Spring Rolls

Make sure you have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you begin rolling. This is called ‘mise en place,’ a French culinary term meaning ‘everything in its place.’ Make this dish vegetarian by omitting the shrimp or substituting flavored tofu for the shrimp.

1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1/2 cup red pepper, sliced thin
1 small cucumber, sliced thin
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed
several stems of fresh mint
fresh basil leaves
4 oz thin rice noodles 
24 shrimp, cooked
8-10 spring roll rice papers

Peanut sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
juice from 1 lime
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
water, 1 tablespoon or more to thin

1. Prepare rice noodles in boiling water per package instructions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
2. Make the peanut sauce by whisking all sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl. 
3. To assemble spring rolls, pour hot water into a pie pan or skillet and immerse the rice paper to soften for about 10 seconds.
4. Transfer to a damp dish towel and gently spread out edges into a circle. If the wrappers get sticky, just dip your fingers in water before separating the edges.
5. Add a small handful of vermicelli noodles to the bottom third of the rice wrapper. Arrange a few carrots, peppers, cucumber, a few mint and basil leaves and some cilantro and 2-3 shrimp on the noodles. Carefully fold over once, tuck in the edges, and continue rolling as tightly as you can until seam is sealed, as you would roll up a burrito.
6. Place seam-side down on a serving platter and cover with damp towel to keep fresh. Repeat until all fillings are used up. Serve immediately with peanut sauce.