Fresh Spring Rolls

makes 4 spring rolls

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 spring roll rice paper wrappers
• 1 cup cooked rice vermicelli noodles
• ½ cup carrot, peeled and julienned
• ½ cup cucumber, peeled and julienned
• 1 cup leafy lettuce (red leaf, green leaf or butter), rinsed and dried
• 12 medium-sized shrimp, cooked and peeled
• 1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves
• 8-12 blades of fresh chives
• DIRECTIONS:

Cook the rice vermicelli noodles according to the package directions. Set out the cooked noodles, julienned carrots and cucumbers, lettuce, cooked shrimp, cilantro and chives on your workspace. 

Fill a large, high-rimmed plate or large baking dish with cold water. Lightly wet one rice paper wrapper by dipping it into the water and allowing it to soak for 8-10 seconds. It is important to not soak the rice paper for too long because it can become overly saturated, which will make it hard to handle. Carefully remove the rice paper and place onto a clean, flat surface such as a cutting board. The rice paper should still be somewhat rigid, but completely covered in moisture. It will become more pliable as you work to fill the wrapper. 

Start to fill the wrapper by placing ¼ cup of lettuce in the center of the lower 1/3 of the wrapper. Add ¼ cup rice vermicelli noodles, cucumber, carrot and cilantro leaves. Begin to roll the wrapper by bringing the edge closest to you up and over the ingredients, making sure to hold everything together tightly. Gently fold in the sides to bundle the ingredients inside of the wrapper. You should be able to see the lettuce layer through the wrapper at this stage. Add three shrimp in a row to the center of the wrapper and top with a few blades of chives. Continue to roll the wrapper so that all the ingredients are completely sealed inside. 

Continue to fill the remaining wrappers, working one at a time. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

TIP: Try filling rice paper wrappers with different combinations of various other vegetables and meats or vegan substitutes and see what kind of unique flavors you can create.

Folded Chicken Tortilla Wraps

makes 4 tortilla wraps

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup leafy lettuce 
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 ounces cooked shredded or sliced chicken
• 4 Tbsp. sour cream
• 4 Tbsp. salsa
• 4 large flour tortillas
• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• DIRECTIONS:

Mix 4 Tbsp. of sour cream with 4 Tbsp. of salsa into a small bowl. Set out the ingredients on your workspace and place one tortilla on a cutting board. 

Locate the center point of the tortilla and cut a line from the center down the lower half of the tortilla. Imagine the four quadrants of the tortilla and place 2 ounces of the cooked chicken onto one quadrant. Add ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese to the next quadrant and ¼ cup of the leafy lettuce to the third quadrant. Add 1 Tbsp. of the sour cream and salsa mixture to the final quadrant and top with a slice of tomato.

Begin to fold the tortilla by starting with the quadrant on the lower left-hand side and working counterclockwise. Carefully fold the first portion up then across and finally down. Make sure to hold all of the ingredients in tightly as you work. You should end up with a triangular shape with one rounded edge. 

At this point you can eat it as is or heat it up in a panini press or in a pan over medium high heat until the tortilla is crisped on both sides to your preference. Serve with extra sour cream and salsa for dipping and enjoy! 

TIP: Try variations of these delicious ingredient substitutes—olives, sun dried tomatoes, guacamole, cucumbers, refried beans, steak, taco meat, deli meat, mozzarella cheese, spinach, mayonnaise, mustard or pickles. You could also try a breakfast version with eggs and bacon or a pizza version with marinara sauce and pepperoni.