FRESH N’ HEALTHY SPRING ROLLS
This party food always excites guests; it calls for eating with hands!

4 oz (1/2 package) rice stick or bihon
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
1 jicama, peeled and julienned
1 cucumber, washed and julienned
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced lengthwise
12 rice paper wrappers (available at oriental stores)
romaine hearts lettuce leaves or leaf lettuce, washed and shredded
cooked shrimps or poached/boiled chicken breasts, cut in long strips
Handful cilantro leaves
Handful mint leaves
Optional: finely chopped roasted peanuts, chopped avocados, chopped mangoes
Sweet thai chili sauce or hoisin sauce

Dipping Sauce 1 (Sesame):
1/4 cup hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 cup hot water

Dipping Sauce 2 (Sweet Thai Chili):
1/4 cup sweet Thai chili sauce 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoon water 1 teaspoon patis or fish sauce

Dipping Sauce 3 (Peanut Butter):
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/3 cup coconut milk water to thin sauce

Bring a pot of water to a boil and turn off heat. Soak bihon/noodles in the hot water and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove, rinse under cold water, spread on a baking sheet lined with paper towel, pat dry with paper towel and set aside.

Into a large round baking pan, pour hot tap water. Hold the rice paper, one at at time and submerge the entire rice paper until moistened, about 30 seconds. Place flat on a cutting board. Top with a little of each filling ingredients, drizzle with thai sweet sauce or hoisin sauce and roll tightly, folding sides over filling and rolling up to seal. Repeat with rest of rice paper. Cut in half and serve with dipping sauce.

For Dipping Sauce (1) and (2), whisk together. For Dipping Sauce (3), in a small saucepan, melt the peanut butter and stir in remaining ingredients, mixing until heated through, about 2 minutes. If thin sauce is desired, add enough hot water for desired consistency.

Nice one you lazy Market Man… :D

When I make these at home, I make the dipping sauce using (a lot of) hot water + Thai patis + dayap (in the past weeks, I used the Thai limes I brought back from the holidays) + chili flakes + a bit of brown sugar – basically a watered-down version of the dipping sauce. Then I use that to soak the glass noodles in. That way, I don’t dip my spring rolls anymore. (lazy lazy!)