Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

I remember the first time I had a Vietnamese spring roll. I was still living in my home town and a Vietnamese family moved to Saint John to open up a restaurant. That was in the early 1990's. Prior to this family moving here, no one was serving Vietnamese food. The restaurant's primary business was take away and I still recall the amazing aromas coming from their kitchen. I was like a kid with a new toy having to sample all the new found foods with names that were so foreign sounding to me at the time. They did a thriving business until the owners of the building told them they had to move out as the building was being razed. They moved to a suburb of the city (Quispamsis) and today I often wonder if they're still there churning out their national dishes to the locals.

Tomorrow my husband and I are off to Hanoi, Vietnam for three nights. Already I'm thinking about all the great Vietnamese and French food we'll be sampling. Yes, I'll be doing a posting from Hanoi and to whet your appetite, here's an easy no bake version of spring rolls. These are little packets of salads-to-go with crisp raw veggies, minced fresh herbs along with cooked shrimp, pork or fried tofu. A great dinner party hors d'oeuvre!

Serves 4
8 rice paper round
carrots, julienned
cucumber, julienned
red bell pepper, julienned
fresh mint
fresh coriander leaves

Dipping Sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 garlic clove finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon water

To soften the rice paper, place in a bowl with warm water. Let sit for about one minute or until the rice paper is soft and pliable. Remove from bowl and place rice paper on a flat surface. Place the carrots, cucumber, bell pepper and herbs in a little pile in equal amounts at the bottom third of the rice paper. If you have any other ingredients such as cooked
meat, add now. Fold up the bottom and then the two sides and begin to roll being careful not to roll too tightly or the paper will tear.

For the Sauce
Mix all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake until all dissolved. Pour into small serving dishes.

The Culinary Chase's Note: The quantities for the filling is up to you. There are many variations to fresh spring rolls. Some add softened rice vermicelli noodles, mushrooms, shredded chicken, bean sprouts, crab meat, shredded lettuce, snow peas etc. You get the picture! Have fun experimenting with what suits your taste buds and enjoy!