So I'm off to a Christmas party this evening and was asked to bring a salad or dessert. While desserts are an obsession of mine, I decided to do something equally yummy but less fattening; Salad Rolls. Once upon a time, my brother was married to a girl from Laos and she taught my mother and I how to do these. They are best served with either peanut sauce or sweet chili sauce (although some people like to use Hoisin Sauce for dipping). I chose to take both to the party incase someone has an allergy to peanuts or an aversion to spicy things. I'll give you the low-down on how to make these.
First: Make your peanut sauce. 1cup water, 1 cup white sugar, 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (I use Kraft brand), 1/2-2/3 cup white vinegar, 2 TB Hoisin sauce. Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil stirring constantly...it will look lumpy and wierd for a bit but will smooth out closer to when it's boiling. Bring it to a boil and allow it to simmer while stirring occasionaly for 5-10 minutes. It will thicken if you let it do this. Cool sauce completely. It will also thicken slightly as it cools.
Once your done your sauce you can build your assembly line. For the rolls you will need 6 inch rice paper rounds, rice vermicelli noodles, romaine lettuce, carrots, peppers, cucumber, cold cuts (shaved) or cooked shrimp, and red cabbage. Truly you could use whatever veggies you'd like; just make sure they are prepped small. For the carrots, I have a special peeler from the asian market in Edmonton that peels them into skinny strips. They are perfect for Salad rolls that way.
Lay out all your filling ingredients in order and roll one round at a time.
The rice paper rounds are quite thin and can break easily so be gentle with them. Fill a large bowl with hot water and place one round in making sure to have it covered in the water. It will curl at the edges if they aren't in contact with the water. It will soften quickly and be ready for filling.
Gently take it out when it's soft and spread it on your working surface (mine is a cutting board). Layer your filling ingredients starting with the lettuce--make sure you've removed or broken the spines of the lettuce pieces for easier rolling--Lettuce, meat--if you're using it--2 small pieces of cucumber, some shredded carrot, shredded cabbage, red pepper and rice vermicelli noodles (cooked according to package directions). **caution**DO NOT OVERFILL OR RICE PAPER WILL SPLIT!**
Roll it up like a burrito tucking in the ends as you go. Slice it in half. Arrange the halves on a serving platter and cover with damp paper towels and plastic wrap. Store in the fridge until you are ready to dig in!
