There is no getting around it, I love vegetables! It's true. I incorporate them into my diet as much as I can throughout the day. Whether I am mixing them into my morning eggs; adding them to baked goods, sauces or dressings; snacking on them; or even giving them the starring role at mealtime, they are always present. Luckily, this is okay with my husband and two sons. In fact, they love it!
I often stop by the local produce market and treat myself to their homemade Spring Rolls. For me, they are the perfect light lunch, especially when they include some protein which is usually some imitation crab. And one day it occurred to me ... why not make this at home?
Ingredients for Anytime Spring Rolls
1 Package of Spring Roll Skin
2-3 Carrots, juleinned
2 English Cucumbers, peeled, seeded and julienned
1-2 Avocados, sliced
Lettuce
Shrimp, cooked
Fresh Mint, optional
Fresh Parsley, optional
Time Saving Tip:
Purchase carrots that have already been julienned at your local produce market. That's what I did! Do not substitute prepackaged shredded carrots from the produce department of your local supermarket. They taste funny and are cut too short.
Also, feel free to use precooked frozen shrimp!
Finally, feel free to substitute some leftover pork or beef for the shrimp.
* You may have noticed that I did not list exact quantities. That's because you can make as many of these rolls as you would like. The filling is forgiving and you can pretty much add as much or as little of each ingredient. The quantities listed is just to get you started.
It's always good to gather all of your ingredients before you start your recipe. I like to gather, prep and then prepare. Be sure that all of the ingredients are fresh and ripe. Let's get started!
Peel and trim 2-3 carrots. Carefully, cut lengthwise down the middle. Place cut side of carrot on cutting board. Cut into thin matchsticks.
Now to julienne the cucumbers. First, peel and trim the cucumber. Cut in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, then cut the cumber into horizontal sections that are roughly the same length as the prepared carrots. Continue cutting the cucumber sections into strips. As you can see by my photo the strips do not have to be perfect!
Prepare Avocados....peel, carefully take out the pit and slice up each half.
This is good.
Prepare shrimp by quickly cooking in a pot of simmering water. Feel free to add some lemon slices o the water and a bit of salt. As soon as the shrimp start to turn pink take them out of the water. Or if you are using frozen precooked shrimp be sure to defrost and dry thoroughly before proceeding.
To prepare the Spring Roll Skin, fill a bowl up with warm water. The bowl needs to be large enough in circumference so the skin can be placed in the bowl. Keep the skin submerged in the water until it is pliable. This is a quick process that will take 30 seconds to a minute. If you leave it in for too long it will be too much to work with. Carefully remove the skin from the water and place on a flat surface in order to fill. Prepare one skin at a time.
Now lets get to filling these wraps! Start with your spring roll skin, then add a layer of lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, avocado, and your additional garnishes to one half of your wrap. Finally, top it off with some shrimp. Starting with the side layered with the ingredients slowly fold over from the end and continue rolling...jelly roll style. Do your best to make tight rolls. Repeat the process.
I made a bunch of them. I even started to get a little creative. At the urging of my son, Steven, I substituted some leftover pork for the shrimp. Now I just have to cut these in half.
Look at how yummy these look!
These are so delicious. They are perfect if you're on a diet, going on a picnic, or hungry for a quick snack. They can also be made ahead and stored in a plastic container layered with plastic wrap and covered with a tight fitting lid. They will last a couple of days in the refrigerator packed like this. Enjoy!