Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Vietnamese-Style Spring Rolls

Sunday, June 6, 2010

[MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Vietnamese-Style Spring Rolls - 1 pt; 8g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

* Exported from MasterCook *

Vietnamese-Style Spring Rolls

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowCal (Less than 300 cals) LowerCarbs
LowFat (Less than 5%) Veggie

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 dried Chinese black mushrooms -- to 10 mushrooms
2 1/4 ounces bean threads -- (two 1 3/4-ounce packages) also known as mung bean noodles or glass noodles
salt
2 medium carrots -- julienned (about 1 cup)
1 cup snow peas -- stemmed, stringed and very finely julienned
1 cup mung bean sprouts
16 (9-inch round) rice papers
24 mint leaves
3 scallions -- cut into thin slivers
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
12 large basil leaves -- Thai basil, if available

To garnish: -- lettuce leaves
To serve: -- dipping sauces

Soak the black mushrooms in hot water to cover for 20 to 30 minutes. Stem
the mushrooms, reserving the soaking water for soups. Cut the mushrooms
into a fine julienne.

Soak the bean threads in cold water to cover for 20 to 30 minutes, or
until tender. Drain well. Cook the noodles in 2 quarts lightly salted
boiling water until al dente, about 1 minute. Transfer the noodles to a
colander with a slotted spoon. Rinse the noodles with cold water and drain
well.

Blanch the carrots in the boiling noodle water for 1 minutes. Transfer the
carrots to a colander with a slotted spoon. rinse the carrots under cold
water and drain well. Blanch, drain, and rinse the snow peas and bean
sprouts the same way. Note: Blanch the bean sprouts for only 30 seconds.

Fill a large shallow bowl with cold water. Soak a sheet of rice paper in
the water for 1 minutes. Carefully transfer the rice paper to a clean dish
towel on a cutting board and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes, or until
pliable.

Assemble the rolls. Arrange 2 mint leaves in a row along the bottom third
of the rice paper. Arrange 1/12 of the bean noodles, black mushrooms,
carrots, scallions, and snow peas in a row on the top. Lightly salt and
pepper these ingredients. Roll up the rice paper to form a tight cylinder,
folding in the side flaps halfway up, as you would form an egg roll or a
blintz. Once you complete 1 turn, add a basil leaf and continue rolling.
The idea is to form a compact roll about 6-inches long. Assemble the
remaining spring rolls the same way. Once assembled, the spring rolls will
keep for up to 6 hours, covered in the refrigerator.

To serve, cut each spring roll in half on the diagonal. Arrange the halves
on platters covered with lettuce leaves. Serve with small bowls of dipping
sauce.

Makes 12 spring rolls, enough to serve 6 as a starter, 3 to 4 as a light
meal.

AuthorNote: Every nation in Asia has it version of a spring roll or an egg
roll. My favorite is Vietnam's spring roll, a tangy, soft, chewy cylinder
chock-full of noodles, herbs, and vegetables. The wrapper is rice paper,
which is actually a type of noodle made from rice flour. Rice paper is
available at Asian markets and many gourmet shops and supermarkets. Rice
paper is cooked at the factory, so all you really need to do is rehydrate
the sheets in cold water. (The fragile sheets often break, so I've called
for a few more than you'll actually need.) Bean threads are thin noodles
made from mung bean starch and sold in small net packages. Note: Spring
rolls aren't difficult to make, but it may take a bit of practice before
they come out perfectly. Don't be discouraged if you have to reroll your
first few with fresh sheets of rice paper.)

Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce
3 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 (to 2) garlic cloves, minced
2 scallions, minced
1/2 cup vegetable stock
3 tablespoons soy sauce, or tamari
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons honey, to 3 teaspoons, or sugar (or to taste)
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon Thai hot sauce, or hot sauce of your choice

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Correct
the seasoning, adding soy sauce, vinegar, or honey to taste. The mixture
should be a little sweet, sour, and salty.

Makes 1 cup (16 one-tablespoon servings).

Vietnamese Ginger Soy Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
6 tablespoons tamari, or soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 scallions, minced
1 (to 3) serrano pepper, Thai, or other hot chilies, sliced crosswise as
thinly as possible

Combine the lime juice, tamari or soy sauce, water, honey, garlic, ginger
and scallions in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix. If the sauce tastes too
strong, add a little more water. Just before serving, transfer the sauce
to a bowl and float the chili slices on top.

Makes 1 cup (16 one-tablespoon servings).

Vietnamese Cilantro Dipping Sauce
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup hot vegetable stock, or hot water
3 tablespoons tofu, preferably silken
1 teaspoon sugar, to 2 teaspoons, or honey
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the cilantro, lime juice, garlic, ginger, vegetable stock, tofu,
sugar, salt, and pepper in a blender and puree. Correct the seasoning,
adding lime juice, salt or sugar to taste.

Note: The sauced should be creamy, but not too thick. It will thicken as
it sits. Add stock to thin it as necessary.

Makes 1 cup (16 one-tablespoon servings).

Cuisine:
"Asian"
Source:
"High-Flavor, Low-Fat Vegetarian Cooking by Steven Raichlen, 1995."
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"June 2010"
Yield:
"12 rolls"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 60 Calories; trace Fat (2.6%
calories from fat); 1g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 104mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Vegetable; 0
Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0