Have you ever cooked dinner for some one only to have them look at you like, “what the heck did you just put in front of me?” I had that happen to me.
My sister was in town. Her daughter, Beliza, has Celiacs disease and it was my daughter’s 3rd birthday. So, I needed a menu that would fill the bellies of about 12 kids and 20 adults but had zero gluten…uh, this is a hard task! A salad just wasn’t gonna cut it.
So, my sister and I decided to tackle Vietnamese Spring Rolls. We’ve eaten them before. We’ve even made them before. Let me just say, they turned out great. It was a ton of work for that many people and was absolutely worth the effort.
Most people enjoyed them. Some people just kept poking them with their forks as if they expected them to jump up and walk off the plate. I think the tofu and rice paper threw them off. My husband’s grandfather, Pop, kept giggling at me every time I walked past him…but he ate 4, so I have to assume he liked them.

~Serves 4~

Food Stuffs:
1Pkg Large Rice Paper
1Pkg Thin Rice Noodles
1 Head Iceberg Lettuce – Shredded
3 Carrots – Shredded
Cilantro – Washed, 2 inches of stems removed
1 Pkg Extra Firm Tofu – Water drained, sliced in 1 inch strips
OR
Chicken Breast – Cut into very thin strips (almost shaved)

Marinade: Spicy
1 1/2TBS Curry Paste (I like Patak’s Hot Curry Paste)
1 TBS Curry Powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of salt
2 TBS Crushed Pepper flakes
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1tsp Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (if you have it)…if you don’t …you should get it! YUM!
3/4 C Oil (not olive oil)

This is the perfect “It’s so freaking hot outside” dinner because there is very little actual cooking involved.  The first thing you should do is take your sliced tofu or chicken…please be brave and at least try the tofu. It’s very good!…and put it in the marinade. You’ll need to let that hang out for about 10/15 minutes. You could do this way ahead of time if you are planning a party..it gets pretty yummy the longer it sits.
Next: Arrange your veggies on the counter – Lettuce, Carrots, Cilantro.
Boil noodles. Rice noodles can be tricky. So, I usually stick pretty close to the pot. Be careful to check them every couple of minutes. Once they are tender, strain them off and run cold water over them. Drain all the water off and place them a bowl next to the vegetables.
Grab your large skillet and the tofu or chicken. Preheat the skillet on high heat for 20 seconds.  Fry the tofu or chicken until it is crispy on the outside- 2-3 minutes each side. Please take care not to burn the seasoning. You may need to reduce the heat to medium.
To assemble the wraps: This takes some practice, so don’t get discouraged! Ok, here is the method I have come up with. I fill a 9/13 cake pan with warm water. I hold the wrap with one hand and then use my other hand to spin the wrap at an angle until the whole wrap is fully saturated and begins to soften. Then I gently place the wrap on the counter, making sure there are no bubbles. Now, place a small handful of noodles, a small handful of lettuce, a sprinkle of carrots, 2 slices of tofu or chicken and 2 sprigs of cilantro into the wrap. Fold the left and right sides over towards the center. Using the side closest to you, carefully wrap the rice paper over the top and scoop under and roll the remaining ingredients into the wrap. Repeat until all your wraps are gone…or until you’ve drank all your wine! I am a perfectionist, so this really stressed me out the first couple of times. But once you’ve practiced, it does get to be quite easy. I promise!

OH LOOK- A HOW TO VIDEO!!!  :) My Sister channeled her best Julia Child’s voice

They are SO fresh and SO good!  Enjoy!

For John and Rita F. Hope you have a chance to make these!

PS…Thai Peanut Sauce:

*I found this recipe on another website (www.shesimmers.com/2009/03/how-to-make-thai-peanut-sauce-my-moms.html)…it was good but a little sweet for my tastes. So I played with it:

3/4c Smucker’s Natural Chunky Peanut Butter (unsweetened) She called for creamy…I like the texture of the chunky
1 13.5 oz Can Coconut Milk
1/2 c Water
1/4c Hot curry paste
1/2TBS salt
1/2c sugar she called for 3/4…I felt like it was way too sweet
2TBS Cider Vinegar
1/2 TBS crushed pepper flakes…this is not in her recipe
Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 4 minutes. Let cool.
It made a ton, so I stuck it in my fridge and it has kept really well! Enjoy!!!