Ready to Roll?

Last year, in an effort to add more variety to my cooking repertoire, I took a cooking class focused on preparing various Asian dishes. One of the best recipes I learned in this class was for Summer Rolls. I made the rolls multiple times last summer as an appetizer for parties but also as a light side dish to accompany a main course. Not only do the Summer Rolls make a pretty presentation as an appetizer but they are loaded with vegetables which is great if you are attempting to eat healthy without sacrificing taste for less calories.

This is a recipe that much like my Timeless Tart as you can make it feel new each time you prepare it by varying the filling.  I've made Summer Rolls with a variety of different vegetables and have even added shrimp or rice noodles to make the rolls more hearty. Since we like things spicy at my house, I occasionally add jalapeno as well.

I marinated the vegetables in sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce and lime. A little goes a long way with these ingredients! You can make your own dipping sauce or even buy some sweet chili sauce in the store and it is a great compliment to the Summer Rolls. For the filling, I used a red and orange bell pepper, green onions and shitake mushrooms. I julienned the peppers so they would be approximately the same size as the mushrooms. I bought the mushrooms pre-sliced and with their narrow cut, they worked perfectly with the peppers. I used rice paper to wrap the vegetables.  All you need to do is submerge the paper in warm water for 10 seconds and then you are ready to roll.  Literally!

Since it is tricky to explain how to roll the Summer Rolls, I enlisted my husband to take a quick video of me preparing the Summer Rolls. Please don't mind the dishes in the sink or the background noises from our son!

Enjoy this versatile recipe and definitely experiment with your favorite filling. One last thing: be sure to place the Summer Rolls on damp paper towel and cover with damp paper towel as well before serving to make sure they retain their moisture.

C's Summer Rolls (makes approximately 20-25 rolls)


Ingredients
Rice paper
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 package of pre-sliced shitake mushrooms
Green onions
1 lime, squeezed
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons ginger (I bought the kind you squeeze from a tube)



Details
*Slice the peppers into matchstick slices and place in a small bowl with the mushrooms and sliced green onion.
*In a small bowl whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice and ginger.
*Pour the sauce over the vegetables and mix well.
*Begin assembling the Summer Rolls (see video above) by placing the rice paper in warm water for 10 seconds. Remove the paper from the water, pat with a towel and then fill with the ingredients and roll. Be sure to place the rolls on damp paper towel and cover with damp paper towel until ready to serve.