Shrimp and Cucumber Summer Rolls

The summer roll is a delightful alternative to its deep-fried cousin, the spring roll. (Wouldn't deep-fried be more appropriate as the winter roll?) They're light, refreshing, and what you might call a "cooling food" as my friend Cynthia from the hill country of Texas likes to say. Summer rolls make a nice lunch or light dinner on a hot August night.

Ingredients:

Shrimp, about half a pound, peeled and rinsed

Olive oil or sesame oil, for sauteeing

Ricepaper rounds (these are the Asian equivalent to burrito shells)

3 carrots, scrubbed and sliced into thin, matchstick-sized pieces

1 large English cucumber, sliced into thin matchstick-sized pieces

Cilantro, chopped - about 1/2 a cup

Sweet chili sauce, for dipping

Process:

Rinse, peel and devein the shrimp. In a large frying pan, pour enough oil to coat the bottom and turn the heat to medium-high. When water droplets dance on the surface of the pan, you're ready to stir-fry. Add the shrimp and toss about in the hot pan of oil until they curl up and turn pink. This will only take a few minutes - be careful not to overcook the shrimp. Remove from heat and set the shrimp aside to cool.

Do your veggie prepwork: slice up the carrots and cucumbers into matchstick pieces if you haven't already. Chop the cilantro. Also chop the shrimp, which should now have cooled down some. Set all ingredients aside in separate bowls.

Fill up a flat pan with water. Remove a ricepaper round from the package and set in the water to soften for about 30 seconds to a minute. When the ricepaper round is pliable, set on a wet paper towel.

Now it's time for your "burrito rolling." No, of course we're not making burritos, but it's the same process. Take a spoonful of the chopped shrimp and set it in the middle of the ricepaper round. Do the same with small bundles of the carrots and cucumber. Sprinkle a bit of the cilantro over the top. Spoon a bit of the chili sauce over. Now you have a small pile of tasty goodness!

Okay: now get ready to do the tuck and roll. Slip your hands underneath the ricepaper round, supporting the ingredients in the center. Fold in the left and right sides, and kind of tuck everything together as you roll up. If this doesn't make sense, take a trip to your favorite delicatessen, order a wrap sandwich and make a note of their technique.

Repeat the process until you run out of ingredients. Serve with the chili sauce and a nice cilantro garnish.

Serves 4.

Submitted by:

Dina Giolitto
http://wordfeeder.com

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