Newlywed Vegetarian: Fresh Spring Rolls for Spring

I am so excited about this weather that I think I'll just start calling all posts "[Food name] for spring."

Okay, maybe not. But this time it just fits.

I've always loved Spring rolls, but I've never felt comfortable trying to make them. That is because: Once upon a time when I was a teenager, I tried to make roll sushi with nori rolls and the nori hated me and fell apart. They were edible but not very sushi-like. Forevermore I assumed that all roll-like Asian foods would hate me and I would fail if I tried. The end.

Then, about a week ago, Hubby and I went out for Vietnamese and I ordered veggie spring rolls. They came out made with only four ingredients, and I started to wonder if it would really go as horribly as I thought.

So I went for it! On Good Friday, expecting the rice paper to act exactly like the nori, I made spring rolls for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they didn't immediately implode on themselves, and made them again a couple of days later.

And that is our story for today, boys and girls.

...Oh, right, I have to tell you how to make them. Let's get down to it:

Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Cook time: 15-17 minutes

Ingredients:

10 rice papers
1 Quorn-brand "chicken" cutlet
1 carrot
3/4 head of romaine lettuce
1/3 package rice noodles (makes about 3/4 cup)

Dipping sauce, to serve

Directions:

1. Prepare your rice noodles according to the package. Mine took about 10-15 minutes, hence most of the cook time. Drain and set aside.

2. Slice your lettuce thinly.

Slice your carrots, too, unless you decided to just use shredded carrots. I won't judge! I always just use a peeler to thinly slice whole carrots.

3. Prepare your "chicken" according to the package, which accounts for the rest of the cook time. I just microwaved it, which takes 2 minutes. Slice that up nice and thinly, too.

4. Wet a "tea towel," which is effectively a dish towel that is kept "nicely." I picked the one that I had with the least amount of "pills" on it that could stick to the wrappers. I thought I was being clever by switching it around so the white back showed and not the Christmasy pattern, not thinking that once it got wet the pattern would come right out anyway. Oh, well.

5. Grab a large bowl of lukewarm water, large enough to fully submerge the rice paper without bending it.

Grab a rice paper. They're very sensitive to moisture--see how it's already starting to curl in my hand?

Dunk that baby--gently.

Leave submerged until it is "soft and pliable," about 15-20 seconds. If you take it out too early, it will be too stiff, and if you take it out too late, it will rip.

Set on the tea towel for prep. (I swear, it's there. You can kind of see it.)

Add on a small handful of your rice noodles. down the center of the rice paper, leaving plenty of space on the sides for rolling.

Lettuce.

Carrot.

And chicken.

Fold over one side of the rice paper, like a very tiny, very delicate burrito.

And the other.

Fold up the bottom as well, and then tightly roll. But not too tightly. Because they're delicate. (Did I say that enough, yet?)

And there you have a spring roll!

I may or may not have paraded it around the house and brought it out to Hubby to brag that I had made a real spring roll for the first time. A happy dance may or may not have also been involved.

Keep on rollin'.

And rollin'.

P.S., you can fry these if you like, but I decided to stick to a "fresh" spring roll for this round. I may try fried some time soon!

Don't forget to serve with your favorite dipping sauce! On a colorful fish plate, if you have one, because why not?