

Prepare the spring rolls by dipping the wraps in a plate filled with water.  Once the wrap becomes pliable, remove it to a work surface and add the fillings.  Wrap by folding over the edges and rolling from bottom to top, just like folding a burrito.

Serve with the dipping sauce.

Serve with Vietnamese iced coffee, if you have the time to prepare.  Otherwise, a nice crisp, refreshing beer will suffice.