Spicy Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce


My brother's girlfriend recommended this recipe. Christen and Dylan had made the peanut dipping sauce and used it in another recipe -- Dave and I both enjoy summer rolls, so I decided to tackle the entire recipe. A summer roll is a cousin to the spring roll, sometimes summer rolls are referred to as salad rolls. Summer rolls are incredibly easy to make and result in a nice light dinner.

Recipe from Epicurious.

Ingredients:
-2/3 cup hoisin sauce
-1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
-1/3 cup water
-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
-1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

-3 ounces dried rice-stick noodles, cooked according to package directions
-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
-1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
-2 3/4 cups coarsely grated carrot
-3 tablespoons finely chopped serrano chiles
-12 (8-inch) rice-paper rounds, plus more in case some tear
-4 cups thinly sliced cabbage, coarsely chopped
-1 cup finely chopped cocktail peanuts
-1 cup fresh basil leaves


To make the sauce combine the first five ingredients: hoisin sauce, peanut butter, water, lime juice and soy sauce. Stir to the ingredients together, it will take quite a bit of stirring to combine the hoisin and peanut butter into the other ingredients.



Toss the cooked noodles with one tablespoon of lime juice. Use scissors to cut the noodles into a smaller length. About five or six cuts will leave you with short enough pieces. Stir together sugar and remaining tablespoon lime juice in another bowl until sugar is dissolved, then toss with carrots and chiles.

Gently immerse 1 rice-paper round in a large bowl of water and let stand until pliable (15 seconds). Lay on a large cutting board.

Arrange about 1/4 cup cabbage across center of round. Top the cabbage with three tablespoons carrot mixture, then sprinkle with one tablespoon peanuts. Cover the vegetables with a layer each of  basil leaves. Top it all off with about two tablespoons noodles.

Fold edge of wrapper nearest you over filling, tucking in filling as tightly as possible, until it touches other side of wrapper, then fold in sides and continue to tightly roll until sealed.

Repeat for the next eleven rolls -- the rolls will stick together, so store them on a plate or tray not touching.




I always forget to wear gloves when I chop serrano peppers -- aside from my burning finger tips and spicy contact lenses, I was happy with this recipe. The peanut dipping sauce has a nice balance of ingredients, the hoisin helps to add a little spice and a nice amount of savory to the sauce. The peanuts in the rolls add a necessary crunch, their not too spicy, but there is certainly heat from the serrano chile. 

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