The Aussie Gourmet: Vietnamese Spring Rolls

In The K tchen Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Pareve • Yields 10 summer rolls

By Naomi Nachman

These delicious rice paper rolls are perfect for the gluten-free diet. Rice rolls are also called “cold rolls,” as they are not cooking or fried like so many other spring rolls. They are served at most Vietnamese restaurants. Now we can have eclectic Vietnamese food at our table, too. It’s super healthy, and I serve it at seuda shlisheet during the long New York summer Shabbat afternoons.

Ingredients

◦ 10 spring roll rice paper wrappers ◦ 5 large romaine or butter lettuce leaves, torn in half ◦ ½ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, finely chopped ◦ 2 large carrots, peeled and julienned ◦ 2 large Persian cucumbers, julienned ◦ 1 cup shredded purple cabbage ◦ 2 avocadoes, sliced ◦ 5 pieces kani (kosher mock crab sticks), shredded ◦ sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Prepare the rice paper wrappers: Pour warm water into a large bowl or 9-inch square or round baking pan.

PHOTO BY MIRIAM PASCAL COHEN

2. Dip 1 rice paper wrapper into warm water for 10 seconds, till it becomes pliable. 3. Quickly remove from water, pat or shake wrapper slightly dry, and place fl at onto a work surface, such as a large plastic or ceramic cutting board. 4. Filling and rolling: Place prepared rice wrapper on the work surface.

Place halved lettuce leaf over the rice paper; sprinkle with cilantro, 5. Add a few julienned carrots, cucumber, and shredded cabbage to the bottom third of the lettuce leaf; top with a slice or two of avocado. Place half a shredded kani stick onto vegetables. Do not overstuff the roll. 6. Roll wrapper tightly by gently pulling up the bottom and rolling it over the fi lling, tucking in the sides as you go, similar to rolling a blintz. The wrapper should be very tightly rolled. 7. Repeat with remaining wrappers and fi lling ingredients. Slice in half on the bias when ready to serve. 8. Serve with peanut dipping sauce.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.