Spring Rolls and Stir Fry

 

I made spring rolls several months ago and ever since, my oldest has been begging for more. I FINALLY broke down and made more! They’re not too difficult to make, but does take a little bit of work.

 

I have seen several different variations of Spring Rolls. I used a combination of ingredients I knew my family would prefer. I look at this recipe as more of a “guideline”. I encourage you to experiment a little and make what appeals to you most.

 

Here is what the wrappers and rice sticks look like.

 

 

First you will cook the rice sticks. Boil water and then add the noodles and cook for 5-10 minutes, until al dente. You do not want to overcook! Once cooked, strain and rinse in cold water, then set aside.

 

Now prep your ingredients for the spring rolls. I have them all out, lined up and ready to grab on a cutting board in front of me. You will need a flat pan with about 1/2 inch of water. The wrapper must be able to fit in it without bending. A cake pan or pie plate may work. I used a 9 x 13 pan. Grab enough of the noodles you wish to use in the rolls and give them a coarse chop and set aside.

 

Spring roll wrappers must be softened before you are able to fold and roll them. Dip one in the water and flip over. I let them sit for about 15 seconds on each side. Then remove and feel the wrapper begin to soften. Add your ingredients to the wrapper as if you were stuffing a burrito, but remember that this wrapper is far more delicate and will easily tear. Stack your filling in the top 1/3 of the wrapper. As your doing this, the wrapper will still be softening.  

 

Here is how I stacked my ingredients: First shrimp, then greens, carrots, onions, cilantro, spouts, noodles. I found that having the noodles on top, helped the wrapper to stick a little better when rolling.

 

Once filled, gently fold the top over the filling and roll once. Now fold the sides inward, to the ends of the filling and finish rolling. It will look just like a burrito or egg roll. Set aside on a plate or serving platter. Cover with a fairly damp paper towel to keep the wrappers soft, while making the rest of the rolls. When complete, refrigerate until you’re ready to eat.

 

There are many recipes out there for dipping sauce. I made one last time, but I cheated and used prepared dipping sauce this time. I served an Orange Sauce, a Plum Sauce and then some Tamari, which is aged soy sauce. My family all likes different sauces. 

 

There was plenty of leftover rice noodles so I made a quick stir fry.

 

 

You’ll notice that I really don’t have quantities listed. Add as much as you like, depending on how much of the noodles you have left from the spring rolls. Lately I’ve been adding more veggies to my dishes, and perhaps you may not like as many. I believe you don’t need many rules for stir fry.  Anything goes, so use what sounds good to YOU.

 

Get your pan very hot and add some olive oil. If you have sesame oil, add a few drops for flavor.

Once your pan is heated, add your meat if it is not precooked. Season the meat with a little soy sauce and when it is most of the way cooked, add the carrots, onion and snow peas. Stir fry them for a few minutes. Add the noodles and just enough sauce to coat the noodled while frying. I used about 2 TBSP. As the noodles are beginning to brown, add in the spinach. Toss a few times until the leaves begin to wilt. Top with some fresh cracked pepper and sesame seeds (optional). Enjoy!