Friday, August 14, 2009

Shrimp Summer Rolls

About 2 months ago I was out running errands and decided to stop into a little Asian grocery store that I'd been wanting to visit. I love exploring new grocery stores! The 2 things that I ended up buying, I probably could have found at any grocery...but it was more fun getting them there, more authentic! Panko and rice paper were my 2 purchases, although I was really tempted to buy sushi rice, wrappers, and mats...homemade sushi is on my "to make" list.

Like I said, this was a while back and these items have sat untouched in my cabinets...until now. This week's CEiMB recipe was turkey burgers...but I just wasn't in the mood (I really don't like eating burgers before I have to teach or afterwards when I get home at 10pm). And boiled shrimp were on sale at Whole Foods. And Ellie has a recipe for Shrimp Spring Rolls that calls for rice paper...PERFECT!

I have never worked with rice paper before, but it really wasn't difficult at all. Just a few seconds in warm water and they are ready to go. And the filling possibilities are endless! The ones I made were filled with shrimp, avocado, carrot, rice noodles, cilantro, and lettuce. I wanted to add mango but couldn't find a ripe one.

The dipping sauce was easy to make...I added a little soy sauce to Ellie's version to make it a saltier. And look how healthy all this is! Lean protein, lots of veggies, hardly any fat (besides the healthy fat from the avocado)...does it get any better?


Other versions to inspire you:


There is a video of Ellie making her version on the FoodNetwork website. Watch and see how easy it is! Or just follow along with my photos.

Next time I make these I may try different filling combinations and a different dipping sauce...the hoisin one above sounds good...so does the peanut sauce.

  • Per serving (1 roll) - 90 calories, 0 g fat, 18 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein (exchanges: 1/3 protein, 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 starch; WW points: 2)
  • Notes - My version was a little different...I used ingredients I liked/had on hand...avocado and cilantro are 2 of my favorites; to give yourself filling ideas, think about your favorite sushi; each sheet of rice paper has only 40 calories; once you have softened the rice paper in water, move it quickly to the work surface or it will start to stick to itself...here is a good site with more tips on rolling; if you don't have fish sauce substitute soy; some type of lettuce or slaw is a good thing to add to give the roll a "stuffed" look...I left it out of a few and they looks so skinny!


Happy Birthday to Mel and Caroline!



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