Asian Fresh Rolls

It's fitting, really, that my first official recipe should be something Asian. After all I am Asian and I love Asian food. So let's get cracking. As you read my blog bear with me. I don't know the absolute correct terminology and I also don't use recipes/measure anything often, unless I'm baking, then I always use recipes. I don't trust myself. 

First things first: the ingredients.  

I used scallions, romaine, and cucumber as my veggies...you could use carrots, peppers, really whatever you want that's crunchy and fresh. 

You'll want to cut all these up nice and little for roll stuffing purposes. 

For the protein, I used chicken. You could you shrimp, tofu (if that's what you're into), pork (maybe), or beef (depending on the kind of "fresh" you want). 

Cook the protein with some seasonings in a pan-I used olive oil, garlic, trader joe's everyday seasoning, and black pepper. 

Also, mix some rice vinegar, Bragg's aminos, cut up fresh basil (could use mint or cilantro), and garlic powder in a bowl (you may need to add more liquids to the chicken when you incorporate it all). 

Here are the rice sticks (soak these for 10 min in hot water) and spring roll wrappers (soak these one at a time as you wrap in cool water - wait till gummy-like and transparent or until the lattice pattern pretty much disappears). 

Then you wrap. Fold like a mini burrito making sure all contents stay nicely inside the wrapper (the first few are tricky, but you'll get the hang of it! I know you will) 

Serve with a side of sweet chili sauce - trader joe's has a great one!  Enjoy. Like I did. 2 at a time. All day long. 

Love, Food.

"recipe" for ASIAN FRESH ROLLS

yields 8 rolls - 35ish min. prep

1 big basil leaf

2 scallions (mostly the green part)

1 1/2 cups lettuce

1/2 of a cucumber - medium sized - julienne style 

1/3 package (or less if you aren't into noodles) of rice sticks (used Maifun Rice Sticks)

1 1/2 chicken breast or 3 chicken tenderloins - seasoned (garlic powder, salt, pepper, etc), cooked (with olive oil), and chopped

1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce or Bragg's Aminos 

8 spring roll skins 

1 tsp garlic powder (or more)

Sweet Chili Sauce to dip 

1) Soak rice sticks for 10 minutes in a bowl of hot water. 

2) Chop all veggies.

3) Stir rice vinegar, soy sauce, basil, and garlic powder together in a bowl and add cooked chicken. 

4) Soak spring roll wrapper in a big bowl of cool water that is wide enough to submerge whole skin (I used a wok)

5) When spring roll wrapper is gummy-like and transparent, lay flat on surface. 

6) Put a spoonful of chicken, some cucumbers, lettuce, scallions, and rice sticks near top of wrapper.

7) Fold in sides of wrapper until they touch each other/stick together

8) Carefully, roll from top of skin keeping all ingredients tightly inside of wrapper.

9) Place on a plate, serve with sweet chili sauce, and ENJOY!