Vietnamese salad rolls

August 15, 2011

It’s been a scorcher of a summer here in Ottawa and, I’m told, in other parts of the country. As a result, Mr. Shuffler and I have been avoiding heat sources in the preparation of our meals (e.g., the stove, the oven). Fine for us but a bit more of a problem when you manage a blog with the word “cookin’ ” in the title. So I humbly beg your forgiveness as I present a meal that involves more assembly than actual cooking.

Mr. Shuffler and I eat salad rolls for dinner fairly often. They’re cheap, healthy, easy and they’re a great way to get rid of random veggies hanging around your crisper. The only essential ingredient are the rice wrappers, which are easy to find these days at superstore-type grocery establishment. Here are some thoughts about what to put in yours:

Fillings

– protein source: cooked chicken, beef strips, shrimp, tofu

– veggies: shredded carrots, julienned sweet peppers, cucumber strips, snow peas, shredded spinach

– aromatic herbs: basil, mint

– vermicelli

The other essential for salad rolls is a good dipping sauce. Mr. Shuffler likes to experiment with this but we tend to include at least one that is peanut-based. Here’s a recent success found at cooks.com.

Peanut sauce

2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon brown sugar

In a non-stick pan, combine all ingredients, stirring constatntly over medium heat until peanut butter has melted. You can do this in the microwave too, for about 30-40 seconds.

Salad roll wrapping essentials

Assembly can be a bit tricky so here’s a short tutorial.

Step 1: Soak your rice wrapper in room temperature water for approximately 10-20 seconds until soft. We usually keep a bowl of water on the table so that each wrap can be customized.

Step 2: Lay your rice wrapper on your plate and add your toppings. I like to add the sauce with the fixings so it’s a self-contained unit but you could always roll it without and then dip later. It’s really a personal decision.