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.
