Cold Shrimp And Vegetable Spring Rolls With Cashew Dipping Sauce Food

FRESH VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS WITH TWO DIPPING SAUCES

Steps:

• Combine all vegetables in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Lay the spring roll wrappers on a flat surface, pointed edge toward you. Put a 1/8 of the filling in the bottom third of the wrapper, bring the pointed edge over the filling, fold in the sides tightly. Dab the top pointed edge with water and roll tightly. Serve with sauces.
• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth, add cilantro just before serving.

SHRIMP SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Score the shrimp on the underside in three equally spaced horizontal cuts. Press firmly on the shrimp to straighten.
• In a soup pot, combine 4 cups water, the wine, bay leaf, lime juice and salt and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat, add in the shrimp and cover until the shrimp are pink, about 4 minutes. Scoop out the shrimp and shock in ice water to stop the cooking. Then drain and dry. Reserve the poaching liquid, keeping it hot but not simmering.
• Add the vermicelli to the hot poaching liquid (no need to simmer or boil the water because that may over cook the noodles). Cook until just al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Toss the carrots, cucumbers and red bell peppers with the rice wine vinegar and soy sauce.
• Dip each rice paper wrapper in warm water, one at a time, for a second (no longer or they will get too soft). The wrapper should still feel somewhat hard when you first start working with it. By the time you finish getting all of your fillings in, the wrapper will have continued to soften. Layer the first one with 2 shrimp, a basil leaf, jalapeno slice, some vermicelli and vegetables. Gently wrap like a tiny burrito and cut on the sharp bias. Serve with Peanut Dipping Sauce.
• Add the peanut oil to a small saute pan over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, and then turn off the heat. Then add the peanut butter, hoisin, sambel olek and 3 tablespoons water and mix together. You may need to add a little extra water if the mixture is too thick. Garnish with the chopped peanuts.

FRESH SPRING ROLLS WITH THAI DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• In a bowl of cool water, soak a wrapper until limp. Lay wrapper out flat. Place 1/6 of each ingredient down middle of wrapper, starting with lettuce. Fold over each end and tightly roll the wrapper around the contents, as if making a burrito. Moisten at seam; press to close.
• Lay on plate, cover with moist paper towel and refrigerate until ready to serve. Then slice in two and serve with Quick Thai Dipping Sauce, below, or peanut sauce.
• To make the Quick Thai Dipping Sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

COLD SHRIMP AND VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS WITH CASHEW DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• In a saucepan of boiling salted water cook shrimp until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes, and drain. Let shrimp cool and cut into 1/4-inch pieces.
• In a small bowl toss carrot with scallion greens, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Fill a small shallow baking pan or cake pan with warm water. Working with 4 sheets rice paper at a time, immerse them in water and let stand until very pliable, about 45 seconds. Carefully arrange soaked sheets in a single layer on paper towels to drain. Working with 1 soaked sheet at a time and keeping remaining sheets covered with dampened paper towels, put sheet on a clean dry work surface and arrange about 1 tablespoon coriander leaves in a horizontal line across bottom, leaving a 1-inch border on bottom edge and on each side. Top coriander with about 2 tablespoons shrimp pieces and top shrimp with about 1 tablespoon carrot mixture. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon lettuce, about 1 tablespoon sprouts, and salt and pepper to taste over carrot mixture. Roll up filling tightly in sheet, folding in 2 sides of sheet to completely enclose filling, and continue rolling.
• Make more spring rolls in same manner with remaining 3 soaked sheets. Transfer assembled rolls to a tray and cover with dampened paper towels. Repeat procedure with remaining 8 rice paper sheets and filling ingredients. Tightly cover tray with plastic wrap (keeping dampened paper towels directly on spring rolls). Spring rolls may be made 6 hours ahead and chilled.
• Just before serving, with a serrated knife cut spring rolls in half diagonally. Arrange spring rolls on a platter and garnish with coriander sprigs. Serve spring rolls with cashew dipping sauce.
• To make cashew dipping sauce:
• In a food processor blend cashews with oil, scraping down sides, until mixture forms a paste. Add remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste and blend until smooth. Dipping sauce may be made 4 days ahead and kept chilled, covered. Return dipping sauce to room temperature before serving. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

VIETNAMESE SHRIMP ROLLS WITH CASHEW DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare all ingredients before assembling rolls.
• If using, combine the mayonnaise, Thai red curry paste, lime juice and water, mix well until thoroughly blended and refrigerate until needed.
• Cook the rice vermicelli according to the packet directions until al dente, rinse in cold water, drain well, and chop into 2” to 3” lengths.
• Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes until reconstituted, then drain, reserving ¾ cup soaking liquid.
• Remove and dispense of stalks, and thinly slice caps.
• Cook shiitake in reserved liquid until mushrooms are tender and liquid evaporates.
• Season mushrooms with soy sauce and sugar, set aside and let cool.
• Add the rice wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste, to the green onions, mix well and set aside.
• Place all ingredients, including the shrimp, shredded carrot, cilantro, mint, alfalfa sprouts and lettuce in separate piles on your work surface.
• Fill a shallow casserole dish with warm water.
• Immerse rice wrappers, four at a time, into the water until pliable (about 45 seconds).
• Arrange wrappers on paper towelling to drain, but keep moist by placing a damp paper towel over each wrapper.
• Working one wrapper at a time, thinly spread some of the mayonnaise/red curry mixture (if using) with a knife over the lower 1/3rd of the rice wrapper.
• Top with thin layers of noodles, shrimp, mushrooms, green onions, carrot, cilantro, mint, alfalfa and lettuce.
• Roll the rice wrapper over once, tightly, from bottom, then fold in the two sides to completely enclose the filling.
• Continue folding the wrapper over until completely rolled.
• Place finished roll seam-side down on a serving plate, and cover with a damp paper towel to prevent spring rolls from becoming dry before serving.
• Slice each roll diagonally in half, to serve.
• Serve with a cashew dipping sauce or a diluted mixture of hoisin sauce and water.
• Cashew Dipping Sauce: Toast the cashew nuts on a cookie sheet in a 400-degree F oven until golden, then chop finely.
• Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring.
• Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Add as much or as little dried red pepper flakes, according to your preference.
• Correct consistency with a little extra water if necessary.

COLD VEGETARIAN SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Combine all dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add all vegetables and the chopped cilantro. Toss thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Let set 10-15 minutes for flavors to blend.
• Soak one rice paper at a time in water until softened. Place on clean towel, and put 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the vege mixture about 2" from the lower edge of the rice paper.
• Fold the lower edge up to cover the filling. Fold in the sides, and roll up gently. A pretty touch is to sprinkle the upper half of the rice paper with the whole cilantro leaves prior to completing the wrap - they show through the rice paper and are very decorative. Place on a plate, seam down, and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
• Serve with a sauce of your choice. Use the same ingredients as the dressing if you like, or experiment with mustard or plum sauce. I like the lighter combinations better with these rolls. Even commercial Chinese salad dressing works in a pinch.